AllMovie

We never actually see J. Carroll Naish in Alcatraz, but there's no doubt he's the "king" of the title. Most of the action takes place aboard a passenger ship, which Naish has boarded incognito in hopes of escaping prosecution. Naish and his gunmen take over the ship, complicating the lives of passengers and crew alike (in one scene, nurse Gail Patrick is obliged to perform an operation while being guided by an on-shore surgeon via wireless). Seamen Lloyd Nolan and Robert Preston bide their time, then turn the tables on Naish and his henchmen. Packing more action into its 57 minutes than most "A" pictures, King of Alcatraz is a film buff's dream, with a cast filled to the brim with familiar faces, from up-and-coming Anthony Quinn to silent movie vets Monte Blue, Tom Tyler and Gustav von Seyfertitz.