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Whether acting or directing, Clint Eastwood always manages to make it gritty and keep it real. And it doesn't get more real than this fact-driven thriller starring Eastwood as Frank Morris, the cunning bank robber who masterminded the only successful escape from Alcatraz's infamous maximum security prison. In 29 years, the seemingly impenetrable federal penitentiary, which housed Al Capone and "Birdman" Robert Stroud, was only broken once - by three men who were never heard from again. Filmed on location at Alcatraz and directed by Clint's frequent collaborator Don Siegel, this tough, taut re-enactment of the true story has all the intense character study and sheer power that mark Eastwood's finest work.
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Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
113 min
San Francisco Bay, January 18, 1960. Frank Lee Morris is transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum security prison located on a rocky island. Although no one has ever managed to escape from there, Frank and other inmates begin to carefully prepare an escape plan.