San Quentin

Felon

July 2008 •English

A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

Women of San Quentin

October 1983 •English

A young female prison guard finds out that her first assignment is to San Quentin, one of the toughest prisons in the country.

Weeds

October 1987 •English

A San Quentin inmate, sentenced to life without parole, writes a play that catches the interest of a reporter.

Zoot Suit

October 1981 •English

Part fact and part fiction, Zoot Suit is the film version of Luis Valdez's critically acclaimed play, based on the actual Sleepy Lagoon murder case and the zoot suit riots of 1940s Los Angeles. Henry Reyna is the leader of a group of Mexican-Americans being sent to San Quentin without substantial evidence for the death of a man at Sleepy Lagoon. As part of the defense committee, Alice Bloomfield and George Shearer fight the blatant miscarriage of justice for the freedom of Henry and his friends.

Men of San Quentin

May 1942 •English

A corrupt official at San Quentin tries to frame an innocent guard for several murders within the prison.

The Steel Cage

December 1954 •English

Drama set in San Quentin prison.

Duffy of San Quentin

March 1954 •English

San Quentin's new warden crusades for reform and for a framed inmate who loves a nurse.

A Little Thing Called Murder

January 2006 •English

Fast forgery without mistakes. Shoplifting under pressure. Effective body disposal. The ability to multitask various felonies. These are just a few of the "talents" that mother-and-son grifters Sante and Kenny Kimes possess. Based on shocking true events, this flick takes you into the dark, sordid world of this deadly duo, from their bizarre relationship to their heinous crimes. It's no surprise that two-time Emmy winner Judy Davis earned a nomination for this performance.

Chain Gang

November 1950 •English

Crusading newspaperman Cliff Roberts masquerades as a prison guard to document inhuman conditions.

Free Chol Soo Lee

August 2022 •English

On June 3, 1973, a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco’s Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn’t distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter’s investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee’s freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists.

Gang Busters

June 1955 •English

A life-long criminal continues his practice of breaking out of Oregon State Prison - much to the frustration of the police.

Escape from San Quentin

September 1957 •English

Desmond plays convict Mike Gilbert, who goes on the lam with fellow prisoners Gruber and Graham when he finds out his wife is divorcing him and feels he has nothing to lose. Gruber intends to get his robbery loot, which his father, Curly, has successfully hidden from the law. After commandeering a plane, they double-cross Graham, who assembles his gang to get revenge - and Gruber's loot. Meanwhile, Gilbert falls in love with Robbie, his ex-wife’s sister. Through Robbie’s influence, Gilbert decides to go straight, but his cohorts aren’t quite so willing to reform.

A Double Life

October 2023 •English

The grim news made international headlines: On August 21, 1971, prison authorities discovered a gun on famed Soledad Brother author, activist and San Quentin inmate George Jackson. A shootout ensued, killing Jackson, two other inmates and three guards, and wounding three more officers. Authorities asserted that only lawyer Stephen Bingham could have smuggled the weapon into the prison. Fearing that a conviction for abetting the guards’ deaths would lead to his own murder, the attorney fled, beginning a long, strange odyssey of pseudonymous exile. Strange indeed for the Yale-graduate scion of politically prominent New England elites.

San Quentin

December 1946 •English

An ex-con sets up a program to straighten out hard-core prisoners. Things don't go as planned.

Johnny Cash at San Quentin

September 1969 •English

Johnny Cash at San Quentin was recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969 and released as an album onJune 16 of that same year. The concert was filmed by Granada Television. Songs performed include Wreck of the Old 97 , I Walk the Line, San Quentin and A Boy Named Sue.

A Man's Mate

March 1924 •English

Paul Bonard an artist, loses his memory when he receives a blow on the head from one of two apaches fighting over Wildcat, a sultry stepper in a cafe. He becomes an apache himself, falls in love with Wildcat and paints her portrait--his masterpiece. Wildcat learns Paul's identity and restores him to his family, though realizing that she will lose him. Surgery restores Paul's memory, but some subconscious force guides him back to the cafe and Wildcat's love.

High Noon

November 1990 •Tamil

Set among the streets of Madras and filmed in real time, with unknown actors, this is a story of the complex relations between family members.

Las golondrinas

January 1968 •Spanish

Paper Boats

September 2019 •English

Why can't Rahel bring herself to sign her artwork? The visit of her high school academic triggers memories of why she is haunted by her surname, yet would not consider changing it.

Mr Rockstar

June 2019 •English

A boy must come to terms with his mistakes after meeting an inspirational person.