After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.
Genre: Drama
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Neville Brand, Betty Field
Directed & Produced by: Richard H. Kline, Burnett Guffey, Elmer Bernstein, Robert J. Schiffer, John Frankenheimer
Release date: 7/3/1962
Running time: 147 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10 by 135 users