Target: The Corruptors (TV Series) Prison Empire (1961) User Reviews

A solid episode, good old fashioned good and bad guys.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 6 April 2023]

Warden Blakeley's Prison environment is thrown into disarray, when his establishment houses Bragen, a criminal with friends in high places, it soon becomes obvious who's pulling the strings.

A fine episode, what was appealing, was the way that it tried to show that powerful villains, even when they're inside, can still cause havoc with their criminality, Bragen remains immensely powerful, despite the bars.

Marino's involved was interesting, he was almost an antagonist here for the villain, he definitely posted oil on the flames.

I won't give anything away about the ending, but one thing for sure, it was a sobering experience, as this developed, I had a feeling that the tragic end was on the cards.

Preston Foster and the wonderfully named Evans Evans were fine in their respects roles, poles apart as characters, but equally sincere.

Very good this one, 7/10.

Prison Empire

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 23 December 2020]

There are shades of Jimmy Hoffa in this episode.

The opening segment has union boss Harvey Bragen sent to prison and he uses his connections to ensure that even the prison warden defers to him.

It's back to business for Bragen who calls the shots from behind bars.

Paul Marino investigates a local branch of the union which has been taken over by Bragen's goons. They beat up the local official who is against Bragen's influence.

Soon Bragen gets irritated by Marino's snooping, it might jeopardise his plans for getting early parole.

Directed by William Conrad who was better known as an actor who played the rotund Frank Cannon. He frames it like a gritty mobster drama.

There is a bitter ending involving Bregen's young, pretty but naive girlfriend Sunshine. A victim of Bragen's plan that goes wrong.

But still hoodlum empire

[searchanddestroy-1 · 29 June 2015]

This episode has a terrific opening scene. A big racketeer, a major union leader - played by the magnificent and always impressive Preston Foster - arrives in prison and the head warden receives him in his office to tell this new important inmate that, in HIS prison, every one has the very same rights, and no privileges, no matter the ranks in the underworld. So, at this moment, his phones rings, the warden takes the phone, listens, his face becomes pale and he puts down the receiver. And just afterwards, guess what, the big racketeer, Preston Foster - who had said anything yet, except smiling - suddenly moves, he passes the desk around and sits down in the warden's armchair. Asking the warden to light a cigar for him. TERRIFIC opening scene, that means what this story will be all about. It's such a pleasure to watch this outstanding series which is on the same level as UNTOUCHABLES. Even with far less action sequences. Preston Foster has here a character very close to the one he had in Phil Karlson's KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL: a ruthless gang leader with a lovely and ingénue daughter ready to do anything for her daddy. Pretty unusual. A very sad story which lets you a steel taste in the mouth at the end. One of the best episodes, so far, in the series. And I know that there will be more surprises.

Directed by William Conrad.