Prisoners was released as a part-talking, part-silent feature. An Austrian showgirl working in a cabaret moonlights as a thief. When she is caught in the act, a young lawyer offers to defend her. Unfortunately, he loses the case, causing her to spend several months in jail. Fortunately, the two have fallen in love, and he promises to wait for her.
Acting
Corinne Griffith's silent-era eyes do ALL the talking
Costume
Cabaret glamour that screams pre-Code excess
Director
William A. Seiter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Corinne Griffith was called 'The Orchid of the Screen' and earned $10,000/week at her peak — one of Hollywood's highest-paid stars in the silent era.
1929's awkward 'part-talkie' format captures cinema's puberty: some scenes proudly chatty, others retreating to title cards and orchestral swelling.
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