Black Tuesday (1954)

On the night of his scheduled execution, a vicious criminal (Edward G. Robinson) is sprung from prison in a daring escape by his cohorts. He takes several other prisoners on death row with him but he's mainly interested in one prisoner. A cop killer (Peter Graves) who has $200,000 from a bank robbery safely hidden away. Directed by Hugo Fregonese (MAN IN THE ATTIC), this crime drama takes a suspension of disbelief to enjoy it. I found it entertaining but its escape plot is so preposterous that it impedes one's pleasure. Surely even in 1954, security measures were stricter than what we're shown in the movie. Robinson is very good here. He's at his most repugnant and brutal. He makes his crustaceous thug in KEY LARGO look like a wimp. The film seems to want to make Graves's killer somewhat sympathetic but I didn't buy it. With Jean Parker, Jack Kelly, Warren Stevens, Milburn Stone and Russell Johnson.