Big House, U.S.A_
"5 KILLER CONVICTS BREAK OUT!"
A tough and realistic crime drama unfolds as merciless kidnapper Jerry Barker (Ralph Meeker) demands ransom paid against a young runaway whose fate lands Barker in Casabel Island Prison.
Starring
Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, Reed Hadley
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Big House, U.S.A was released 71 years ago in 1955.
Overview
A tough and realistic crime drama unfolds as merciless kidnapper Jerry Barker (Ralph Meeker) demands ransom paid against a young runaway whose fate lands Bar...
Big House, U.S.A is a Action, Thriller, Crime film with a runtime of 1h 23m.
CAST (19)
Broderick Crawford
Rollo Lamar
Ralph Meeker
Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
Reed Hadley
Special FBI Agent James Madden
William Talman
William 'Machine Gun' Mason
Lon Chaney Jr.
Leonard M. 'Alamo' Smith
Charles Bronson
Benny Kelly
Felicia Farr
Emily Euridice Evans
Roy Roberts
Chief Ranger Will Erickson
Willis Bouchey
Robertson Lambert
Peter J. Votrian
Danny Lambert
Robert Bray
Ranger McCormick
William Boyett
Ranger at Park Exit (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh
Madden's FBI Supervisor (uncredited)
Gregg Martell
Accomplice on Fishing Boat (uncredited)
BM
Bill McLean
Dipsy (uncredited)
Jan Merlin
Tommy (uncredited)
JP
Joe Ploski
Convict (uncredited)
Stafford Repp
Police Warden Machek (uncredited)
Harry Wilson
Inmate Who Starts Fight (uncredited)
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
83 min (1h 23m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.6/10 (23 votes)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Big House, U.S.A about?
A tough and realistic crime drama unfolds as merciless kidnapper Jerry Barker (Ralph Meeker) demands ransom paid against a young runaway whose fate lands Barker in Casabel Island Prison.
How long is Big House, U.S.A?
Big House, U.S.A has a runtime of 83 minutes (1h 23m).
Who stars in Big House, U.S.A?
The cast of Big House, U.S.A includes Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, Reed Hadley, William Talman, Lon Chaney Jr..
What is the rating of Big House, U.S.A?
Big House, U.S.A has a rating of 6.6 out of 10 based on 23 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Action
Thriller
Crime