US Release date: 11 April 1942 (re-issued 6 October 1945)
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 26 August 1950
Genre: Crime
Country: USA
Running time: 59 minutes
Director: B. Reeves Eason
Cast: Van Johnson, Faye Emerson & George Meeker
Australian Distributor: Warner Bros
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Union’s Liberty theatre for one week from 5 November 1948 supporting City for Conquest (original release 1943).
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts Malvern Victory EX-2
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 22 | 333 |
| EF PPE | 1.57 | 322 |
| Metres Travelled | 152,569 | 321 |
| Average MT | 10,898 | 83 |
| Engagements | 14 | 325 |
| Slots | 15 | 328 |
| Weeks | 1 | 284 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 7.14% | 235 |
| Saturdays | 2 | 324 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 14.29% | 321 |
| Tuesdays | 11 | 167 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 78.57% | 12 |
| First billed | 2 | 223 |
| Second billed | 12 | 182 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 8 |
| Ratio | 57.14% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -35.22% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 7.14% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 1.75% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 5 |
| Ratio | 35.71% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 33.47% |
| Hoyts eng | 6 |
| Ratio | 42.86% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -22.92% |
| Independent eng | 4 |
| Ratio | 28.57% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 17.07% |
| Suburban eng | 4 |
| Ratio | 28.57% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 5.85% |
Notes: Re-issue of a 1942 Warners B-crime drama that was possibly dusted off due to the 1950 popularity of Van Johnson. It divided its time between Hoyts, Union and Suburban circuits and even managed a couple of top billings. Otherwise, little to write home about it. The re-issue of Anthony Adverse was its usual prime partner.
Murder in the Big House (RR) engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 2/9/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Clifton Hill | Clifton | Suburban | 23/9/50 | 5 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| North Melbourne | Central | Independent | 30/9/50 | 6 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| West Coburg | Progress | Independent | 14/10/50 | 8 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 14/10/50 | 8 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 21/10/50 | 9 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 21/10/50 | 9 | T | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| East Preston | Gowerville | Independent | 25/11/50 | 14 | W | 2 | Anthony Adverse |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 3/3/51 | 28 | S | 2 | Edge of Darkness |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 28/4/51 | 36 | T | 2 | The Maltese Falcon |
| Brunswick | Padua | Hoyts | 28/7/51 | 49 | T | 1 | Hollywood Canteen |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 4/8/51 | 50 | S | 2 | Destination Tokyo |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 4/8/51 | 50 | T | 1 | Hollywood Canteen |
The 1950 Project 