Convicts 4

After his death sentence is commuted to life in prison, John Resko is transferred from Sing-Sing to Dannemora where, with the help of a humane prison guard, he becomes a rehabilitated man and a successful painter.

Directed by Millard Kaufman, Convicts 4 leans on a strong ensemble — Ben Gazzara, Stuart Whitman, Ray Walston — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1962.