Seven Miles to Alcatraz (1942)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Silly but entertaining "B" picture about a couple cons (James Craig, Frank Jenks) who break out of Alcatraz just after the Pearl Harbor bombing. They end up taking a group hostage at a lighthouse but their problems grow even bigger when it's discovered that Nazis are about to use a sub to sink San Francisco. If you're looking for logic then I'd recommend staying away from this film but if you have an hour to kill and want some cheap fun then I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this thing. This is a pretty wild little story even though the main moral is to preach that Americans, no matter what their profession, should stick up for their country and bring down the enemy. What really makes the film so funny are a few scenes where Craig gets to make fun of Hitler, which while it's not Chaplin, it was still pretty funny. Even funnier are the Nazis here who are so over the top that you can't help but laugh. The female Nazi and her crush on Hitler and her anger when people make fun of his is rather priceless. Director Dmytryk would certainly go onto do bigger and better pictures but he manages to keep the film moving at a fast pace and he even gets a few nice shots in including a very nice one when the men first get out of the water and reach land. The entire story is pretty far fetched and the way the men escape and how easy they swim to shore is even sillier. As far as the performances go, none of them are great but they're at least entertaining with Craig and Jenks both fitting their roles just fine. Former Nancy Drew's Bonita Granville isn't too bad in her role even if it is a thankless one. Again, if you want a smart WWII pic then this here isn't for you but if you want some cheap action then you'll want to check this one out.