Behind Stone Walls

Young attorney Bob Clay walks into a scene of unspeakable horror when he finds his cheating mother standing over the dead body of wealthy bachelor Robert Ellis. Wishing to shield his father, D.A. John Clay, from the pain and scandal of his mother's unfaithfulness, Bob decides to take the fall for the murder. When the boy refuses to cooperate with the police, John sadly resolves to do his duty. He begins to prepare the case that will send his own son to prison for the rest of his life!

Behind Stone Walls was directed by legendary B-movie ace Frank Strayer (The Vampire Bat, 1933 and the Blondie series, 1938-42). At age 21 Priscilla Dean became a silent star after appearing in The Grey Ghost (1917). With the advent of sound her career waned and she was relegated to supporting roles. In this production she portrays one of the worst mothers of all time. She was married to character actor Wheeler Oakman.

Priscilla Dean was one of the major stars of the early 1920s. By the time the all-talking quickie BEHIND STONE WALLS was made, however, Dean was taking any job she could get. Here she plays an adulterous wife who kills her lover. Eddie Nugent, Dean's loyal stepson, confesses to the crime himself and is carted off to prison, but eventually the real murderer's conscience gets the better of her. Top billing in BEHIND STONE WALLS is bestowed upon Robert Elliot, who plays (as ever) the hard-nosed investigating detective.