Murder in the Big House

Murder in the Big House
Directed byB. Reeves Eason
Screenplay byOriginal screenplay by
Raymond L. Schrock
Based onAn idea by
Jerry Chodorov
StarringVan Johnson
Faye Emerson
CinematographyTed McCord
Edited byTerry Morse
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • April 11, 1942 (1942-04-11)
Running time
59 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Murder in the Big House is a black-and-white American crime drama,[1] released by Warner Bros in April 1942.[2][3][4][5] Structured as an hour-long second feature, it is directed by the prolific specialist in low-budget action productions, B. Reeves Eason, and stars Van Johnson, who is top-billed above the title, in his first credited film role[6] which represents the entire output of his six-month contract with the studio.[7][8]

The female lead, Faye Emerson, billed alongside Johnson above the title, played starring and co-starring parts in a small number of B pictures during 1940s and achieved TV stardom at the end of the decade and in the 1950s as a glamorous interviewer and personality during the medium's formative years.

Following Johnson's rise to become the 1945 top box-office attraction as a leading man and Emerson's marriage to the president's son, Elliott Roosevelt, the film was re-released to theaters in late 1945 and early 1946 under the title Born for Trouble.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ T.M.P. [pen name of Thomas M. Pryor] (May 8, 1942). "Movie Review: Murder in the Big House at the Palace". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  2. ^ No byline (May 24, 1942). "Current Attractions at Local Theatres; PARK — "A DESPERATE CHANCE FOR ELLERY QUEEN"". Reading Eagle. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  3. ^ No byline (August 7, 1943). "At Community". Lewiston Evening Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  4. ^ No byline (July 7, 1942). "Murder Movie Opens at Hialeah Theater". Miami Daily News. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  5. ^ No byline (June 18, 1942). "GRANADA THEATRE". The Daily Times, Beaver and Rochester. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "Van Johnson". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  7. ^ Spiro, J. D. (November 7, 1948). "Farewell to the Bobby Socksers; Teen Agers' Idol Is Giving Them Up for a More Substantial Career". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  8. ^ Graham, Sheilah (September 30, 1945). "All Around Hollywood Town". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  9. ^ no byline (February 2, 1946). "On the Silver Screen MAJESTIC THEATRE Monday and Tuesday "YOLANDA AND THE THIEF" Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer; Wednesday and Thursday "BORN FOR TROUBLE" Van Johnson, Faye Emerson". The Gettysburg Times. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  10. ^ "Elliott Roosevelt Will Wed Film Actress Faye Emerson" (The Milwaukee Journal, November 29, 1944, page 1)
  11. ^ "Conflicting interests Cause Elliott and Faye to Separate" (St. Petersburg Times, September 13, 1949, page ten)