The Sun Sets At Dawn (1950)

Drama, film noir, Sally Parr, Patrick Waltz, Walter Reed

A young man in sits in prison on the night before his execution, while his girlfriend waits for the inevitable in the prison governor's house. The governor and his wife sympathize with both of them. It is the first use of the electric chair in the state, and there are teething problems with its installation. Meanwhile a group of reporters discussing the case, realize that the M.O. of the crime bears a similar style to that of a criminal, "Parrot" Farucco, who was supposed to have died three years previously. As the execution takes place off camera, a prison orderly collecting mail in the cafe identifies a customer as Farucco. He confronts him and is shot by the criminal, who is subdued and tied by other customers who happen to be prison officers waiting to begin work.
At the same time the reporters rush in, back from the prison to use the Post Office telephones. It turns out that the execution has had to be postponed owing to electrical problems with the chair. Farucco is brought into custody into the prison governor's office, and moved by the distraught girlfriend's grief, admits to the crime just in time to prevent the second execution attempt.

Cast
Sally Parr as The Girl
Philip Shawn as The Boy
Walter Reed (actor) as The Chaplain
Lee Fredericks as Blackie
Houseley Stevenson as Pops
Howard St. John as The Warden
Louise Lorimer as The Warden's Wife
Raymond Bramley as The Deputy Warden
Charles Meredith (actor) as Reporter, AP
King Donovan as Reporter, National News Service
Charles Arnt as Reporter, Globe Express
Sam Edwards as Reporter, Herald
Percy Helton as Reporter, Feature Syndicate
Reception