I know the story has been the subject of a number of documentaries, etc., but I remember watching an older movie/film on television that tells the story in a very similar way. I especially remember the masks that were made and used as decoys. I'm pretty sure it was black and white. Does anyone have any leads at all as to what it might have been?
"Mediocre Marx Brothers is better than no Marx Brothers!"
"Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story". It's really hard to find. I used to have it on Betamax! Wish I still did. It's from Clarence Carnes point of view rather than Frank Morris'.
shareYeah, and as I recall, former NFL player Alex Karass was in that film. I think it may have been a made for TV movie.
shareAlex Karas was indeed in that movie; the first part (showing the 1946 "Battle of Alcatraz") at least. He played Deputy Warden E.J. Miller. It was a two-part miniseries. The second part dealt with the 1962 escape and portrayed as Clarence Carnes being the mastermind behind it, even if he couldn't escape himself (since after his participation in the 1946 attempt, he was simply watched too much by the guards). His reasoning was that if someone could actually escape successfully, Alcatraz would be closed as it was a costly prison to run and it wasn't the escape proof institution its proponents claimed it to be.
shareI have that film on DVD. Excellent film. Telly Savalas (Kojak) is great in that film. Somebody had transferred it from the VHS because to my knowledge it was never released on DVD. It is extremely difficult to find and VERY expensive. Currently, there is one VHS copy for sale on Amazon for a whooping $295.00
shareAlcatraz: The whole shocking story is the best 10/10. The producers paid Carnes for his input (who says crime doesn't pay). Carnes always insisted there was a boat waiting in the Bay for the trio to get away in 1962. In light of recent developments it looks like he may have been correct.
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I remember a dramatization of this story on late night television in the 60's. I don't recall the name of the program but I think it was an anthology series that was not seen every night or even every week, only occasionally.
But it was the same story. I distinctly remember the plaster dummy heads and the Butts character getting cold feet. I'm wanting to say that part was played by Jackie Coogan but I can't find anything like this in his résumé. It could have been any fat, bald actor from the time.
Wish I had more but that's all I can remember.