Tonight at a glance
- Runtime
- 147 min
- Age rating
- NR
- Language
- English
- Country
- United States
The story
After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.
- prison
- prisoner
- rebel
- difficult childhood
- human animal relationship
- alcatraz prison
- ornithology
- biography
- solitary confinement
- black and white
The look
A few frames, chosen rather than collected.
The bill
Burt Lancaster
Robert Stroud
Karl Malden
Harvey Shoemaker
Thelma Ritter
Elizabeth Stroud
Neville Brand
Bull Ransom
- Betty Field — Stella Johnson
- Telly Savalas — Feto Gomez
- Edmond O'Brien — Tom Gaddis
- Hugh Marlowe — Roy Comstock
- Whit Bissell — Dr. Ellis
- Crahan Denton — Kramer
- James Westerfield — Jess Younger
- Robert Bailey — Reporter on Dock (uncredited)
- Nicky Blair — Inmate (uncredited)
- Mushy Callahan — Inmate (uncredited)
- James J. Casino — Inmate (uncredited)
- Directed
- John Frankenheimer
- Written
- Guy Trosper
Production
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 · 344 ratings
- Studio
- Norma Productions, United Artists
If this stayed with you
Then these are the nearest things Cue holds — chosen for what they share with it, not for what happens to be popular.
