Condemned! (1929) | Pre-Code Classic +2
Sentenced to the notorious French penal colony on Devil’s Island for bank robbery, charming thief Michel (Ronald Colman) is assigned to work as a house servant for the brutal, tyrannical prison warden. While enduring harsh convict life, Michel secretly falls in love with the warden’s neglected, compassionate wife, Vidal (Ann Harding). When the warden discovers their hidden affection, he transfers Michel to the deadly solitary confinement of St. Joseph Island. Driven by love and desperation, Michel plans a daring escape through the treacherous jungle and crocodile-infested waters. Condemned! (1929) is a suspenseful pre-Code romantic drama that earned Ronald Colman an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Also known as (AKA)
🇺🇸 Condemned to Devil’s Island / Prisoners
🇪🇸 Condenado
🇵🇹 Condenado
🇦🇷 Condenado a Isla del Diablo
🇦🇹 Flucht von der Teufelsinsel
🇭🇺 Szökés az Ördögszigetről
🇮🇹 L’isola del diavolo
🇫🇷 Condamné
🇯🇵 曳かれゆく男
🇬🇷 Καταδικασμένος
🇸🇪 Mannen som stal kärlek…
🇷🇺 Осужден!
⭐️ CASTLIST
Ronald Colman – Michel
Ann Harding – Madame Vidal
Dudley Digges – Vidal
Louis Wolheim – Jacques
William Elmer – Pierre
🎬 CREW
Directed by: Wesley Ruggles
Written by: Sidney Howard
Cinematography by: George Barnes and Gregg Toland
Budget: $600,000
Release date: November 3, 1929
Filming location: United States
🎯 WHY WATCH?
Drama • Romance • Pre-Code • Classic • Melodrama
🎭 Dramatic Tension 🎶 Atmospheric Masterpiece ✨ Iconic Star
Condemned! stands as a towering achievement from Hollywood’s transition to sound, capturing the gritty brutality of a penal colony fused with high-stakes romantic longing. Ronald Colman delivers a masterful, Academy Award-nominated performance that seamlessly blends his effortless charm with a gritty desperation. As a rare and atmospheric pre-Code classic, it is an absolute must-watch for cinephiles craving authentic early cinema history and timeless dramatic tragedy.
Haunted by fragmented recollections of a horrifying trauma, a troubled investigator is pulled into a complex murder investigation where every lead leads to a dead end. With an overwhelming list of potential victims and a rising tally of suspects, he must piece together his own damaged memories before the killer strikes again. As reality and illusion blur, he races against time to uncover a truth buried deep within his past.
Genre: Thriller
🎬 DIRECTOR
Murray Battle
✍️ WRITERS
Tony Johnston — writer
Gregory Ward — book
🎭 CAST
Colin Jefferson — Clifford Preedy
Daniel Baldwin — Paul Preedy
Mimi Kuzyk — Eve
Dean Stockwell — Detective Frank Skoufaris
Laura Catalano — Quinn
Morgan Freeman — Tom Preedy
Patrick Galligan — Dr. Owen
Roberta Maxwell — Dr. Winston
Leslie Hope — Arabella Bauer
Thomas Hauff — Caretaker
Peter Keleghan — Sandy Adams
Eugene Lipinski — King
Jessica Hopper — Charlie
Topaz Hasfal-Schou (as Topaz Hasfal) — Head Nurse
John Neville — Jock Beale
Audrey Lupke — Attendant
David Roemmele — Young King
Joe Dinicol — Young Victor Dempsey
Trevor Haldenby — Young Sandy Adams
Deborah Grover — Mary Swoffa
Markus Parilo — ETF Officer
John Robinson — Jelluns
Peter Van Wart — Brown
Tony Nappo — Audio Cop / Angelosi
Dan Gallagher — Taxi Driver
🎬 ALSO KNOWN AS (AKA)
Water Damage 🎬 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇮🇳 🇮🇪 🇳🇿 🇿🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇦🇷
Relações Perigosas 🇧🇷
La fièvre de l’innocence 🇫🇷
Lost Memory – Water Damage 🇩🇪
Ydatinos efialtis 🇬🇷
Dark Secret 🇮🇸
Kręgi na wodzie 🇵🇱
Assassínio 🇵🇹
Secretele trecutului 🇷🇴
Aguas mortales 🇪🇸
Dark Secrets 🇸🇪
Private investigator Jack Ramsey is caught in a deadly trap after his lover—the wife of the local district attorney—is brutally strangled right after he leaves her bed. Framed for her murder, Ramsey must navigate political corruption and lethal secrets to clear his name. The Soft Kill (1994) is a gritty 90s noir thriller.
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
🎬 DIRECTOR
Eli Cohen
✍️ WRITERS
Yitzhak Ginsberg — story
Alex Kustanovich — screenplay, story
Michele Noble — screenplay
🎭 CAST
Michael Harris — Jack Ramsey
Brion James — Ben McCarthy
Carrie-Anne Moss — Jane Tanner
Matt McCoy — Vinnie Lupino
Corbin Bernsen — Martin Lewis
Kim Morgan Greene — Kimberly Lewis
Johnny Medina — Manny Ortega
Annie James — Allison Tanner
Ted Hayden — Mr. Feriolo
Gloria Hayes — Officer Miranda
Maxine James — Forensic Technician
Louise Lewis — Bag Lady
Alain Silver (as Alain Joel Silver) — Field Technician
Judith Ziehn — Widow
Robert Hoover — Cab Driver
🎬 ALSO KNOWN AS (AKA)
The Soft Kill 🎬 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇩🇪 🇮🇳 🇮🇪 🇳🇿 🇿🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
Le piège 🇨🇦 🇫🇷
Killing Me Softly – kuolema hiljaisuudessa 🇫🇮
Gyengéd gyilkosság 🇭🇺
Non cercate l’assassino 🇮🇹
Muerte lenta 🇲🇽
Мягкое убийство 🇷🇺
Morir dulcemente 🇪🇸
⭐️ CCC is the first stop for cult film freaks, mad movie misfits, cinema aficionados, and all round tv addicts.
