"Timeworn Joe Collins and his fellow inmates live under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, power-tripping guard Captain Munsey. Only Collins' dreams of escape keep him going, but how can he possibly bust out of Munsey's chains?"
Burt Lancaster
as Joe Collins
Hume Cronyn
as Capt. Munsey
Charles Bickford
as Gallagher
Yvonne De Carlo
as Gina Ferrara
Ann Blyth
as Ruth
Ella Raines
as Cora Lister
Anita Colby
as Flossie
Sam Levene
as Louie Miller #7033
Jeff Corey
as 'Freshman' Stack
John Hoyt
as Spencer
Jack Overman
as Kid Coy
Roman Bohnen
as Warden A.J. Barnes
Sir Lancelot
as Calypso
Vince Barnett
as Muggsy
Jay C. Flippen
as Hodges (guard)
Richard Gaines
as McCollum
Frank Puglia
as Ferrara
James Bell
as Crenshaw
Howard Duff
as Robert 'Soldier' Becker
Art Smith
as Dr. Walters
Whit Bissell
as Tom Lister
James O'Rear
as Wilson
Paul Bryar
as Harry (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
as Italian Father Visiting Prison (uncredited)
Al Ferguson
as Guard (uncredited)
Jack Gordon
as Convict (uncredited)
John Harmon
as Roberts (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood
as Chef (uncredited)
Tom Steele
as Tom - Tower Guard (uncredited)
Ray Teal
as Jackson - Guard (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel
as Guard in Machine Shop (uncredited)
Rudy Germane
Jules Dassin
Director
Richard Brooks
Screenplay
Mark Hellinger
Producer
William H. Daniels
Director of Photography
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music Composer
Edward Curtiss
Editor
Robert Patterson
Story
Jules Buck
Associate Producer
John DeCuir
Art Direction
Bernard Herzbrun
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Charles Wyrick
Rosemary Odell
Costume Design
Carmen Dirigo
Hairstylist
Bud Westmore
Makeup Artist
Fred Frank
Assistant Director
Charles Felstead
Sound
Robert Pritchard