When the film begins, nice girl Kathleen (Sylvia Sidney) learns that her boyfriend is a gangster and she dumps him. A bit later, she meets a nice guy, Stan (Gene Raymond) and they fall in love and marry. However, the old gangster boyfriend is enraged and vows to get even. So, he sneaks into her place and shoots a cop...and plants evidence to make it look like she did it. Then, she and her new husband are sent to prison. The film mostly follows her during her incarceration but you also see Stan...on Death Row!
What happens inside prison to Kathleen is what makes this film interesting. The inmates, for the most part, are NOT shown as homicidal maniacs and deviants...nor is the prison staff. Instead the main focus is on Stan's upcoming execution and the efforts of women in the prison to help Kathleen. However, the prosecutor is corrupt and evil...and in league with the real murderer!!
The cast of this film is very good and I particularly liked Louise Beavers and thought it interesting that a black prisoner would be so sweet and decent in a 1930s film. Jane Darwell is also in the film but this film actually is well done all around. Perhaps not 100% believable but often underplayed and intelligently written and directed. It helped that they didn't make everyone sadistic and evil--and there was some real depth to the prisoners.
By the way, one shortcoming of the film is that the evidence that convicted both people seemed flimsy--especially since they didn't have criminal records nor was there any motive for their killing him...none.
