One Year Later

"One Year Later" shows that with solid stars
and inspired direction, poverty row movies
could be memorable. This had Mary Brian
and Don Dillaway on the honeymoon express
but just one year later a tearful Brian is at the
station alone!! Russell Hopton is a standout
as the consumptive reporter.

Interesting and in some cases unique direction by a long-time silent movie director; good pre-Code story. Reasonably tight editing, and the plot clicks right along.

Another delightful surprise in the low-budget genre of the early 1930's - a movie with a story line which, despite its far-fetchedness, somehow works and makes for a compelling drama.

Although the beginning of this film wasn't promising, it proved to be well worth watching.

The central character is Molly. Her husband Jim has been sentenced to death, and is being taken by train to the prison at which he is to be electrocuted. Molly has got a berth on the train in the hope that she might reconcile with him, might grab what snatches of time remain for them. But Jim refuses to see her; indeed, he had killed the man in whose apartment he'd found her.

Riding to his own death is Tony, headed to a sanatorium. Tony is a reporter who knows something of the story of Molly and Jim, who learns more from Molly, and who determines to do what he might for Molly.

This isn't a murder mystery; the ending cannot see Jim exonerated. Nonetheless, the resolution offers Molly and Jim a grim salvation.