For You I Die (1947) On DVD

Johnny Coulter is forced at gunpoint to escape from prison by Matt Gruber, a hardened killer. Gruber orders Johnny to hide out at a remote country roadhouse where his girlfriend Hope works, and wait for him. With every lawman in five states searching for the two fugitives, Johnny takes on an assumed name and gets himself hired to pump gas. As time drags on, Johnny and Hope fall in love. But with the law and the maniac Gruber closing in, their future holds nothing but doom.

This classic film noir features strong performances by Paul Langton and Cathy Downs. One year after playing an uncredited role in her first film, The Dolly Sisters (1945), Cathy Downs starred in the titular role of the John Ford classic My Darling Clementine. She is best remembered for her appearances in the 1950s Sci-Fi features The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues (1955), The She Creature (1956), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) and Missile To The Moon (1958).

FOR YOU I DIE was one of several atmospheric melodramas released by the short-lived firm of Film Classics. Escaping from the law, convict Johnny Coulter (Paul Langton) seeks refuge in a remote tourist camp. Here he falls in love with Hope Novak (Cathy Downs), who is instrumental in his ultimate decision to turn honest. In "Grand Hotel" fashion, the main story is fleshed out by a stunning variety of supporting characters, including the misanthropic Alec Shaw (Mischa Auer), the trashy Georgie (Jane Weeks) and the philosophical Smitty (Roman Bohnen). Though stereotypes abound in FOR YOU I DIE, the film is strangely compelling nonetheless.