John Cromwell directed Caged, which Virginia Kellogg adapted from her story Women Without Men, a work she also co-authored with Bernard C. Schoenfeld. The movie features Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Ellen Corby, Betty Garde, and Hope Emerson; Max Steiner composed the music, and Carl E. Guthrie handled the cinematography. Marie Allen (Parker), still a young woman, finds herself in a women’s prison after being convicted as an accessory to a robbery—a crime that resulted in her husband's death. She is also pregnant and will have to give birth while incarcerated. Marie has difficulty adjusting to prison life under the harsh rules enforced by warden Harper (Emerson), and she begins to understand that significant personal change might be necessary for survival. Despite being labeled as campy and seeming, based on its description, like a cheesy women’s prison movie, Caged is genuinely effective filmmaking. The story of a young woman who clearly doesn't fit in behind bars, and her subsequent changes, are presented in a depressing way. The prison feels oppressive, and the female characters' responses to their environment and lifestyle are deeply felt. The film offers an honest depiction of what prison was like at that time, while also subtly suggesting sexual activity and criminal behavior within its walls; the writing has a clever quality that matches the serious mood of the movie. Parker is at the forefront of the excellent acting that brings the drama to life, and Guthrie’s black-and-white photography powerfully highlights the sense of confinement and intense emotional distress, making it an altogether absorbing film. The conclusion is appropriately sharp as well. 7.5/10

Source on TMDB