City Without Men (1943)

Set in the months just prior to the U.S. entering WWII, a young man (Michael Duane) is framed for aiding the Japanese. While serving a five year sentence in prison, his school teacher fiancee (Linda Darnell, borrowed from 20th Century Fox) moves into a boarding house near the prison which is populated by convict wives so she can be near him. Directed by Sidney Salkow (RAIDERS OF THE SEVEN SEAS), this low budget crime melodrama started out as bigger budgeted Samuel Goldwyn production starring Jean Arthur but Goldwyn sold the rights to Columbia Pictures and it ended up a B programmer. Even with a larger budget, I doubt it would be a better movie. Indeed, the film's budget is in line with the film's modest aims and the "cheap" look actually gives it a taint of authenticity. The film is interesting as long as it concentrates on the convicts' wives. When it moves to the prison, we get prison movie cliches (we wait for the inevitable jail break). There's an early underscore by David Raksin. With Glenda Farrell, Lloyd Bridges, Margaret Hamilton, Don DeFore, Rosemary DeCamp, Edgar Buchanan, Sara Allgood, Leslie Brooks and Constance Worth.