Escape From San Quentin (1957)

Three convicts break out of San Quentin prison and two of them (Johnny Desmond, Richard Devon) escape in a stolen plane, the third (Roy Engel) is left behind for dead (though he's still alive). While every once in awhile you discover a little gem among obscure "B" movies, most of the time they are exactly what they are ... forgettable second rate movies. ESCAPE FROM SAN QUENTIN is one of the latter. Produced by the King of Columbia studios' "B" films Sam Katzman and directed by Fred F. Sears (EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS), this low budget throwaway was understandably relegated to the lower half of double bills. All the characters, even the police, are dumb and the preposterous plot grows more ridiculous with each passing scene. Desmond was a pop singer with a few hits in the 1950s but he's a terrible actor and poor Devon, normally a capable actor, gets dragged down by Desmond's poor acting and uninspired script. Even the normally appealing Merry Anders is rendered charmless. The only notable thing about the film is the underscore, which consists of only a solo guitar, composed by the famed Brazilian jazz guitarist Laurindo Almeida.