Outside These Walls

"SAFER WITH KILLERS INSIDE THESE CELLS...THAN WITH WOMEN WITHOUT HEARTS!"

1939 1h 0m EN

🤯

8.8

MASTERPIECE

★8.8TMDB · 2

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Walen plays Dan Sparling, a convicted embezzler who becomes editor of his prison newspaper. After serving out his sentence, he sets up an independent newspaper devoted to attacking corruption in public life, encountering various difficulties due to his being an ex-con and opposition from the incumbent administration.

“SAFER WITH KILLERS INSIDE THESE CELLS...THAN WITH WOMEN WITHOUT HEARTS!”

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Cast

Michael Whalen
Dan Sparling
Dolores Costello
Margaret Bronson
Virginia Weidler
Ellen Sparling
Don Beddoe
Dinky
Selmer Jackson
John Wilson
Mary Forbes
Gertrude Bishop
Robert Emmett Keane
Sam Fulton
Pierre Watkin
Hewitt Bronson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ray McCarey
Writers: Ferdinand Reyher, Harold Buchman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 60-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ray McCarey, shot by Lucien Ballard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor James Sweeney shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Whalen and Dolores Costello and Virginia Weidler carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "SAFER WITH KILLERS INSIDE THESE CELLS...THAN WITH WOMEN WITHOUT HEARTS!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0031771 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ray McCarey directs. Lucien Ballard behind the camera. James Sweeney cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 60-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Ray McCarey, shot by Lucien Ballard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor James Sweeney shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Michael Whalen and Dolores Costello and Virginia Weidler carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "SAFER WITH KILLERS INSIDE THESE CELLS...THAN WITH WOMEN WITHOUT HEARTS!".
8IMDB entry: tt0031771 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.