San Quentin is a film with a message to convey. The main problem here is that it can’t seem to keep that message clear and concise, bogging down under motivations and actions that happen off camera and settling on shorthand methods to speed the plot along rather than tackling the issues in a more realistic and exciting way. Things happen often with just a simple line of dialogue to explain why. This makes for a short but unsatisfying viewing experience.
Pat O’Brien is ex-Army officer Steve Jameson, a man with a reputation in the military for getting things done. He is hired to be the new Chief Guard at San Quentin after Lt. Druggin (Barton MacLane), who had been holding the position temporarily, is deemed unfit for it. Druggin is a rigid man long on discipline and short on temper whereas Jameson sees the men as more than just convicts and is looking for opportunities to reform the men rather than dish out penalties.
Mae Kennedy (Ann Sheridan) is a night club singer who has caught Jameson’s eye. She has a brother, Red (Humphrey Bogart), who has just been arrested and sent to San Quentin under Jameson’s care. Red initially has a chip on his shoulder and immediately gets into trouble, brawling in the prison yard when one of the other inmates plays a prank on him. However, Jameson goes easy on him, seeing in the man an opportunity to help him reform rather than becoming a career criminal. This leads to some clashes between the two men as well as with Druggin who is looking for an opportunity to undermine his new boss and take back the position.
The message this movie appears to be conveying from the get-go is that not all criminals are a lost cause. Yet it doesn’t seem to want to stick with that message and churns out a message that is far more pessimistic. We are subjected to scenes where a prisoner, full of the word of God and repentance, jumps at the opportunity to steal a rifle and shoot one of his guards and threatens to kill his fellow inmates, too. Others are just looking for easy work and willing to riot and go on strike if they don’t get it. Even Red, who seems to be getting the message and trying to improve himself late in the film, is easily steered back to violence by some well chosen words from the scheming Druggin and fellow prisoner Hansen (Sawyer), a character who only seems to be there to tempt Red. Hansen, who gets the most screen time beyond the three leads, is nonetheless poorly developed, his motivations nothing more than plot contrivances.
This would be a stronger film if it picked a moral road and stuck by it. Instead, it veers off in its final act making the message of the film confusing and frustrating. This is doubly frustrating as Red is the only well developed character in the film. Jameson and Mae are utilized merely to keep the plot rolling, often acting offscreen to do so. We get no scenes to convince us of their blooming romance, nor of why it would suddenly set Red when he finds out about it. We never see him displaying a jealous streak over his sister or suspiciousness over any perceived special treatment he may be getting from Jameson. It’s all plot convenience that is neither subtle nor well written.
San Quentin has atmosphere aplenty and some believable characters amongst the prisoners and guards. Unfortunately we never get an opportunity to really get to know any of them. It really could have used another fifteen minutes to flesh out the characters and build up the conflict better rather than relying so heavily on shortcuts to get the point across. It’s a perfectly adequate watch just don’t expect anything deeper.
Running Time: 70 minutes
Cast: Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan
Director: Lloyd Bacon
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