Millionaires in Prison (1940)
(On Cable TV, March 2021) The only thing more remarkable than Millionaires in Prison’s blend of several elements (medical thriller, buddy con comedy, social critique, men in prison drama) is that it tries to do it all in barely more than an hour. As a result, expect quite a few herky-jerky swerves from beginning to end, as director Ray McCarey does his perfunctory best with a weird script and (produced in the factory setting of B-grade Hollywood) wasn’t particularly interested in being any good for posterity. It starts as five millionaires are convicted and end up in the same cell block, but the following minutes can go from comedy to romance, only to end up in inspiring medical drama by the end of the film. If the film contains social commentary, it’s implied at best — this isn’t meant to be profound stuff. A letdown considering the title, Millionaires in Prison does get a few laughs thanks to its actors more than its script—Lee Tracy in particular. Not recommended except maybe as a curiosity or an example of lower-grade filmmaking circa 1940s.