I’m barely hanging on, and you want me to have hope? The Last Mile comes from director Howard W. Koch, with a screenplay by Milton Subotsky and Seton I. Miller based on John Wexley's play. The cast includes Mickey Rooney, Frank Overton, Michael Constantine, and John Vari; Van Alexander composed the music, and Joseph Brun handled the cinematography. The story unfolds in the Death House cell block, where nine men await execution by electric chair. Some of the guards enjoy making life miserable for the condemned, among them Killer John Mears (Rooney), who’s reached his limit... Previously filmed in 1932 with Preston Foster as the lead, Howard Koch's 1959 version of The Last Mile connects with the film noir mood of its era and creates a movie that carries significant weight. The story mainly takes place on one set, which could have felt restricted, but it doesn’t; the limited space works well for the themes being explored. The picture opens with striking title credits—an animated depiction of "Old Sparky" accompanied by Van Alexander's Jazz "N" Blues music. We are then placed alongside the convicts in “The Death House,” sharing their fears, anger, and regrets. The frequent glances toward “The Door” at the end of the block feel like catching a glimpse of death watching over them. For roughly the first two-thirds of the film, the filmmakers ask for our patience as they develop characters and create an atmosphere, steadily increasing the tension with each close-up shot. Prison stories were naturally suited to film noir sensibilities, providing cinematographers chances to use bars to create psychologically dark images, and Joseph Brun does this exceptionally well here, even extending the cell shadows over the self-satisfied guards; it suggests they are also trapped in this place of profound despair. A sense of doom mixes with the men’s sweat and runs down the walls. There's no question that a confrontation is coming, and when it arrives, it explodes with raw energy—the final third delivers an intense cinematic experience. Koch and his team achieve a film noir finale. Rooney anchors the movie with his portrayal of the volatile John Mears; it’s not overacting, as some critics at the time said, but rather a complete dedication to playing a prisoner who has nothing left to lose and is done being tormented. The other actors inevitably fade next to him, though they also invest considerable emotion in their roles. This overlooked and underappreciated prison noir, The Last Mile, should be seen by anyone interested in films of this type. 8.5/10

Source on TMDB