There are many names attached to Each Dawn I Die. Director William Keighley is someone I always forget worked alongside Michael Curtiz on the peerless The Adventures Of Robin Hood. I also didn't remember writers Norman Reilly Raine or Warren Duff, despite them having a heap of credits on films that I have loved over the years. This is based on a novel by Jerome Odlum (I don't think I have read any of his works), and the supporting cast includes a wide selection of impressive players, from George Bancroft to Maxie Rosenbloom, Stanley Ridges to Alan Baxter, John Wray, and many more.
The only two names I care about though, considering my own attachment to both of them, are James Cagney and George Raft. The former was a huge figure in my early days of discovering cinema (and I am still in awe of some of his best gangster movies). The latter made an impression on me due to his involvement with at least two classic movies in very different genres. So that's why I made time for Each Dawn I Die.
Cagney plays Frank Ross, the kind of character you would label a crusading investigative reporter. He's so good at his job that he ends up framed for a DUI manslaughter incident. Once in prison, Ross ends up roped into a scheme by a con named Stacey (Raft) who believes that he can make an escape and then help Ross from his position outside the prison. Things don't go smoothly though, of course, and it's a real test of how patient and loyal Ross is while he waits for Stacey to keep his word. Meanwhile, Joyce (Jane Bryan) suspects the worst, and she doesn't think Ross is ever getting out of prison. So she might as well find Stacey and give him a piece of her mind.
Focusing more on the everyday perils of prison life, especially for someone who has made powerful enemies, Each Dawn I Die leans fully into the noir side of things when it becomes clear that the whole thing hinges on whether or not Raft's character can bring himself to take a huge risk in order to repay a debt to someone who put their faith in him. Raft isn't a good man, but he's also never had anyone really be good to him. This is a test for him, but it's also completely new territory.
Cagney can do the stoic tough man in his sleep, and he's great here. In fact, he's so good that you can see the change in his character and demeanour as prison life continues to drain his energy and optimism. Raft is as cool as can be, something he can also do effortlessly, and he does such a good job of convincing himself that he doesn't owe anyone anything that viewers may consider a number of potential directions for the third act. That changes when Bryan has her say, but at least that allows her to have one moment where she is pro-active and fearless.
The screenplay has a smattering of really good lines of dialogue, the pacing just about works well enough for the 92-minute runtime (although the middle section dips slightly), and Keighley directs well enough. It's all about Cagney and Raft sharing the lead duties though, and both men absolutely excel in roles that feel tailor-made for them. Ironic, considering it was initially meant to be Cagney playing Stacey and Edward G. Robinson, then John Garfield, then Fred MacMurray playing Ross.
8/10
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