Unintentional riot about a stony-faced extortionist (Ralph Meeker) arrested and copping a plea bargain with the courts, ending up in an impenetrable prison. Meeker's link to the kidnapping/disappearance of a child makes him quite unpopular with his cell-mates (including Charles Bronson, pumped up and perusing muscle magazines); fortunately for Ralph, this cell-block gang--led by a wily but not quite brutish Broderick Crawford--already have a break-out plan in the works. Film features the kind of "sinister", super-grave voice-over narration later popularized on the "Dragnet" TV show. Reviewers point out how ahead of its time the brutality was, and it's true that one killing is a bit shocking. However the rest of the picture is so low-budget (and drowsily low-key) that one begins to laugh out of sheer restlessness. The frenzied finale picks up some of the slack, ending on a jaw-dropping note. ** from ****