In this gangster outing, Cagney is a good guy - Frank Ross, an investigative reporter who gets framed and sent up for 20 years, during which he builds a shaky alliance with mobster "Hood" Stacy. Much of the film takes place in the twine-making reeling facility where the cons doing 'hard labour' work under the scrutiny of brutal guard Pete Kassock (John Wray). Ross continues to protest his innocence but soon realises that the corrupt D.A. who put him away will block any attempt by his newspaper to free him. Jaded and bitter, he decides to help Stacy bust out in return for a promise that the well-connected mobster will flush out the guy who originally 'fingered him' - a gamble that lands him in solitary where he eventually cracks. While a bit melodramatic at times, for a post-code gangster story, the film as a hard, gritty edge (some blood is actual shown when people are shot) and the dark side prison life (inhumane guards, brutal conditions, rats (the "You dirty ..." kind), shivs, stoolies, screws, beatings, etc.) is central to the story. Cagney is good and the scene where the perennial tough-guy breaks down at his parole hearing and starts bawling was a surprise. Raft is excellent as a tough, pragmatic cynic who figures everyone is on the make and no one can be trusted. Needless to say, his somewhat predictable epiphany sets up the third act. While not as good as the best of the early 30's (pre-code enforcement) gangster films ('The Public Enemy', 'Little Caesar', or 'Scarface'), 'Each Dawn I Die' is an entertaining crime-meller and the only one featuring lead performances by two of the genre's legends.
Review of Each Dawn I Die
