Why did producer Walter Wanger want to make Riot in Cell Block 11?

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Don Siegel, wearing a hat and sunglasses, stands beside Clint Eastwood, also in sunglasses and a suit, on the set of the film Dirty Harry with a large studio light overhead. — Don Siegel Don Siegel (left) and Clint Eastwood during the filming of *Dirty Harry* (1971).

Producer Walter Wanger wanted to make Riot in Cell Block 11 after serving a four-month prison sentence for shooting his wife's suspected lover, Jennings Lang. During his incarceration, Wanger was appalled by the horrendous conditions he witnessed within the facility.1

Upon his release, he collaborated with director Don Siegel to create a film that would provide the first realistic examination of the inhumanity present in modern prisons. The production aimed to expose these systemic issues, utilizing Folsom Prison as a filming location and employing actual prisoners and guards as technical advisers to ensure authenticity.1