The picture goes on to answer the question posed by Whit Whittier (William Campbell) in my summary line above. Whittier is the name assigned to the principal character in the film, a stand in for real life criminal Caryl Chessman who's autobiography formed the basis for this movie.
I am always amazed at how well hidden small jewels like Cell 2455 Death Row are. This is an important film, not only because it was based on the prison autobiography of Caryl Chessman, the notorious Red-Light Bandit who briefly haunted lovers lanes in post-war L.
True story of Caryl Chessman, here under the name "Whit" Whittier (Whittier being Chessman's real middle name), played by William Campbell, a juvenile delinquent who got worse and worse and worse... He eventually ends up in death row, where we are introduced to him, and his life up to that point is recounted.
**SPOILERS** Based on the book with the same name "Cell 2455 Death Row" has to do with career criminal and self-thought lawyer Caryl Chessman known in the movie as Whit Whittier played by a Tony Curtis looking William Campbell. It's July 30, 1954 and Whittier has less then 24 hours to live as he's scheduled to be strapped into San Quentin's infamous gas chamber at exactly 9:30 AM the next morning.
Lurid account of Caryl Chessman's criminal career at a time when his book was big on newstands. One thing for sure—there's no attempt in the film to glamorize or soft-peddle what appears to be a thoroughly nasty personality.
In today's system of justice, Caryl Chessman would've been given 5-10 years maximum for his crimes. Unfortunately for him, back in the 1950s in California, rape was a capital offense and Governor Pat Brown (Jerry's father) turned down Chessman's appeals and sent him to the gas chamber.
Brutal, fast moving crime thriller from deeply underrated director Fred F. Sears, who cranked out numerous westerns, crime thrillers, science fiction, comedy, horror, and musical features for producer Sam Katzman in the 1950s.
Simply told, unsentimental tale inspired by the book, and real-life story, of Caryl Chessman. Having seen his father unable to cope with poverty, he grows up into a sneering punk, defiant of all authority.
This film is a about a guy named Whit Whittier, (William Campbell) who is really playing the role of Caryl Chessman who wrote this book and is a person who has a long wrap sheet full of crime and eventually winds up on Death Row in San Quentin Prison, California. Whit grew up in a nice family in California and had a good home and a great mom and dad who loved him very much.
