Peeking behind the bars of "Each Dawn I Die"

It's pretty hard to find a bad James Cagney picture. "Each Dawn I Die" is loaded with stereotypical characters, far-fetched plot twists and cliched lines, but Cagney's steely screen presence seems to neutralize all those negatives. Here's a synopsis of our CineVerse group discussion on that movie:

WHAT SURPRISES YOU ABOUT THIS FILM? HOW DID IT DIFFER FROM YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

·       George Raft isn’t his generation’s Marlon Brando, but he holds his own as a co-lead in a picture that, on the face of it, would appear to be dominated by Cagney.

·       The level of corruption, torture and misery inherent in the American penal and political system suggested by this movie is eye-opening for this era, when many studios would have upheld the law and the establishment as unimpeachable bastions of society. This film indicts the authorities, depicts the brutalities of living in prison and suggests that reforms are needed.

o   Warner Brothers was known for being a liberal, working man’s studio that had the guts to produce gangster pictures, socially conscious-themed movies, violent thrillers and action films, especially in the 1930s.

o   Interestingly, Warners established itself as the definitive studio for the gangster picture in the early 1930s, but the censors wanted them to stop glamorizing the gangster lifestyle; hence, the studio altered its plots and characters to underscore the role of law enforcement and expose journalist, while at the same time continuing to depict the violent lifestyles and tough guy charisma of gangster characters. In other words, they could still show the violence and sex, but they had to frame it within a social message that favored the good guy viewpoint and ensured that justice prevailed.

·       The plot twists and schemes, such as Stacey’s plan to clear Ross and escape from the courtroom, don’t date very well; they’re quite far-fetched and implausible.

FILMS THAT REMIND YOU OF “EACH DAWN I DIE”

·       I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang

·       San Quentin

·       Dilinger

·       Brute Force

OTHER FAMOUS PICTURES RELEASED IN 1939, CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE HOLLYWOOD’S GREATEST YEAR OF RELEASES EVER:

·       Gone With the Wind

·       The Wizard of Oz

·       Stagecoach

·       Wuthering Heights

·       Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

·       Dark Victory

·       Ninotchka

·       Gunga Din

·       Drums Along the Mowahk

·       Destry Rides Again

·       Goodbye, Mr. Chips

OTHER FILMS HELMED BY DIRECTOR WILLIAM KEIGHLEY

·       G-Men

·       The Adventures of Robin Hood (he was replaced by Michael Curtiz)

·       The Man Who Came to Dinner

·       The Green Pastures

·       George Washington Slept Here