Four Men in Prison

{{Short description|1950 English documentary film by Max Anderson}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Four Men in Prison

| image =

| caption =

| director = Max Anderson

| producer = John Grierson

| writer = Mark Benney

| narrator = Maria Schell

| starring = Johnny Singer ( actor)

| music = Andre Ryder

| cinematography = Geoffrey Faithfull and Fred Gamage

| editing = Max Benedict (Created as Max Bendiect)

| studio = Crown Film Unit

| distributor =

| released = {{film date|df=yes|1950}}

| runtime = 41 minutes

| country = England

| language = English

| budget = £16,000

}}

Four Men In Prison is a 1950 semi-documentary short film about English prison conditions directed by Max Anderson and produced by John Grierson and it was also Narrated by the Austrian- Swiss actress Maria Schell.{{Cite web |title=Four Men in Prison |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150022224 |access-date=9 August 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}} Filmed at Wakefield Prison, it was commissioned for the purpose of educating people involved in criminal justice.

The film was criticised for being inaccurate and sensational, and was quickly withdrawn.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Production

The film was made for educational purposes by the Central Office of Information to be shown privately to magistrates and others who were involved in administering criminal justice.{{sfn|Fox|1952|p=84}}The Home Office initiated production of the film, which cost £16,000.{{sfn|Birch|1950}} It was one of three produced under Donald Taylor at the Crown Film Unit and completed in 1950.

Synopsis

The film deals with penology.{{sfn|Ellis|1989|p=154}} It is semi-documentary.{{sfn|Ellis|McLane|2005|p=148}} It depicts the impact that living in prison has on four very different offenders. One is serving a short sentence for a first-time offence, one is a youthful thief who is mentally sub-normal, one is being given training to prevent him from turning into a habitual criminal and the fourth is a hardened criminal who knows the ropes of prison existence.{{sfn|COI Collection Vol 1}}

Reception

The film was aired for the first time at a magistrate's conference. The reaction was immediate and public, with the film condemned for inaccuracy and sensationalism. The magistrates said the first offender and the mentally defective thief would not in fact have been sentenced in jail.{{sfn|Enticknap|1999|p=244}} The film "disappeared under a ban of official disapproval."{{sfn|Ellis|2000|p=258}}

Cast

William Mervyn as Prison Governor
Arthur Mullard as prison officer
Johnny Singer as Edward Hope
Ian Sadler as Henry Pectable
Cameron Hall as Stephen Laggerty
Oscar Quitak as Albert Oddy
Samir Sabri as Harry Telfer
Arthur Mullard as prison officer (Uncredited)
Aili King as prison officer
Janez Vajevec as Chief Officer Edward Blades
Lawrie Mark as 1st Chaplain
Reggie Winch as 2nd Chaplain
Maria Schell as Narrator
Raihan Ahmed
Brian Rix
Maureen Swanson
Bernard Cribbins
Shaun O’Riordan

References

Sources

{{cite journal|url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-december-1950/5/the-following-pieces-of-information-have-been-extr

|last=Birch|first=Nigel |date=15 December 1950|title=The following pieces of information have been extracted from various Ministers ...

|journal=The Spectator|access-date=2014-02-06}}

{{cite web|ref={{harvid|COI Collection Vol 1}}|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/COI-Collection-Vol-Police-Thieves/dp/B002XWV3DQ

|title=COI Collection Vol 1 - Police and Thieves|work=Amazon|date=15 February 2010

|access-date=2014-02-06}}

{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=Jack C.|title=The Documentary Idea: A Critical History of English-Language Documentary Film and Video

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iY5ZAAAAMAAJ|access-date=2014-02-06

|year=1989|publisher=Prentice Hall|isbn=978-0-13-217142-7}}

{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=Jack C.|title=John Grierson: Life, Contributions, Influence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PqtdMdpKlNEC&pg=PA258|access-date=2014-02-06

|year=2000|publisher=SIU Press|isbn=978-0-8093-2242-8}}

{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=Jack C.|last2=McLane|first2=Betsy A.|title=A New History of Documentary Film

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dyxSCoq9fKEC&pg=PA148|access-date=2014-02-06

|year=2005|publisher=Continuum|isbn=978-0-8264-1750-3}}

{{cite book|last=Enticknap|first=Leo Douglas Graham|title=The Non-fiction Film in Britain, 1945-51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iWobAQAAIAAJ

|year=1999|publisher=University of Exeter}}

{{cite book|last=Fox|first=Lionel W.|title=The English Prison and Borstal Systems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OYwnAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|access-date=2014-02-06

|year=1952|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-26638-6}}