Buried Alive (1939)

In the grim labyrinth of a state prison, Ernie Matthews, the tormented operator of the electric chair, grapples with the moral quandary of his duty. His heavy heart is further afflicted by his unreturned affection for Joan Wright, a fellow prison employee whose heart beats for another. That other is Johnny Martin, a trustee soon to be up for parole, who also serves as the warden's chauffeur. Matthews, in a desperate bid to drown his sorrows, seeks solace in the murky depths of a local roadhouse. Here, he becomes the target of a cruel reporter's taunts, igniting a brawl. Martin, loyal and brave, leaps to Matthews' defense, but this act of gallantry takes a bitter turn. The incident, twisted by the press, results in the parole board denying Martin's much-anticipated freedom. Martin's response is a surge of venomous bitterness, forcing the warden to revoke his privileges, driving the wedge deeper into the fissures of prison life. The prison's walls echo with another chilling incident when Martin's intellectually-challenged cellmate, Big Billy, strangles a sadistic guard. Once again, it's Martin who intervenes, saving a second guard from a similar fate. Yet, the only witness to this act of courage, the spiteful Gus Barth, chooses to cloak the truth in shadows, nurturing a clandestine hope to see Martin strapped to the very electric chair operated by Matthews. "Buries Alive" (1939) is a haunting tale of love, deceit, and the struggle for redemption, where every act has weighty consequences, and every silence hides a thousand words. This poignant drama, set within the cold walls of a prison, paints a vivid picture of the human spirit trapped in an unending cycle of blame and retribution.

Buried Alive is a crime movie featuring Beverly Roberts and directed by Victor Halperin.

Buried Alive is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel and fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy Buried Alive on Amazon Video.