Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) (s/w, Criterion Collection)

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Early in his career, Don Siegel (The Killers) made his mark with this sensational and high-octane but economically constructed drama set in a maximum-security penitentiary. Riot in Cell Block 11, the brainchild of producer extraordinaire Walter Wanger (Foreign Correspondent), is a ripped-from-the-headlines social-problem picture about prisoners rights that was inspired by a recent spate of uprisings in American prisons. In Siegels hands, the film is at once brash and humane, showcasing the hard-boiled visual flair and bold storytelling for which the director would become known and shot on location at Folsom State Prison, with real inmates and guards as extras.