Friday, April 21, 2023

Why Must I Die? (1960)

A tense and enthralling Noir crime drama.

Lois (Terry Moore) tries to break out of her life of involvement in crime and becomes a singer in a club owned by Kenny (Phil Harvey) whom she falls in love with. However, her previous life catches up with her when old criminal accomplice Eddie (Lionel Ames) and his new moll Dottie (Debra Paget) catch up with Lois and want her help in robbing the club. The crime goes wrong and Kenny ends up gunned down. Lois gets the blame and ends up on death row. Her only hope is that Dottie admits that she committed the murder herself...

This is an excellent film, well structured and continually rising to an explosive crescendo. The film is a battle between two strong female wills and serves as a cautionary tale against capital punishment. Stylish but sleazy at the same time.