I wouldn't go so far as to say that Mickey Rooney's the whole show in this movie but that wouldn't be far from the mark. This extremely violent 1959 remake of a 1932 film based on a Broadway play by John Wexley is directed in slam-bang style by Howard Koch, who does such a fine job it could just as easily be Don Siegel or Phil Karlson behind the camera. For fans of the prison genre this is a must see. It has it all.

The plot is basic stuff about doomed men in the big house, how they're treated by the guards, what motivates them, how the prison system works, as Hollywood sees it anyway. In style the film's similar to many period gangster films of its time. Rooney had already played Baby Face Nelson a couple of years earlier. He's in fine form here as a desperate inmate determined to break free. And he takes a lot of people with him in the stunning last half-hour of the film, in which the bullets are flying left and right.

Rooney's performance was so persuasive, he seemed so in tune with his character's mood swings (I don't know how else to put it) that I was practically rooting for him to make it in the end. The supporting cast is filled with some fine actors, ranging from veterans Frank Conroy and Leon Janney, up and comer Michael Constantine, the always distinguished Frank Overton, plus ex-cowboy star Donald "Red" Barry. The Last Miles must have seemed somewhat retro in its day,--prison pictures weren't common around the time it was made-and it plays well now, is curiously viscerally satisfying, and a good example of Hollywood trying to recapture some of the glory of Depression era films, and doing a damn good job of it, too.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

A prison break is attempted the same night an execution occurs on death row.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Mickey Rooney, Kevin McCarthy, Dianne Foster, and Jack Kelly in Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

John Agar, Marla English, Carolyn Jones, and Edmond O'Brien in Shield for Murder (1954)

Dana Andrews, Joan Evans, Farley Granger, Adele Jergens, and Mala Powers in Edge of Doom (1950)

Frankie Avalon, Ray Milland, Richard Bakalyan, Neil Burstyn, Joan Freeman, Jean Hagen, Rex Holman, and Mary Mitchel in Panic in Year Zero! (1962)

Edward G. Robinson and Jean Parker in Black Tuesday (1954)

Ellen Drew, John Payne, and Sonny Tufts in The Crooked Way (1949)

Shelley Winters and John Garfield in He Ran All the Way (1951)

Edward G. Robinson, Kevin McCarthy, and Connie Russell in Nightmare (1956)

Peter Lorre, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Bates, and Jeanne Cagney in Quicksand (1950)

Audie Murphy and Patricia Owens in The Gun Runners (1958)

Mickey Rooney, Ann Blyth, Brian Donlevy, and Sam Levene in Killer McCoy (1947)

Mickey Rooney and John McCurry in The Last Mile (1959)

Don 'Red' Barry, Clifford David, and Clifton James in The Last Mile (1959)

The Last Mile

Photos20

Top Cast16

User reviews23

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed