Each Dawn I Die (1939)

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (screenplay) and
Warren Duff (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 August 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Crime | Drama

Plot:

Although innocent, reporter Frank Ross is found guilty of murder and is sent to jail. While his friends...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Reporter | Prison | Orchestral Music Score | Corruption

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

James Cagney	...	Frank Ross
George Raft	...	'Hood' Stacey
Jane Bryan	...	Joyce
George Bancroft	...	John Armstrong
Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom	...	Fargo Red (as Maxie Rosenbloom)
Stanley Ridges	...	Meuller
Alan Baxter	...	Carlisle
Victor Jory	...	Grayce
John Wray	...	Pete Kassock
Edward Pawley	...	Dale
Willard Robertson	...	Lang
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Ross
Paul Hurst	...	Garsky
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Lassiter
Joe Downing	...	Limpy Julien

Also Known As:

Killer Meets Killer

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5085) | Sweden:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Sing Sing Penitentiary - 354 Hunter Street, Ossining, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Many people who are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Al Lloyd, Tom Wilson, Alice Connors and Fern Barry (Accident Witnesses), Eddy Chandler (Deputy), Vera Lewis (Juror), Earl Dwire (Judge Crowder) and Frank Mayo (Telegraph Editor). In addition, a modern source lists Nat Carr and Granville Bates as cast members, but they were not seen either.

Quotes:

Joyce Conover: You're a blind, stupid, selfish, contemptible, tinhorn crook.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Partridge Family: Each Dawn I Diet (#3.4)" (1972)

Soundtrack:

Wings Over the Navy

And the table was set...

This film marked the first for George Raft under the Warners' regime.

Famous as a young song and dance man, Raft later became Paramount's answer to Cagney in their mobster film genre, but in the end, no one could compete with the Warner Bros. in that category.

The film paired Cagney with his semi-rival and the two did well together on screen. Two song and dance actors in gritty gangster stereotype action makes for a great film.

The story is well paced and keeps in stride, a well versed supporting ensemble to help.

Ironically, it was Raft who would later turn down 'High Sierra' and 'The Maltese Falcon', making way for another Cagney gangster co-star, Humphrey Bogart.