- A vicious, unpredictable prison escapee abandons his injured partner, ambushes a highway patrolman, and uses the patrolman's uniform and gun to hijack a school bus in a daring attempt to escape his pursuers.
- Ralph Neal has escaped from prison, hiding in the bushes along side the road with his convict associate Jeff Parker. He slugs wounded Jeff and makes for the road to hook up with Jeff's brother Mat Parker. Ralph lets Mat know Jeff is dead, never making it over the wall, Ralph gets in Mat's step-van, with a change of clothes in the back. Down the road, Mat Parker sends Ralph on his way with twenty bucks, handing him his prison clothes. Ralph is left on foot while Mat takes off in his truck.
Highway Patrol headquarters has been alerted of the prison escapees, notice from the teletype reads Jeff Parker recaptured. Chief Mathews reviews the road blocks in progress with the Sergeant and Officer Brown. Neal had already stolen a car early that morning, travelling away from where he met Mat. The owner of the car reported it stolen from his rural location.
Ralph pulls into a gas station with a flat tire, agreeing to have a new tire put on by the station owner. Only having part of the money for the new tire Ralph tries to bargain with the owner. The proprietor is willing to get paid later but wants some identification as collateral, such as proof of registration. Ralph gets in the car shoves the merchant aside and makes a run for it.
The dispatcher takes the information down from the gas station owner, including the plate number with a description of the driver and car make. Mathews ties all the information together writing on the map board, notices the plate number is on the hot sheet for stolen vehicles. Another officer reports Ralph Neal's prison clothes were just picked up, two miles from the prison. A road block is set up where Neal was last reported near the gas station.
Neal stops for a phone call to a man named Vince, aware roadblocks are being set as he makes the call. Neal spots a school bus nearby while giving Vince directions to the Golden Pheasant Restaurant down the road. Ralph drives away from the phone booth stop, parks the car, lifts the jack from the trunk, hides in the brush, leaving the car. Highway Patrolman Peterson spots the car, calls in the plate number to HQ, talks to Mathews. He is told to use caution, Neal might in the area, responds don't worry, he plans on taking his kids to the circus tonight.
Peterson has his gun drawn while he walks around the car, as Peterson looks the abandoned car over, Neal slugs him with the car jack. HQ is trying to contact the officer, Mathews knows he had plenty of time to check that car. Neal changes into the officer's uniform, gets into the patrol car while the police radio sounds for the officer.
Mathews is on his way to check on Peterson, other units in the vicinity are alerted with code three. A school bus passes Neal, he pursues the bus. Neal pulls over the bus, with gun drawn on the driver he is told to drive, with two kids in the bus. Neal tells the driver he just killed a cop, if he follows orders he will survive. Neal talks to the kids, then back at the driver, ordering him to tell the kids what to do. A roadblock is ahead where the bus is going.
The narrator relays Peterson was in bad shape, his uniform gone, and they now know Neal has a gun. An officer stays with badly injured Peterson, Mathews heads out hearing Peterson's car has been found. Mathews knows Neal is unpredictable, abandoning the squad car. Mathews says they just haven't figured out what Neal is doing next.
The driver slows to let off the kids but Neal says keep on going. A roadblock is in front of the bus with Neal threatening the driver to say the right thing. Officer Len Dorsey boards the bus, greets the driver asking if he has seen any suspicious characters along his route. Dorsey greets the kids, hears from the girl that her brother has to get home due to his stomach ache, Dorsey says for Les to take it easy, and gets off the bus. The driver pulls in at the restaurant at Neal's orders. Mathews stops, checks with other patrolmen, commenting Neal has to be nearby. Dispatcher relays messages from a worried mother, kids are overdue from school, Dan and another officer hear the alert. Officer Len Dorsey tells Dan a bus went by here a while ago, likely the bus they are looking for because he met the two kids on the bus.
Dan Mathews gives Dorsey orders to follow a certain route, check everything and be on the look for that school bus. Neal slugs the driver exiting the bus, he talks the kids off the bus to help the driver. Neal pulls the bus into the restaurant parking lot, changes out of the uniform, and exits the bus with the gun under his shirt. Dan Mathews alerts all HP he has located the bus at the Golden Pheasant Restaurant. He says the bus looks abandoned. His orders are to converge on the restaurant as he boards the bus finding the uniform.
Neal is lying down on the front seat of a car honking the horn. A man in a dark suit comes out walking to the same car. Dan is watching the man walk to the car. Dan identifies himself as a police officer, orders the man to put his hands in back of his head, Neal tells him to do it. Neal gets out, grabs the man from behind, ordering Dan to throw him the car keys. Dan shoots the front tire flat, saying you won't get anywhere with a flat.
Neal inches toward a tree, gun drawn, directing Dan to toss him his keys, otherwise he shoots the man. Dan says that is unlikely because the man is his shield, and you don't kill your shield. Neal moves toward Dan, Vince breaks loose, Dan shoots Neal dead, he orders the Sergeant to take Neal's playmate in the dark suit down and book him.
Dan tells the Sergeant he wants to see if he can get back to town in time to take Peterson's kids to the circus.
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Prison Break (1955) in Australia?
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