 The film was based on the career of Kenyon J. Scudder, former supervisor at Chino prison in California, as detailed in Scudder's book.Former football player Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch played the lead character, while other inmates were played by Chester Morris and Jerry Paris (later of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"), among others.Others in the cast included Peggy Knudsen and Barbara Hale, who appeared as women visiting the prisoners.