''Before I Hang'' is a 1940 American

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...

released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, starring

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

. The film was directed by

Nick Grinde Nick Grinde (January 12, 1893 – June 19, 1979) was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed 57 films between 1928 and 1945. Biography Born Harry A. Grinde in Madison, Wisconsin but nicknamed "Nick," Grinde graduated from th ...

(under the working title ''The Wizard of Death'') and was one of several films Karloff starred in under contract with Columbia.Pitts, 2010, p. 9Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 pp. 260–261

Plot

Dr. John Garth (

) is on

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...

for murder after performing a mercy killing on an elderly friend. In the trial, he reveals that he had been researching a cure for

aging Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

but had not had time to perfect it before his friend's pain became unbearable. Despite his pleas for mercy, the

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

sentences him to be

hanged Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The '' Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

in three weeks' time. As he awaits his execution, Dr. Garth is allowed to continue his experiments, thanks to support from the

prison warden The warden ( US, Canada) or governor ( UK, Australia), also known as a superintendent (US, South Asia) or director (UK, New Zealand), is the official who is in charge of a prison. Name In the United States and Canada, warden is the most common ...

( Ben Taggart) and another scientist who is interested in his research, Dr. Ralph Howard (

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 '' T ...

). Using the blood of a recently executed prisoner, they succeed in developing a serum that will reverse the effects of aging and decide to test it on Dr. Garth immediately prior to his execution. As he is being taken away to the gallows, however, the prison receives a call informing them that Dr. Garth's sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment. At the same moment, the serum's effect on his body causes Dr. Garth to collapse. When Dr. Garth awakens in the prison medical ward, he discovers that the serum has reversed some of the effects of aging on his body, including the graying of his hair, the appearance of his face, and his

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-vigorous physical ...

. Encouraged, he decides to perform another test of the serum, this time on Dr. Howard. As he is preparing Dr. Howard for injection, however, Dr. Garth is overcome by a sudden urge to kill induced by the presence of an executed murderer's blood in his system. After he strangles Dr. Howard, a wandering prisoner enters the room and, after a struggle, is also killed by Dr. Garth. When the prison authorities discover Dr. Garth, who does not remember committing the murders, and the two bodies, they believe that the wandering prisoner killed Dr. Howard and attempted to kill Dr. Garth. As a result, Garth is labelled a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

and granted a full

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

. He returns home to live with his daughter, Martha ( Evelyn Keyes), and continues his research on the anti-aging serum. Wishing to test it further, he confronts three of his aging friends and requests that they be his test subjects. Initially they refuse, but one of them, Victor Sondini (

Pedro de Córdoba Pedro de Córdoba OP (c.1460–1525) was a Spanish missionary, author and inquisitor on the island of Hispaniola. He was first to denounce the Spanish system known as the ''Encomienda'', which amounted to the practical enslavement of nati ...

), later changes his mind after Dr. Garth pays him a visit. Just as he is about to administer the serum, Garth is again overcome by the impulses of the executed prisoner and strangles his friend. Finally beginning to realize what he has been doing, Garth visits one of his other friends, George Wharton (Wright Kramer), to confess his crimes and request that he be his final test subject before he turns himself in. Wharton attempts to call for help, but Garth kills him before he can do so. As the bodies begin to pile up and Dr. Garth's behavior becomes more erratic, Martha begins to suspect that something is up and confronts her father. Garth begs her to leave as he continues to fight the impulses of the murderous blood, but she refuses and he comes at her. She faints and Dr. Garth flees. In the final scene, Dr. Garth, now being pursued by the police, approaches the prison where he had been incarcerated. The warden admits him, but Garth immediately makes aggressive movements toward the armed guard at the gate. The guard shoots him, and as he is dying the doctor admits that he committed suicide in order to prevent himself from killing anyone else.

Cast

as Dr. John Garth * Evelyn Keyes as Martha Garth *

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...

as Dr. Paul Ames *

as Dr. Ralph Howard * Ben Taggart as Warden Thompson *

as Victor Sondini * Wright Kramer as George Wharton *

Bertram Marburgh Bertram Marburgh (1875–1956) was an American stage and film actor. Rainey p.67 He appeared as a character actor in around thirty five films between 1915 and 1945. Selected filmography * '' After Dark'' (1915) * '' The Stolen Voice'' (1915) * ' ...

as Stephen Barclay *

Don Beddoe Donald Theophilus Beddoe (July 1, 1903 – January 19, 1991) was an American character actor. Early years Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe was the son of Dan Beddoe, a Welsh classical singer, and his wife Mary. He graduated from the ...

as Capt. McGraw * Robert Fiske as District Attorney * Kenneth MacDonald as Anson, Prison Guard * Frank Richards as Otto Kron – Convict

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Nick Grinde 1940 films 1940 horror films American science fiction horror films 1940s science fiction horror films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Nick Grinde Columbia Pictures films American black-and-white films 1940s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

Notes

References

External links