''Cell 2455, Death Row'' is a 1955 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

directed by Fred F. Sears and starring William Campbell and

Robert Wright Campbell Robert Wright Campbell (June 9, 1927–September 21, 2000), often credited as R. Wright Campbell or Robert Campbell, was an American screenwriter, author and occasional actor. He was the brother of actor William Campbell and brother in law o ...

. It is based on the 1954 book of the same name.

Plot

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...

inmate uses his prison-law studies to fight for his life.

Cast

* William Campbell as Whit Whittier * R. Wright Campbell as Whit as a Boy (as Robert Campbell) * Marian Carr as Doll * Kathryn Grant as Jo-Anne *

Harvey Stephens Harvey Stephens (August 21, 1901 – December 22, 1986) was an American actor, known initially for his performances in Broadway productions, and thereafter for his work in film and on television. He was most active in film beginning in the 193 ...

as Prison Warden *

Vince Edwards Vince Edwards (born Vincent Edward Zoine; July 9, 1928 – March 11, 1996) was an American actor and director. He was best known for his TV role as doctor Ben Casey and as Major Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film '' The Devil's Brigade''. Ear ...

as Hamiton * Allen Nourse as Serl Whittier * Diane DeLaire as Hallie Whittier * Bart Braverman as Whit, as a Young Boy (as Bart Bradley) *

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 episode of Gunsm ...

as Al *

Tyler MacDuff Tyler Glenn Duff Jr. (September 12, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was an American film and television actor. Life and career MacDuff was born in Hollywood, California. He attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High. MacDuff joined the U.S. Navy in 194 ...

as Nugent *

Buck Kartalian Vahe "Buck" Kartalian (August 13, 1922 – May 24, 2016) was an American professional wrestler and character actor. Biography Vahe Kartalian was born on August 13, 1922, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Armenian immigrants. He had four sis ...

as Monk *

Eleanor Audley Eleanor Audley ( Zellman; November 19, 1905 – November 25, 1991) was an American actress with a distinctive voice and a diverse body of work. She played Oliver Douglas's mother, Eunice Douglas, on the CBS sitcom ''Green Acres'' (1965–1969) ...

as Blanche * Thom Carney as Hatcheck Charlie * Joseph Forte as Lawyer (as Joe Forte) * Howard Wright as Judge

Production

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

acquired the rights to

Caryl Chessman Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 – May 2, 1960) was a convicted robber, kidnapper and serial rapist who was sentenced to death for a series of crimes committed in January 1948 in the Los Angeles area. Chessman was charged with 17 counts a ...

's book '' Cell 2455, Death Row: A Condemned Man's Own Story'' for $10,000 in June 1954. Columbia planned the film as a documentary-type story and did not intend that the film should advocate for Chessman's innocence.

References

External links

* * 1955 crime drama films 1955 films American black-and-white films American prison drama films Columbia Pictures films 1950s English-language films Films about capital punishment Films based on biographies Films set in California Films directed by Fred F. Sears 1950s American films {{1950s-crime-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links