Escape from Alcatraz

On January 18, 1960, Frank Morris arrives at the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Following a strip search, he is stripped of his freedom and placed in a cold, dreary cell where a guard mockingly welcomes him to the prison.

Shortly after his arrival, Frank meets the warden, who emphasizes the prison's unbeatable security. The warden reveals that no inmate has ever escaped Alcatraz, fueling Frank's determination to prove otherwise while subtly stealing a nail clipper.

As Frank settles into prison life, he befriends fellow inmates like Litmus, English, and Chester 'Doc' Dalton. However, he also encounters hostility from an inmate named Wolf, leading to a violent confrontation that results in both of them being sent to solitary confinement.

Weeks into his imprisonment, Frank adapts to the prison's brutal routine, finding his place as a carpenter. His growing respect among the fellow inmates, particularly from English, helps him to navigate the prison's dangerous social hierarchy.

After the warden inspects Doc's cell and harshly revokes his painting privileges, Doc is devastated. His despair culminates in self-mutilation, highlighting the mental toll of incarceration and the repercussions of holding onto a glimpse of freedom.

While in his cell, Frank notices a roach entering the vent beneath his sink. Using the stolen nail clipper, he begins to chip away at the concrete, realizing that the old structure may be the key to his escape.

Frank teams up with the Anglin brothers and Charley Butts to devise a detailed escape plan. He proposes the creation of dummy heads to distract guards during head counts while they work on an elaborate escape route through the vents.

As the escape date of June 11, 1962, approaches, the group works tirelessly to complete their dummy heads and flotation devices. They smuggle materials into their cells, using ingenuity and teamwork to prepare for their daring escape.

On the night of the escape, tensions run high as Frank and the Anglin brothers get ready to execute their plan. Unbeknownst to them, Charley panics and cannot gather the courage to escape, leaving the trio to fend for themselves.

Under the cover of night, Frank, John, and Clarence climb to the roof and navigate the prison yard. They successfully evade searchlights and scale a barbed-wire fence to reach the shoreline, ready to inflate their raft and take their chances in the open water.

The following morning, a guard enters Frank's cell only to find his dummy head lying on the floor. The alarm is raised, and chaos ensues as the prison realizes that Frank and the Anglin brothers have managed to evade capture.

As law enforcement begins their search, the warden desperately insists that the inmates must have drowned. Despite the thorough investigation, no evidence of Frank's survival is found, leaving their fate ambiguous.

The aftermath of the escape resonates deeply throughout the prison system. With the unsolved case of Frank and his companions, Alcatraz becomes a symbol of both brutal confinement and the enduring spirit to escape, lingering in popular lore.