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San Quentin

Play trailer Poster for San Quentin Released Aug 3, 1937 1h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 0 Reviews 26% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Just before Steve Jameson (Pat O'Brien) takes over as captain of the yard at San Quentin, he meets and falls for singer May Kennedy (Ann Sheridan). May's brother, "Red" (Humphrey Bogart), is arrested soon after and sentenced to San Quentin, where Steve is implementing reform. Believing Steve's methods too harsh, May breaks up with him. Meanwhile, Red slowly comes to appreciate Steve's regulations -- only to have a fellow prisoner convince him that Steve is favoring him to get to May.
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San Quentin

Audience Reviews

View All (22) audience reviews
Steve D Decent on its own but Bogart runs away with it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/13/24 Full Review Audience Member All I said was the captain of the yard has stink weed for a family tree... The local jail determines they need a new direction, so they dismiss their captain and hire a new one. The new captain has a military background and feels prisoners can be reformed; and jail is punishment enough, without further punishment required. One day he meets a hardened inmate's sister during visitation and they immediately start dating and fall in love. When the inmate finds out, he doesn't take too kindly to the news. The inmate might not let the captain reform the prison as he hoped. "Give me the gun." "Yeah, and all the slugs with it." Lloyd Bacon, director of Frisco Kid, 42nd Street, Ever Since Eve, A Notorious Affair, The Lion and the Mouse, Moby Dick, Boy Meets Girl, and An Innocent Affair, delivers San Quentin. The storyline for this picture is fairly interesting but just okay and could have been further developed (only 70 minutes). The acting is very good and the cast includes Humphrey Bogart, Pat O'Brien, Ann Sheridan, and Marc Lawrence. "If anyone feels like getting funny I guarantee you I'll get the last laugh." I DVR'd this because it starred the legend, Humphrey Boart, and I had never seen it before. I did thoroughly enjoy this movie, and thought Bogart was excellent, the movie ends abruptly and definitely could have been better. Overall, this is worth watching once but may not make your top Bogart picture list. "Who are they going to knock off today?" Grade: C+/B- (6.25) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member In "San Quentin," Bogart returns quickly to a life of crime... Trying without success to add some depth and meaning to a role which offered little of either, Bogart is a convicted robber sent to San Quentin and assigned to a road gang as a rehabilitated step instituted by the prison yard captain, Pat O'Brien... This will be the final reunion of both Actors as Bogart later passes away from Cancer. Sadly the final farewell has very little substance and comes across 1 dimensional. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member There are elements that are good here, but unfortunately they just don't pull together. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A worthwhile movie for Bogart fans, but a disappointing movie on character and plot development. Bogart has the character that most develops, but it shifts from one extreme to the other with little realism. The rest of the characters are very one dimensional and little of the plot helps any of them develop. O'Brien as the army officer appointed to treat the prisoners with respect provides a simplistic and naive view of how to reform the prison system. O'Brien's character always comes out as a perfect do-gooder. The portrayal of the process, guards and inmates was far from realistic. The good thing about the film for action fans interested in the history of film is to see the well-done editing, stunts and car chase in the escape sequence. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member oh boy another prison reform movie and at a mere 1 hour and 10 minutes this one sails along but is no say "20,000 years in sing sing". Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
San Quentin

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Movie Info

Synopsis Just before Steve Jameson (Pat O'Brien) takes over as captain of the yard at San Quentin, he meets and falls for singer May Kennedy (Ann Sheridan). May's brother, "Red" (Humphrey Bogart), is arrested soon after and sentenced to San Quentin, where Steve is implementing reform. Believing Steve's methods too harsh, May breaks up with him. Meanwhile, Red slowly comes to appreciate Steve's regulations -- only to have a fellow prisoner convince him that Steve is favoring him to get to May.
Director
Lloyd Bacon
Producer
Samuel Bischoff
Screenwriter
Peter Milne, Humphrey Cobb
Production Co
Warner Bros., First National Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 3, 1937, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 10m
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