This is the story of a group of men in an honors unit at the local prison. Because these men have earned the warden's trust, they are able to work in the community and have special privileges. Unfortunately, somehow a complete thug was admitted to the honors unit and threatens to ruin the program for everyone. And, when this bad egg escapes, the rest of the inmates in the program help track down the guy and dispense justice. In the midst of all this is a story about a guy who was framed--framed by the same guy who just escaped.Have you ever seen a film that is pretty good only to have an ending so preposterous and stupid that it made you wish you hadn't wasted your time? That's exactly my experience with "Numbered Men". The plot isn't bad at all and there are some nice performances--but the ending was just so dumb it pretty much sours me on the film. It earns a 4 simply because the first 90% of the film is decent and probably would have earned a 6.

Bernice Claire was billed as "California's Youngest Soprano" and had the most beautiful voice. No one will ever know why she fell by the wayside after the first rash of early movie musicals were over. Even though by 1931 she was touring vaudeville, First National obviously had enough faith in her to put her into "Numbered Men", a film about prison life and definitely not a musical. The star was Conrad Nagel, probably one of the most over worked actors of the early sound period because of his beautiful diction. In 1930 he made 11 pictures, in 1931 he did 10. When talkies were being cast, the word went out "Get Nagel - he can talk"!!! - talkies had refreshed his wilting career.This was a pretty good film with realistic sets and helped by some excellent acting. When prison tough guy Callahan (Ralph Ince) is transferred to the "Honor Wing" (who knows why? - he is as nasty as they come) the other prisoners are up in arms. They are men without names and 26521 (Nagel) is the leader whom the others go to for advice. 31857 (Raymond Hackett) is the eager young kid who was obviously framed (by gangster Rinaldo (Maurice Black)). His girl on the outside Mary (Claire) has promised to wait (10 long years!!) but Rinaldo finds her working at a country diner and convinces her that Buddy will want someone younger when he does get out so she reluctantly agrees to help organise an escape. Meanwhile Callahan has planned a prison riot that gives him a chance to escape with "Babyface" (Ivan Linow, who starred with Lon Chaney in that years "The Unholy Three"), another prisoner, mad with grief because his mother had just died. The warden wants to dismantle the whole honor system but 26521 promises that he and the rest of the road gang will capture Callahan dead or alive if the warden will only keep the system going. Mary can't convince Bud to escape, he feels he owes it to his friends to stick it out but just as she locks him in the store room Callahan climbs in through the window....Conrad Nagel was the nominal star but he was over shadowed by a powerhouse performance by Ralph Ince as the desperate escapee. Raymond Hackett (later married to Blanche Sweet) had a few emotional scenes and Bernice Claire was just fine as Mary. This role proved she was a good emotional actress who didn't need to rely on singing to keep the public interested.

If only prison was like this. The "numbered men" seem mostly to sit around in the lounge of privilege, play games, smoke and josh each other like they are just fellas at the fire house waiting for an alarm. The object is to get on the road gang where they will be on "the honor system". Those words are always spoken with quotes, by the way, by any of the actors. A special treat after work is to pile into the old truck like it's a hayride and visit a farm for home-made doughnuts. Very early talkie and shows the seams of that transition. Bernice Claire has a corn-fed niceness with a touch of vinegar that is appealing.The rest of the cast does not fare well. From a play and not much removed from a stage. Mervyn LeRoy directed. This is where so many prison picture clichés come from, it fun to ring the bell on them, although I don't remember another big house drama with doughnuts.

silly, very hammy, kind of annoying prison flick has some campy lines here and there; not a Warners pic, therefore not striving for realism. the leading lady is cute.