Tonight's Movie: Each Dawn I Die (1939) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

James Cagney and George Raft star in EACH DAWN IN DIE (1939), recently released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

The movie gets off to a terrific start with striking, very "Warner Bros." opening credits followed by an action sequence in which reporter Frank Ross (Cagney) investigates a corrupt politician (Thurston Hall) and his henchmen.

Frank and his newspaper are threatened to give up their reporting, and when Frank refuses, he's framed for a drunk driving accident and sent to prison for manslaughter.

Frank's faith in the justice system gradually crumbles as those working on his behalf are unable to prove the frame-up and secure his release; meanwhile, prison is a grim, dangerous place. The warden (George Bancroft) is a reasonable man, but some of the guards are sadistic.

Frank makes a deal with "Hood" Stacey (Raft) that he'll help Stacey break out, and then Stacey will work from the outside to try to free Frank.

Once out, Stacey is in no hurry to help Frank, until a visit from Frank's girlfriend Joyce (Jane Bryan) starts him thinking...and he comes up with an unusual plan.

EACH DAWN I DIE is a well-made film, albeit rather dark. Prison sadism and riots aren't my favorite thing to watch, but putting those scenes aside, this 92-minute film is well-paced and has excellent lead performances by Cagney and Raft.

Cagney is touching in a relatively quiet role as a man who eventually falls apart due to a combination of cruelty and lack of hope. A scene where he can't emotionally deal with his mother (Emma Dunn) visiting him is enormously touching, including the quiet kindness of the guard monitoring the visit. The viewer has the feeling that even if Frank makes it out, he'll never be quite the same after what he's experienced.

Raft plays more of a supporting role, but his character really comes into his own in the last section of the movie when he makes up his mind to secure Frank's release. Fans of both the lead actors should quite enjoy their performances.

Bryan is appropriately emotional as Joyce but doesn't particularly stand out in the cast. The large list of supporting actors includes Stanley Ridges, Alan Baxter, Maxie Rosenbloom, Louis Jean Heydt, Victor Jory, and Paul Hurst. It's fun to note that the latter three actors all appeared in small yet memorable roles in GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) the same year.

EACH DAWN I DIE was directed by William Keighley and filmed in black and white by Arthur Edeson.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print looks terrific; it's described as a 4K scan of the "best surviving nitrate preservation elements." Sound quality is also excellent.

There are plentiful extras carried over from the film's original 2006 DVD release, including a Lux Radio Theater production with Raft, Franchot Tone, and Lynn Bari; a featurette; cartoons, a newsreel, a short, and a blooper reel.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

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