(1940)
2
Craig Butler
The old saying that "blood will tell" is given a very literal -- and not very scientifically sound -- twist in Before I Hang. Of course, in mad scientist films such as this, the "science" is much less important than the mad, so most fans will not care about the intense implausibility of the premise that blood from a murderer will turn a kindly man into a raving maniac. Hang's problem isn't really that its premise isn't sound; it's that the script is hackneyed. It's all about connecting the plot dots, and those dots are absurdly obvious, even from miles away. As might be guessed, dialogue is also not a strong suit here. Nick Grinde's direction is poor and quite rushed -- although that does have the advantage of making Hang a very short, breezy flick. What makes the film worth a viewing is, of course, its star. Boris Karloff was still in his prime in 1940, and he makes even lower-tier work such as this enjoyable. It's not one of his great performances, but there are moments here and there, little nuances that lesser horror actors wouldn't have thought of. He can't quite save Hang, but he keeps it afloat -- which is quite an achievement.
cast-crew for Before I Hang on AllMovie
Before I Hang (1940)
