4/5 3 stars out of 4
  by One-Line Film Reviews (Easton, MD)
The Bottom Line:

Made too early into the Hays Code to revel in the exploitation side of women's prison movies, Caged is certainly lurid but it's also a solidly made, engaging picture that I guarentee will entertain you if you give it half a chance; besides, how can you pass up a movie whose tagline reads "Will she come out a woman OR A WILDCAT?"

4/5 "Don't kid me, Harper's first name is filth."
  by Westley (Stuck in my head)
Eleanor Parker stars as Marie Allen in 1950's "Caged." Marie comes from a poor family but never had trouble with the law; however, she married young and her husband, in an act of desperation, holds up a gas station for $40. Her husband is killed in the robbery, and Marie, who drove the getaway car, is given 1-15 years in prison. When she arrives at the prison, she's a naive scared 19-year-old girl. When she leaves, she's a hardened woman who is likely to become a repeat offender. What happens in between makes up the bulk of the plot, as the women react to being "caged."

By today's standards, "Caged" is pretty tame, verging on unrealistic; however, for a 1950s movie, "Caged" is remarkably gritty, and it's often considered to be the granddaddy of women's prison movies. Fortunately, the movie also provides very good character sketches of the different women in Marie's prison block. The acting is uniformly good, with Parker scoring her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Her progression from innocent waif to bitter criminal is quite believable and effective. Hope Emerson also received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting turn as Evelyn Harper, the scheming prison matron who taunts the women. Ellen Corby (probably best known as Grandma Walton) has fun in her role as a shifty murderess. The film also features Agnes Moorehead as the sympathetic superintendant; I usually love Moorehead, but she's a tad boring here.

The women in prison genre has been done many times since "Caged," often in a more sensationalistic style. Nevertheless, the movie is interesting and well worth watching. Some of the lines are great fun. Hope Emerson's matron character has some of the best, including when she tells the cell block, "Line up, you tramps. This ain't no upstairs delicatessen." I also laughed out loud when Marie says at the death of one of the characters, "Kindly omit the flowers." Some really terrific material that borders on camp.


5/5 Great chick flick!!!
  by Matt Tawesson (Macomb, IL, USA)
I had first seen this movie back when I was a kid in the 80s on late night TV. Little did I know then how much I would come to love this movie and to make it one of my favorites years later. The acting is stellar. Eleanor Parker plays Marie Allen, a scared 19 year old woman expecting a child who has never had a police record before. She learns quite a lot about being incarcerated within a few months. Agnes Moorehead's performance as Mrs. Ruth Benton, the superintendent of the women's prison, is fabulous (Agnes would be on Bewitched 14 years later). Mrs. Benton is very warm, cordial, and willing to help Marie out. Hope Emerson plays Evelyn Harper, the mean spirited, harsh, and hostile matron who rules her group of women with an excess amount of strictness as well as an iron fist. I am so glad to see that this movie is finally out on DVD, though it should have been released much sooner, but, better late than never. There aren't much for special features, except for the trailer, which is a nice addition to the DVD, as well as subtitles. The quality of the audio and video is sharp and clear. The dialog is excellent, and there is some comedy and drama mixed together, and yes, there are some moments that are disturbing to the casual viewer. Highly recommended for anyone who is into older films from the 40s and 50s. Now that this movie is on DVD, there is no need to wait around for it to come on TV anymore. Get this movie on DVD and toss out the old VHS that you recorded sometime ago. A++!!!

5/5 Female version of Shawshank Redemption
  by Ginger Spice (Tulsa Oklahoma)
This is an underrated movie. For the time it was made, it contains a realism that was lacking in other films of its decade. It echoes the theme of "Shawshank Redemtion"; corrupt prison employees, uncaring government officials, and a decent soul who fell through the cracks. The difference is this film deals with women, and the main character loses the battle to maintain her dignity and the determination to turn her life around upon release. While there may be a brief feeling of satisfying revenge in the movie, there is no happy resolution. Some people may not want to watch a movie without a happy ending, but I felt like this movie was closer to what happens in real life. In truth, the story doesn't actually tell you what happens to Eleanor Parker's character but you can guess. The acting is incredible on all counts. Eleanor Parker and Agnes Moorehead give their usual standout performances but it's Hope Emerson as the matron that really steals the show. She is totally believable as the corrupt and cruel matron and I was shocked at how much I was rooting for the criminals. Her portrayal of the matron was so well done that it could easily be applied to todays standards of good vs. evil. Great movie, great acting.

5/5 "I'm a big girl, and this isn't my first year away from home!"
  by Duane (Philadelphia, PA)
I loved reading all the excellent reviews of this movie, and don't have much more to add. I too first saw this back in the early 70's on the late show, and it immediately became one of my favorite movies. I'm glad it is finally on DVD, but wish there were more special features.

To those unaware, the 70's tv movie 'Born Innocent' (starring Linda Blair as a young innocent girl thrown into the harsh juvenille system) is a remake of 'Caged'. It was considered very controversial when it was shown (and it was banned after its first showing) because it was blunt when it came to the topic of lesbianism, and because of a brutal rape scene. Of course, the 1950's 'Caged' could only imply of lesbianism ("Think it over sweetie, and get this through your head. If you stay in here too long, you don't think of guys at all. You just get out of the habit". Even Elvira Powell--who smiles suggestively at the young, pretty Marie as she asks "What's your name? How'd you hurt your hand?"--was supposed to only be interested in Marie because she wanted her to join her gang).

Great movie!! Love Eleanor Parker, and even with little makeup and a cropped head, she looks gorgeous!