You Can't Escape Forever (1942)

When Laurie goes to the execution of Varney and faints, she does not know that Varney gets a full pardon minutes before he fries. She calls in a story about his death and gets transferred ... See full summary »

Director:

Jo Graham

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (story), Fred Niblo Jr. (screenplay),

Stars:

George Brent, Brenda Marshall, Gene Lockhart

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Brent	...	Steve Mitchell
Brenda Marshall	...	Laurie Abbott
Gene Lockhart	...	Carl Robelink
Roscoe Karns	...	'Mac' McTurk
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Boss Greer
Paul Harvey	...	Maj. Turner
Edith Barrett	...	Madame Lucille

Storyline

When Laurie goes to the execution of Varney and faints, she does not know that Varney gets a full pardon minutes before he fries. She calls in a story about his death and gets transferred to the Bewildered Heart Column of Prudence Maddox. When Mitch writes a story about Greer murdering Crowder that he cannot prove, he gets transferred from editor to Prudence Maddox. He makes Prudence very profitable for the paper, but the only way he can get the job of editor back, is to prove that Greer is a crook.

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Plot Keywords:

editor | pardon | execution | fainting | black market | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mercado Negro

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director of photographer James Van Trees was given on-screen credit when he substituted for 'Tony Gaudio (I)', who had a bad case of flu.

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Connections

Remade as The House Across the Street (1949)

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Soundtracks

"Night and Day"
(1932) (uncredited)
Music by Cole Porter
Played by the band in the Villa Gloria

User Reviews

Wonderful 'B' feature

You Can't Escape Forever is an odd duck: it's a bottom of the bill second feature that successfully blends comedy, romance, gangsters, and old dark house thrills. George Brent plays the crusading editor of a local paper out to put the kibosh on the activities of a local black marketeer, played to absolute perfection by Edward Cianelli, surely one of the least appreciated heavies of Hollywood history. Brent is aided by lady love/gal reporter Brenda Marshall and comic foil Roscoe Karns, and the film manages to take in a trip to the Death House, a deserted columbarium, and a lonely hearts club apparently modeled after Conan Doyle's Red Headed League. There are some very well choreographed action sequences and beautiful cinematography by James Van Trees and Tony Gaudio, the masters of low budget photography. If you like 'B' features, you will be more than satisfied with You Can't Escape Forever--even if the title seems somewhat inappropriate considering that villain Varney (Joe Downing), in an apparent oversight by Joseph Breen's office, actually DOES escape the chair!