Classic Horrors Club

Hear me out! If you wonder why we’re discussing a crime drama with virtually no thrills or chills, let me share the plethora of behind-the-scenes tidbits that tantalized me to make Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) horror-adjacent.

First, it was directed by Don Siegel and we had just released an episode of The Classic Horrors Club Podcast in which Rich Chamberlain and I “watched” his classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) at the “drive-in.” There’s a terrific scene in this where the moving camera follows escaped prisoner Crazy Mike Carnie (Leo Gordon) as he runs down the long hall between cells, chasing a guard. It evokes similar scenes from Invasion.

Second, it stars Neville Brand, the distinctive actor who make an impact on me recently while watching The Mad Bomber (1973.) In pictures from the film, he looked like a handsome man and I thought it would be interesting to see him in something when he was younger. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much out of his performance here. There’s no explanation why his character, James V. Dunn, was elected to lead the rebellion. He’s not smart enough to enact any part of the plan without assistance from other inmates.

Third, although I didn’t realize it ahead of time, Riot in Cell Block 11 also stars Leo Gordon as Crazy Mike. Gordon had a memorable role as Edgar/Ezra Weeden in The Haunted Palace (1963.) Crazy Mike is more memorable than Dunn, playing the muscle behind Dunn’s brain, or lack thereof, which is a problem for the good guys. Crazy Mike is unpredictable. (Interestingly, Gordon spent time at San Quentin for armed robbery.

Speaking of spending time in the slammer, producer Walter Wanger served four months in prison for shooting agent Jennings Lang because he suspected him of have an affair with his wife, Joan Bennett (Dark Shadows.) A Dark Shadows reference alone is reason to squeeze a crime drama into the parameters of classic horror.

When I spot someone who looks familiar while watching a movie, I sometimes open IMDb on my phone to see who it is. I was surprised by the number of recognizable names in this movie! However, I was able to identify only two. One was Alvy Moore, Hank Kimball on Green Acres (1965-1971.) Whenever he was on screen, I fixated on him to see if he demonstrated any of Kimball’s quirky behavior. He didn’t, other than by wearing the bill of his cap straight up in the air. The other was William Schallert. You know William Schallert.

Also appearing in Riot in Cell Block 11 are Dabbs Greer as Schyler (322 credits, including, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Vampire, 1957, and It! The Terror from Beyond Space, 1958), Whit Bissell as Snader (oh, that was Whit Bissell… you know Whit Bissell), and Paul Frees as Monroe. You might not recognize his face, but you know his voice if you’ve ever visited the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or Disney World.

If not for these reasons, I would never have included Riot in Cell Block 11 in a countdown to Halloween. However, it has enough pop culture/horror cred that I don’t regret it. As for the movie itself, does it matter? I was underwhelmed. In part, it hasn’t aged well, and in part, it simplifies a complex political issue that we don’t hear much about these days, but I’m certain is still happening. I won’t go any deeper than that.