Peeking behind the bars of "Each Dawn I Die"
Friday, June 21, 2013
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