Each Dawn I Die

Frank Ross, a crusading newspaperman, is on the trail of a crooked district attorney. He is framed for manslaughter and given a maximum 20-year sentence. The injustice sets the central conflict in motion.

In prison, Ross encounters Stacey, a notorious lifer who is falsely accused of stabbing a stool pigeon. Ross suspects Stacey's guilt but keeps silent to protect his own position. Their uneasy meeting seeds an unlikely partnership.

Ross and Stacey agree to work together to prove the frame, with Stacey willing to be named in court as the killer. They stage a legal maneuver during the trial that will force the truth into the light. The plan hinges on exposing the real culprit later in court.

In a dramatic move, Stacey escapes by leaping from a courthouse window. The escape creates chaos and complicates any immediate pursuit. It also signals a shifting balance of leverage between Ross and his enemies.

Ross is implicated in Stacey's escape and spends five months in solitary confinement. He is handcuffed to the bars in the dark and fed bread and water once a day. He steadfastly refuses to implicate Stacey, maintaining his integrity.

A parole opportunity arises if Ross reforms, but the governor appoints a crony to head the parole board. Ross's bid for release is turned down, meaning he must wait another five years to re-file. The political corruption behind the parole system becomes clear.

Ross discovers the nickname 'Polecat' for the man who framed him and learns that Polecat is currently incarcerated in the same prison. This connection promises a path to the truth if Polecat can be forced to talk.

Stacey, impressed by Ross's 'square guy' demeanor, decides to return to prison to force Polecat to confess. He instigates a prison breakout and orders prisoners to bring Polecat to him, holding the warden hostage in the upheaval.

The National Guard arrives to quell the escape, and the warden witnesses Polecat's confession to framing Ross. The breakout scene accelerates the exposure of the truth and the collapse of the frame-up.

Polecat publicly confesses to the framing, clearing Ross's name and validating his long fight for exoneration. The truth is finally brought to light, undoing the earlier injustice.

Stacey and Polecat are killed by Guard soldiers in the fallout of the confession. The governor and the head of the parole board are indicted for murder, signaling consequences for the corrupt system that once protected the frame.

Ross is finally vindicated, and the public justice system is shown to have prevailed. The closing scenes underscore the power of truth and the cost of corruption, with Ross reclaiming his reputation.