The Sun Sets at Dawn is a 1951 American film directed by Paul Sloane and featuring Sally Parr, Patrick Waltz and Philip Shawn.<>.</>

Plot

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

=Critical response=

Film critic Dennis Schwartz wrote a mostly positive film review, "The story was well told, but the acting left a lot to be desired. And all that religious stuff thrown in, about how God listens to you, was strictly cornball. But as far as B-films go, this one is above average."

See also

List of films in the public domain in the United States

Category:1951 films
Category:1950s drama films
Category:American drama films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:Eagle-Lion Films films
Category:English-language films
Category:Film noir
Category:Films about capital punishment
Category:Prison films