Best Prison movies of 1970s

Actors : Harry Dean Stanton, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Busey, Theresa Russell,

After being released on parole, a burglar attempts to go straight, get a regular job, and just go by the rules. He soon finds himself back in jail at the hands of a power-hungry parole ...

Actors : Sharon Farrell, Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Don Gordon,
Directors : Dennis Hopper,

A young girl whose father is an ex-convict and whose mother is a junkie finds it difficult to conform and tries to find comfort in a quirky combination of Elvis and the punk scene.

Actors : Patrick Boland, Kent Foreman, Carmen Argenziano, Luke Johnson,
Directors : Peter Watkins,

"Punishment Park" is a pseudo-documentary purporting to be a film crews's news coverage of the team of soldiers escorting a group of hippies, draft dodgers, and anti-establishment types ...

Actors : Susan Sarandon, Vincent Gardenia, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau,
Directors : Billy Wilder,

As a tabloid newspaper editor tries to prevent his top reporter from retiring, an escaped death row convict shows up at the office trying to convey his innocence.

Actors : Bo Svenson, Michael Pergolani, Fred Williamson, Peter Hooten,
Directors : Enzo G. Castellari,

In 1944, in France, the rogue American soldiers Lieutenant Robert Yeager, Private Fred Canfield, the murderer Tony, the thief Nick and the coward Berle are transported to a military prison....

Actors : Harry Andrews, Peter O'Toole, James Coco, Sophia Loren,
Directors : Arthur Hiller,

The funny story of mad but kind and chivalrous elderly nobleman Don Quixote who, aided by his squire Sancho Panza, fights windmills that are seen as dragons to save prostitute Dulcinea who is seen as a noblewoman.

Actors : Hume Cronyn, Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Warren Oates,
Directors : Joseph L. Mankiewicz,

A charming but totally ruthless criminal is sent to a remote Arizona prison. He enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot.

Actors : Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats,
Directors : Peter Yates,

After his last crime has him looking at a long prison sentence for repeat offenses, a low level Boston gangster decides to snitch on his friends to avoid jail time.

Actors : Bo Hopkins, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Burt Reynolds,
Directors : Joseph Sargent,

An ex con teams up with federal agents to help them with breaking up a moonshine ring.

Actors : Ella Reid, Erica Gavin, Roberta Collins, Juanita Brown,
Directors : Jonathan Demme,

In a women's prison, a group of inmates band together to combat the repressive and abusive policies of the warden.

Actors : Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Joseph Cotten, Roscoe Lee Browne,
Directors : Robert Aldrich,

A renegade USAF general, Lawrence Dell, escapes from a military prison and takes over an ICBM silo near Montana and threatens to provoke World War 3 unless the President reveals details of ...

Actors : Peter Boyle, Peter Falk, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates,
Directors : William Friedkin,

Crime story based on the real armed robbery of the Brink's Building in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17th, 1950.

Actors : Roger Moore, David Niven, Telly Savalas, Stefanie Powers,
Directors : George P. Cosmatos,

A World War II adventure, involving a group of Allied POWs, Nazis, black market priceless art treasures, Greek resistance, a Greek monastery, and a secret German rocket base.

Actors : Judith Brown, Brooke Mills, Pam Grier, Roberta Collins,
Directors : Jack Hill,

Beautiful women prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison, until 5 of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with the reluctant help of 2 male fruit vendors.

Actors : Victor Lanoux, Mimsy Farmer, Jean Gabin, Alain Delon,
Directors : José Giovanni,

A former bank robber is released after 10 years in prison. He gets help from a social-worker, but gets harassed by an old cop from his past.

Actors : Barbara Bouchet, Frank Wolff, Gastone Moschin, Mario Adorf,
Directors : Fernando Di Leo,

Just out of prison, ex-con Ugo Piazza meets his former employer, a psychopathic gangster Rocco who enjoys sick violence and torture. Both the gangsters and the police believe Ugo has hidden...

Actors : Rie Yokoyama, Meiko Kaji, Yôko Mihara, Yayoi Watanabe,
Directors : Shun'ya Itô,

After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners.

Actors : Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Robert Duvall, Karen Black,
Directors : John Flynn,

Earl Macklin robs a bank owned by the mob, serves his prison time and is released, only to start a private war against the crime outfit that owned the bank.

Actors : Kunie Tanaka, Hiroki Matsukata, Bunta Sugawara, Eiko Nakamura,
Directors : Kinji Fukasaku,

During the violent chaos of post-War Japanese black market, a young gangster called Shozo Hirono has to keep up with the rapid shifts of power between unscrupulous bosses.

Actors : Capucine, Ugo Bologna, Anthony Quinn, Adriano Celentano,
Directors : Sergio Corbucci,

During the 1920s France, con-men Philip and Felice escape prison and join forces to swindle Philip's rich ex-wife Belle.