Better Late Then Never

Absolutely Fantastic

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Castle on the Hudson (1941)** 1/2 (out of 4) Pretty much a scene-by-scene remake of the 1932 drama 20,000 YEARS IN SING SING has gangster Tommy Gordon (John Garfield) being sentenced to prison but he's not worried because he thinks his "connections" will get him out. Soon Tommy realizes that those on the outside want him to remain in prison so he thinks about escaping but the Warden (Pat O'Brien) tries to talk some sense into him. Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis were the stars of the original film, which is slightly better than this one thanks in large part to see the two legends working together. If you've seen that version then nothing here is going to come as a shock to you because I wouldn't be surprised if Warner just dusted off the previous screenplay and used it again, just changing names this time. That original film wasn't a classic so if you haven't seen it then you'll probably be caught up in the story plus we get Garfield turning in another winning performance. His character was too large of an ego and comes off as a major jerk but Garfield could always play these characters and in the end make you care about them. That's what pretty much happens here because after Tommy takes his beatings he finally comes to except prison life and how it actually is. Garfield is so believable in the part that you can't help but want to see him succeed in what he's doing no matter what he was convicted of. O'Brien plays his character countless times before in a number of Warner pictures. That heart of gold who takes in the bad and makes them see how good they could be. O'Brien and Garfield work extremely well together and they're certainly the main reason to check this film out. Ann Sheridan plays the girlfriend and isn't too bad in the part but the character is so poorly written that she becomes quite annoying due to how stupid she is. Burgess Meredith plays a fast-talking convict who tries to talk Garfield into escaping and Guinn Williams is the lovable lug head. Warner made a ton of gangster and prison pics and while this here isn't nearly the best, there are at least enough good moments to make it worth viewing but I'd still catch the original first.

This film is a remake of 20,000 YEARS IN SING SING and while it is not bad at all (in fact, perhaps better than the original), the movie really has a couple lame-brained moments that you must be able to ignore in order to enjoy the movie. Without these dopey moments, the film merits a 7 or even 8 on IMDb, but come on,...these problems are pretty severe! For the first 80% of the film, the movie is pretty good fare. John Garfield is an ego-centric hood that thinks he's just too smart and important to ever go to prison. But, to his utter surprise, he gets sent to the "big house" and he has MAJOR problems adapting--after, he thinks he merits special favors and treatment. Well, all this is pretty exciting and fun to watch. BUT, the big plot twist is total cornball! When Garfield's girlfriend is almost killed, the warden feels sorry for him and lets him go for an unescorted pass--even though he was convicted of armed robbery, assault and attempted murder of a cop!!!! Talk about a hair-brained idea! Plus, at times, the girlfriend (Ann Sheridan) is pretty annoying since she seems to have absolutely no self-esteem or common sense.However, despite these serious problems, the film is indeed entertaining. Since I am a major fan of 1930s Warner Brothers films, I can overlook this. Many probably cannot and so there are certainly much better prison or gangster movies out there that are more likely to please.

Except for some opening scenes that show the crime that John Garfield is sent to prison for, Castle on the Hudson is a virtual word for word remake of 20,000 Years in Sing Sing.But it's better cast. John Garfield does far better here than Spencer Tracy did in the original. In fact this was the second remake that Garfield did that improved on the original. He was also better in They Made Me a Criminal than Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in The Life of Jimmy Dolan. Also a big improvement is Burgess Meredith over Lyle Talbot as the stir crazy convict whose escape attempt is a flop.Still though there is that nutty premise of warden Pat O'Brien giving a one day furlough to Garfield where he gets in trouble. Same as the original film, it just doesn't ring true. Or should I say any more true.

Anatole Litvak directs this remake of 20,000 YEARS IN SING SING. Very faithful to the original starring Spenser Tracy. Tommy Gordon (John Garfield) is a mobster with a super ego. He does not worry about his prison sentence, because he figures his connections on the outside will make his 'time in the can' easier. Enter the stern, but kind hearted warden (Pat O'Brien) and the stand by her man girlfriend (Ann Sheridan)and we have the typical players of a basic prison drama. Garfield plays the role with more attitude than Tracy did. Also starring are Burgess Meredith, Henry O'Neill, Guinn Williams and Jerome Cowan. Hard to notice any change in script from the first version eight years earlier. Very good opener for a Litvak double header that also features CONFESSIONS of a NAZI SPY.