"Over a year in the making. Never before has a documentary so dramatically recorded the life and times of Alcatraz. Personal, emotional, shot on location. In candid interviews, you'll return to Alcatraz and witness island residents, inmates, and the Captain of the Guard talk about their life on "The Rock". truly an historic record. Rare documentary footage. family photos, and never before seen home movies, lay to rest the Island's mystery".
This highly acclaimed, classic documentary on Alacatraz - "The Rock" - is unique not only for the history it provides, but also because of the people profiled. Viewers will witness the last documented interview of Clarence Carnes, the last survivor of the 1946 Riot-Blastout; Robert Guilford, who recounts his frightening arrival on the island; and Alvin Francis "Creepy Karpis" Karpowicz, who associated with the Barker Gang and was the last "public enemy" to be captured, an event that helped make J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI nationally known. Reverend James Tupy, a former prison Chaplain, shares his perspective of what it was like for prisoners isolated on the island in the middle of San Francisco Bay; Frank Heaney, the youngest guard in the prison's history, also describes his feelings about working in such a bleak place. Also we hear from Joab Pacilla, the only Spanish-speaking guard on the island in the 1950s, and Joline Babya, the daughter of the Associate Warden in 1962, who lived on the island as a child.
This film shows the location of federal penal institutions and cites statistics describing the increase of federal prisoners from 1920 to 1935 (subdivided by offenses) and the decrease in parole violations for the same period. Included are views of general prison scenes and activities at Alcatraz, Leavenworth, Atlanta, and Lewisburg Penitentiaries.
Jail House Riot Footage
News footage from the 1962 escape.
News reel showing the closure of Alcatraz.
Documentary made after Alcatraz closed
Frankie Terris and Mannie Robbins are the two most powerful gangsters in their city. Frankie has a young sister, Louise, whom he has kept at a boarding school away from the stench of his racketeering. Mannie's young son, Joe, is also ignorant of his father's profession. Louise and Joe meet, and Joe tries to make love to her. Frankie interrupts and, in a fight that follows, kills Joe. Mannie vows to get Frankie. The latter, sentenced to Alcatraz, fears for Louise's safety and makes her promise to take a trip abroad. Louise learns that Mannie plans to shoot Frankie on the train taking him to prison, and she stows away in hopes of warning her brother. On the train, she falls into the protective arms of Federal Agent Bill Adams. Before she has a chance to warn Frankie, Mannie's henchmen go to work and a gangland shootout ensues.