Convicts 4 (1962): Cast & Plot
Convicts 4 is a 1962 crime drama directed by Millard Kaufman, starring Ben Gazzara as John Resko, Carmen Phillips and Jack Kruschen. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 45m (105 min)
- Director
- Millard Kaufman
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Kaufman-Lubin Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Convicts 4 About?
The premise of Convicts 4 without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After his death sentence is reduced to life, John Resko is moved from Sing‑Sing to Dannemora. With the assistance of a compassionate guard, he finds purpose behind bars, transforms into a rehabilitated inmate and discovers a talent for painting, eventually becoming a successful artist.
Convicts 4 Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- convict
- prison
- sing sing prison
- dannemora prison
- prison guard
- bunk bed
- prison doctor
- prison chaplain
- death row
- electric chair
- murder
- commutation
+38 more Show fewer
- reprieve
- artist
- painter
- captain of the guards
- suicide
- storekeeper
- armed robbery
- psychopath
- solitary confinement
- guard tower
- machine gun
- sock
- shiv
- theft
- mess hall
- baton
- new york city
- prison workshop
- siren
- psychotronic film
- based on autobiography
- cowritten by director
- father daughter reunion
- attempted prison break
- depression era
- criminal rehabilitation
- tunneling
- vocational rehabilitation
- criminal as protagonist
- attempted theft
- capital punishment
- bed bug infestation
- caught trying to escape
- inhumane treatment
- commissioner
- art critic
- christmas card
- prison hospital
Convicts 4 Cast & Characters
Ben Gazzara leads the cast as John Resko, with Carmen Phillips as Connie Resko and Jack Kruschen as Resko's Father. Directed by Millard Kaufman; 44 actors are credited in all.
- Director Millard Kaufman
-
Ben Gazzara as John Resko - Carmen Phillips as Connie Resko
-
Jack Kruschen as Resko's Father -
Ray Walston as Iggy
Also Starring in Convicts 4
· 40 more- Sammy Davis Jr. Wino
- Dodie Stevens Resko's Sister
- Vincent Price Carl Carmer
- Rod Steiger Tiptoes
- Stuart Whitman Principal Keeper
- Broderick Crawford Warden
- Timothy Carey Nick
- Jack Albertson Teach
- Warren J. Kemmerling Guard
- Myron Healey Gunther
- John Kellogg Guard
- Norman Stevans Sculptor (uncredited)
- John Dierkes Cell Block Guard (uncredited)
- Adam Williams Guard
- John Dennis Cell Block Guard
- Vincent Barbi Painter (uncredited)
Show all 44 cast members Show fewer cast members
- John Close Guard
- Arthur Malet Storekeeper
- Ernesto Molinari Sculptor (uncredited)
- Susan Silo Cathy (as an adult)
- Reggie Nalder Greer
- Bobby Gilbert Sculptor (uncredited)
- Naomi Stevens Resko's Mother
- Robert Christopher Guard
- Johnny Kern Convict (uncredited)
- Robert H. Harris Commissioner
- Josip Elic Vic the Barber
- Andy Albin Inmate
- Billy Varga Guard
- Roland La Starza Duke
- Robert White Guard (uncredited)
- Tom Gilson Lefty
- Sid Kane Sculptor (uncredited)
- Lee Krieger Stanley
- Lenny Kent Painter (uncredited)
- Peter Besbas Sculptor (uncredited)
- Norman Nazarr Sculptor (uncredited)
- Kreg Martin Guard
- Burt Lange Gallery Man
- Robert Swimmer Guard (uncredited)
Convicts 4 Plot Summary
What happens in Convicts 4 from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
It is Christmas, 1931, and John Resko, [Ben Gazzara], wants to give his baby daughter a new teddy bear. He enters a shop with no money, begging the shopkeeper to let him pay later. The shopkeeper, who cleans his eyeglasses with a dollar bill, refuses. Resko grabs a gun he saw in the till and points it at the man. The shopkeeper lunges, and a shot is fired. Resko is condemned to the electric chair at the age of eighteen.
Full summary
The whole story of Convicts 4, scene by scene
Convicts 4 Videos
The clip of Convicts 4.
How Well Do You Know Convicts 4?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What gift does John Resko want to give his baby daughter at the start of the film?
Convicts 4 Also Known As
4 alternative titles, including “Convicts Four” and “Reprieve”.
- Also known as
-
- Convicts Four
- Reprieve
- Tre passi dalla sedia elettrica
- Осужденные 4
Seen Convicts 4?
Movies Like Convicts 4
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Convicted, Convict’s Code and 20,000 Years in Sing Sing.
Convicts 4 FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Convicts 4, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Convicts 4?
Convicts 4 runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).
When was Convicts 4 released?
Convicts 4 was released on September 15, 1962.
Who directed Convicts 4?
Convicts 4 was directed by Millard Kaufman.
Who is in the cast of Convicts 4?
Convicts 4 stars Ben Gazzara as John Resko, Carmen Phillips as Connie Resko and Jack Kruschen as Resko's Father, among 44 credited actors.
Does Convicts 4 have a post-credit scene?
No. Convicts 4 has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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