''The Last Mile'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Samuel Bischoff and starring Preston Foster. The picture is based on

John Wexley John Wexley (1907 – February 4, 1985) was an American writer, best known for his play ''The Last Mile''. Early life and career Wexley was born in New York City. His early career involved acting as part of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Thea ...

's 1930 Broadway play, '' The Last Mile''. Actor Howard Phillips appeared in both the play and the film but in different roles. In 1959, the play was adapted a second time into a film of the same name starring

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

Plot

The movie presents life in a

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

where men are on

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...

. Some of them are wrongfully accused and convicted; there is nothing in their future but the electric chair. Richard Walters is condemned to death for a crime he claims he did not commit. While the drama inside the prison unfolds, his friends on the outside are trying to find

evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

that he is innocent.Review Summary of "The Last Mile"
New York Times

Cast

* Howard Phillips as Richard "Dick" Walters, Cell 5 * Preston Foster as John "Killer" Mears, Cell 4 *

George E. Stone George E. Stone (born Gerschon Lichtenstein; May 18, 1903 – May 26, 1967) was a Polish-born American character actor in films, radio, and television. Life and career Stone was born Gerschon Lichtenstein in Łódź, Congress Poland, into ...

as Joe Berg, Cell 1 *

Noel Madison Noel Madison (born Noel Nathaniel Moscovitch; April 30, 1897 – January 6, 1975) was an American character actor in the 1930s and 1940s and appeared in 75 films, often as a gangster. Born in New York City, Madison was the son of actor Ma ...

as D'Amoro, Cell 6 *

Alan Roscoe Alan Roscoe (born John Albert Rascoe; August 23, 1888 – March 8, 1933) was an American film actor of the silent and early talking film eras. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1933. Roscoe was born John Albert Rascoe ...

as Kirby, Cell 7 *

Paul Fix Peter Paul Fix (March 13, 1901 – October 14, 1983) was an American film and television character actor who was best known for his work in Westerns. Fix appeared in more than 100 movies and dozens of television shows over a 56-year career be ...

as Eddie Werner, Cell 8 * Al Hill as Fred Mayer, Cell 3 *

Daniel L. Haynes Daniel L. Haynes (June 6, 1889 – July 28, 1954) was an American stage and film actor and clergyman. He is best known for starring as Zeke in the early all-black King Vidor directed film Halleljuah. On November 28, 1910, he married Rosa Belle S ...

as Sonny Jackson, Cell 2 * Frank Sheridan as Warden Frank Lewis *

Alec B. Francis Alec B. Francis (born Alec Francis Budd, 2 December 1867 – 6 July 1934) was an English actor, largely of the silent era. He appeared in more than 240 films between 1911 and 1934. Biography Francis was born in Suffolk, England. He studied law ...

as Father O'Connor *

Edward Van Sloan Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''Th ...

as Rabbi *

Louise Carter Louise Carter (born Betty-Lee Carter; March 17, 1875 – November 10, 1957) was an American stage and film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1924 and 1940, mostly in maternal supporting roles. Among her roles were the mother of Paul Muni ...

as Mrs. Walters *

Ralph Theodore Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

as Pat Callahan, Principal Keeper *

Jack Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

as Mike O'Flaherty, Guard * Albert J. Smith as Drake, Guard * William Scott as Peddie, Guard * Kenneth MacDonald as Harris, Guard * Walter Walker as Governor Blaine * John T. Prince as Jury Member

Notes

A clip from this film was used by progressive rock band

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

as their introduction to the song " Lock and Key" during its performance on the ''

Hold Your Fire ''Hold Your Fire'' is the twelfth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 8, 1987. It was recorded at The Manor Studio in Oxfordshire, Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, Air Studios in Montserrat and McClear Place in Toronto. '' ...

'' tour, later released on the ''

A Show of Hands ''A Show of Hands'' is a live album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989. The band released a video of the same name, originally on VHS and LaserDisc, the same year. A DVD version was released as part of a box set in 2006, and as ...

'' laserdisc. The VHS and DVD versions of the film omit the song. Both

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

played Killer Mears onstage in 1930, Tracy on Broadway and Gable later in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, which benefited the careers of both men.

References

External links

* * * 1932 films 1932 crime drama films 1930s prison films American black-and-white films American crime drama films American films based on plays American prison drama films Films about capital punishment Films produced by Samuel Bischoff 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-drama-film-stub