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| Unchained | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Hall Bartlett |
| Written by | Hall Bartlett |
| Based on | Prisoners are People byKenyon J. Scudder |
| Produced by | Hall Bartlett |
| Starring | Elroy Hirsch Barbara Hale Chester Morris Todd Duncan Johnny Johnston |
| Cinematography | Virgil E. Miller |
| Edited by | Cotton Warburton |
| Music by | Alex North andHy Zaret (song "Unchained Melody") |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Unchained is a 1955prison film written, produced and directed byHall Bartlett (the first film directed by Bartlett) and starringElroy Hirsch,Barbara Hale,Chester Morris,Todd Duncan, andJohnny Johnston. Based on thenon-fiction bookPrisoners are People byKenyon J. Scudder, it is most remembered for its theme song, "Unchained Melody".
Steve Davitt is held in a medium security prison and is struggling with a choice between two options: serving his fullsentence and returning legitimately to his wife and family, or escaping and ending up on the run. Having received what he considers to be an unjust recommendation from the Adult Authority Board, he decides to escape. However, he is surprised by a trustee-inmate whom he has befriended, and a fist-fight ensues. Davitt wins the fight, and heading for the barbed-wire fence starts to climb. He hesitates twice, and looking back to see his friend on the ground decides against escaping after all. The scene ends with him turning round and heading back to the prison.
The film was based on the career of Kenyon J. Scudder, former supervisor atChino prison in California, as detailed in Scudder's book.
Former football playerElroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch played the lead character, while other inmates were played byChester Morris andJerry Paris (later ofThe Dick Van Dyke Show), among others. Others in the cast includedPeggy Knudsen andBarbara Hale, who appeared as women visiting the prisoners. Jazz musicianDexter Gordon has a small, uncredited role in the film, that of asaxophone player in the prison jazz band.
The film was shot at the prison inChino,California, where Gordon was then serving time for possession ofheroin.
The theme song "Unchained Melody" was written byAlex North andHy Zaret and performed byTodd Duncan. This song has since become astandard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably bythe Righteous Brothers in 1965.[1] Over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.[2] In 1955, three versions of the song charted in the Top 10 in the United States,[3] and four versions appeared in the Top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, an unbeaten record for any song.[4][5] The song continued to chart in the 21st century.[6][7]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Song | "Unchained Melody" Music byAlex North; Lyrics byHy Zaret | Nominated | [8] |