Seeking to uncover the location where a pair of bank robbers and police killers have hidden their stolen loot, Norman Craig, an agent in the service of the State’s Attorney’s office, adopts the name of deceased criminal Red Murray and incarcerates himself behind prison gates. Even Warden O’Neil does not suspect Craig’s real identity as the agent makes contact with robbers Petey Ryan and Marty Conroy, and cleverly plants suspicion of each other in the minds of the two convicts. Craig’s real identity is almost exposed when Red’s sister Shelia visits the prison, but he wins the girl over to his side and she agrees to maintain his secret. Tension builds when a new prisoner recognizes Craig and, although he is placed in solitary, he uses Morse Code to tap out on the drain pipes the news that a police informer is in their midst. Craig avoids discovery by engineering a prison escape with Conroy, but as they escape through the print shop, Conroy realizes that Craig is the informer he has been warned about and knocks him out. Returning to his cell, Craig convinces Ryan to help him escape and beat Conroy to the stolen money. Shelia meets them in the getaway car, but when Ryan sees a photo of Red Murray in Shelia’s apartment, he realizes who Craig is and demands that Shelia accompany them to the cemetery where the money is hidden. At the cemetery, Conroy shoots Ryan and is about to turn his gun on Craig when a policeman arrives and saves both Craig and Shelia. Craig then resumes his life within the law with Shelia at his side. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Watch Behind Prison Gates (1939)
