If you see the name Crane Wilbur in the credits, either as writer or director, especially if it is a crime picture, you can be sure that it will be above average. Wilbur used his skills as a veteran actor (going as far back as the silent Perils Of Pauline serial) as an author and later as a director to deepen the quality of the genre work he took on, often through research before shooting, so that the results had more unusual dialogue and a richness of realistic detail. Here he starts off what is basically a standard movie formula by having the prison itself, in this case Folsom, narrate the story! The plot pivots on the contrast between sadistic warden Ted De Corsia who wants to restrict the menu his inmates can eat ("Beans three times a day") and a well meaning new captain of the guard David Brian who believes in psychology and compares the De Corsia character to history's dictators (" You're as much a psychopathic case as any man in here") The treatment also benefits from use of the real Folsom location, touted in the opening (it would later be used again in such as Revolt In The Big House) some nice lensing (the scene where 5 convicts in a cell make plans, after the lights have been turned off early, their faces glimpsed in the dark) and effective musical underscoring by William Lava. If there is a big flaw in the film it's the decision to portray the brutal conditions as something way in the past- the turn of the century, in fact- and to assure the audience at the end with the return of narration that things have now improved, a somewhat false sweetness and light conclusion. If you want to learn more about Wilbur's fascinating career I recommend the biographical article by scholar Brent Walker in the Spring 2011 issue of the publication Noir City. Walker says that Inside The Walls Of Folsom Prison "may be Wilbur's signature work."

***SPOILERS*** Excellent behind bars or prison film narrated by Charles Lung, as the voice of Falsom Prison, on how brutal the US Prison System was at the turn of the 20th Century and how men of consciouses and humanity went as far as risking their careers as well as in some cases their live in order to correct it.Falsom Prison run by the take no BS and give no mercy warden Ben Ricky, Ted de Corsia, has become so untenable for the convicts sent there that they were more then willing to risk their lives, as well as take the lives of others,in making attempts to break out of it. It's when the new second in command Mark Benson, played by future Mister District Attorney David Brian, got there that things started to improve for the prisoners to the point that even the most hardened convicts accepted their being incarnated there as long as they were treated humanely. ***SPOILER ALERT*** It was Warden Rickey who's brutal actions, that he mostly participated in himself, against the prisoners that soon lead to a major prison breakout that cost the lives of some dozen convicts as well as his own. That despite Benson's best efforts in trying to prevent it. It was the soon to be paroled convict Red Pardue, Philip Carey, who touched off this bloody break-out by informing on fellow convict Nick Ferretti, William Campbell, who was about to make a break out that would have, in Parude driving the truck that Ferritti was hiding in, cost him his release. In fact Prude saved Ferretti's, who's in for murder one, life by preventing him from breaking out which would have ended up with him being shot down before he made it to the prison walls or high wire electrified fences. With Warden Ricky instead of putting Pardue in protective custody until his release from prison putting him into the general prison population he ended up getting killed, by a boobie trap explosion, a day before he was t be released from jail.**SPOILERS*** Convict Chuck Daniels, Steve Cochron,who's been planning a break-out for years sees his chance not only to break out of Falsom Prison but get even with those who were responsible for the death of his good friend and fellow convict Red Pardue convicted murderer Ferretti and the two bit white collar hood and official Folsom Prison plumber Tinker, Dick Wesson, who dynamited Pardue to death! All hell breaks loose as Danial & Co. make their escape attempt with warden Ricky instead of defusing the situation actually inflames it. With everything going to pot and the national guard called in to prevent the bloodshed Daniel and a number of his attempted escapees brake into Ferretti and Tinker's cell to exact Justice, prison justice, on them. As things turned out the justice that Daniel's & Co. exacted was to backfire on them as well!It was this failed prison break out that cost the lives of over a dozen prisoners and prison guards, including warden Ricky, that finally got the state of California to put into its prison the reforms that Mark Benson was asking for. Those behind bars in Folsom Prison or any other prison in the country did forfeit their rights as free man and women for the crimes that they committed in being sent there. But by brutalizing them like Warden Ricky did it made them even worse and caused them to takes the kind of actions that unlimitedly ended up not only taking their but innocent persons, convicts and prison guards, lives as well!

"Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison", brutal warden Ted de Corsia (as Ben Rickey) cracks down hard on inmates who don't follow the rules, tripling sentences and making sure troublemakers are either shot dead or smacked upside the head. He favors hard-edged discipline, but newly arrived captain David Brian (as Mark Benson) wants Folsom to try a more humane approach with the prisoners. As the two men clash, the inmates contemplate the hellish conditions. Serving a life term, leader Steve Cochran (as Chuck Daniels) is planning an escape. Future "One Life to Live" star Philip Carey (as Red Pardue) wants to stay out of trouble...Another in a long line of Warner Bros. productions encouraging better conditions those confined for wrongdoing, this one was written and directed by veteran actor Crane Wilbur. He makes the point. Supposedly, this film inspired Johnny Cash to write his classic "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955), but there are no train whistles, and plenty of sunshine herein; in fact, Mr. Cash copped his song from Gordon Jenkins' album "Seven Dreams" (1953). The escape plotted by Mr. Cochran is captivating. Early in the running time, "Dark Shadows" paroled convict Anthony George is the man holding the knife up near Mr. De Corsia's jugular.****** Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (5/18/51) Crane Wilbur ~ Steve Cochran, David Brian, Philip Carey, Ted de Corsia

The narrator of this film is William T. Woodson. He's done a lot of narrating and voice-overs down through the years, particularly the miniseries THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE.Woodson narrated the opening credits of THE INVADERS ("David Vincent knows..."). He also narrates the opening credits for THE ODD COUPLE: "Can two divorced men share the same apartment without driving each other crazy?"He can also be seen in episodes of such varied television series as PERRY MASON, F TROOP, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW as well as many others. According IMDb, his last known credit is for an episode of DUCKMAN in 1995.