4.15-The Big House with Lewis Beer

Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Big House. I'm joined by Lewis Beer who writes the Slow Moving Pictures newsletter, and we talk about the key themes that weave throughout the film, how the writing of the film helps propel the narrative forward, and some of the real life prisoners and prison personnel that inspired characters in the film.

You can watch The Big House on YouTube or Tubi or grab a copy of the film on DVD for yourself, and be sure to check out Lewis's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The Letter directed by Jean De Limur
• A Woman Under the Influence directed by John Cassavetes
• The Divorcee directed by Robert Z. Leonard
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone
• Roofman directed by Derek Cianfrance
• Min and Bill directed by George Hill
• Alibi directed by Roland West
• The Case of Sergeant Grischa directed by Herbert Brenon (lost film)
• Red-Headed Woman directed by Jack Conway
• The Champ directed by King Vidor
• Anna Christie directed by Clarence Brown
• The Big Parade directed by King Vidor
• The Flying Fleet directed by George Hill

Other referenced topics:

• "Frances Marion: Hollywood's Favourite Storyteller"
• "The Woman Who Invented the Hollywood Screenwriter" by Pamela Hutchinson
• Off With Their Heads: A Serio-Comic Tale of Hollywood by Frances Marion
• Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood by Cari Beauchamp
• "Frances Marion: Censorship and the Screenwriter in Hollywood, 1929-1931" by Leslie Kreiner Wilson
• Prison Movies: Cinema Behind Bars by Kevin Kehrwald
• New York Times review by Morduant Hall
• "Life in and out of a Penitentiary" by John C. Mosher
• Francis Marion receiving her Oscar for Best Writing