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One sheet This poster is for the
1938 American crime drama film Prison Train, directed by Gordon Wiles. The movie is a low-budget "B-movie" notable for its early use of noir-style visual elements like dramatic shadows and unusual camera angles.
Plot Summary
The story follows Frankie Terris (Fred Keating), a ruthless crime boss who kills the son of his rival, Mannie Robbins, during a street brawl. Convicted and sentenced to 90 years at Alcatraz, Frankie is placed on a cross-country train bound for "The Rock".
Robbins, seeking revenge, vows that Frankie will never arrive alive and plants hitmen among the passengers. The film builds suspense as Frankie, increasingly terrified, must outwit the assassins while his sister, Louise, attempts to warn him of the plot from aboard the same train.
Key Cast and Crew
Director: Gordon Wiles
Fred Keating as Frankie Terris: A professional magician-turned-actor playing the lead gangster.
Linda Winters (Dorothy Comingore) as Louise Terris: Frankie's sister. She later became famous for her role as Susan Alexander Kane in Citizen Kane.
Clarence Muse as Sam: The dining car steward. Muse was a pioneering African-American actor, and his role here was considered significant for its time as it avoided the typical "buffoonish" stereotypes of the era.
Faith Bacon as Maxine: A famous burlesque dancer in her only film rol |
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