We Who Are About to Die

This is one of those 1930s that feel almost like film noir. The prison scenes are very powerful, and the men-with-men aspect of prison life is highly accented. Ann Dvorak is good, as she always was. Always. The scene in which the prison chaplain says he will pay for the body of a Chinese man about to be executed to be buried with his ancestors is particularly moving.

Every now and then you come across a really great film and wonder why you never heard of it. Probably because it is highly unlikely that we'll ever see a Preston Foster retrospective. And it's because it's from a second level A studio RKO. But We Who Are About To Die is a real undiscovered gem of a film that's extremely relevant today if you are anti-capital punishment.

John Beal is a young ambitious engineer at an aircraft company who feels locked in by the hidebound management of the place and quits and is going to move to California with his girlfriend Ann Dvorak. But some stickup men make him the patsy for a payroll robbery where the paymaster is killed and a little boy rundown in the getaway which was in Beal's car. Sentiment runs high against Beal and the real culprits put him into a very tight frame.

But Dvorak convinces the lead cop Foster that maybe things got rushed in Beal's case. He starts backtracking and comes up with more and more evidence. Of course he's helped by the fact that the head of the gang Russell Hopton doesn't want to split and he starts getting rid of the other gang members.

The prison scenes are truly impressive here. Some of the other cons on death row are Paul Hurst, Gordon Jones, and John Wray. They become convinced of Beal's innocence and in their own way try to help. One at the cost of his life. A real camaraderie develops with these guys facing a common fate.

The legal system riddled with politics isn't treated kindly. We see a District Attorney who's hoping to become governor on the strength of Beal's conviction and a governor who won't grant a stay of execution lest he be thought soft on crime. That certainly should sound familiar in today's world.

We Who Are About To Die is a film waiting to be discovered. Maybe this might lead to Preston Foster revival.

Johnny Thompson (John Beal) quits his job and intends to move with his girlfriend Connie Stewart (Ann Dvorak). He gets kidnapped by a robbery crew looking to steal from his former employer. The gang frames him by using his car and his clothes. The paymaster and a pedestrian boy are killed. The frame-up works and Johnny is convicted for the crime. He is sentenced to be executed. Police officer Steven Mathews (Preston Foster) continues the investigation.

I like the premise more than I thought I would. His conviction is not unreasonable especially in a time before security cameras. It is all about eye witness testimonies and those are always problematic. I'm less impressed with the second half. I don't know these criminal characters that well. It's still fine but it loses steam.

Have always enjoyed prison films during the 30's and 40's, this film gave a very clear picture about Death Row in the early days. The detective work of Preston Foster(Matthews),"Law & Order", '53, who started his own DNA in the 1930's, trying to get fingerprints off of a piece of cloth and fabric fibers from a bullet shot from a man's suit jacket were new methods of crime detection. The prison guards using tear gas on inmates and the crude methods and sounds of hanging prisoners and their last meal requests made you wonder what really went on in prison's years ago. I was surprised to see a very young J. Carrol Nash (Nick),"Black Hand",'50, playing his favorite role, as a gangster. Nick tried to give his partner in crime a Mickey in his drink but it seemed to back fire on him! Max Steiner, the famous film composer of music even contributed to this film, but was uncredited. Ann Dvorak (Connie), "Blind Alley",'39, was a faithful wife to her wrongfully accused husband and almost fell in love with Preston Foster.

"We Who Are About to Die" is a 1937 film starring John Beal, Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, and J. Carrol Naish.

John Beal plays John Thompson, an engineer who quits his job at an airplane plant in New Mexico after an argument with his boss. He and his fiancée Connie want to move to California.

En route to get his paycheck, some criminals kidnap him and take his car. They go to John's old job in his car, and one of them is wearing his coat, and enter the payroll office. The paymaster is killed, and a child is run over as the gang escapes. They dump the car.

John is released, but he doesn't stay released for long. The police arrest him for murder and robbery. He is found guilty and winds up on Death Row.

Connie convinces a detective (Preston Foster) who actually helped put John away that he didn't do it, and begs him to try to dig up more evidence. As he starts to go over it, he finds discrepancies.

This is a good pre-noir from RKO. There is a harrowing scene where the prisoners act up and the guards use tear gas on them. There is also a beautiful scene where a priest promises a Chinese man about to be hanged that he will see that his body is sent home to his ancestors.

Some of the detection methods used were brand new at the time.

Beal was a stage actor who appeared in many films, and did lots of TV and stage in his sixty-year career. I met him about 30 years ago - a very nice man.

Thanks to TCM, Ann Dvorak is getting probably more attention than she did during her career. She does an earnest job here as a young woman desperate to free her fiancé. Foster is authoritative and tough as the detective.

This film had its gritty moments and lacked the usual stereotypes and clichés. Some melodramatic moments, as was the style at the time. IF you see this on TCM's schedule, check it out.