The Last Mile (play)
"The Last Mile" is a poignant play set in the grim environment of a death row in an Oklahoma penitentiary, exploring the psychological toll of capital punishment on inmates. The narrative revolves around seven condemned prisoners, including a young man named Walters, who is facing execution hours away, a poetic but unstable inmate, a father-to-be called Mayor, and the cell-block leader, John Mears. The first act highlights Walters' final moments leading up to electrocution, showcasing the profound anguish experienced by his fellow inmates.
As the story progresses into a second act, tensions escalate into a mutiny led by Mears, who seeks to assert control over the prison environment by overpowering a guard and imprisoning several staff members. The situation becomes increasingly dire as Mears and the other prisoners resort to violence in an attempt to pressure prison authorities. The play culminates in a third act where despair sets in, and Mears ultimately sacrifices himself in a bid to highlight the hopelessness inherent in the death penalty system.
Acclaimed for its emotional depth, "The Last Mile" not only engages audiences with its dramatic portrayal of life on death row but also raises critical questions about the efficacy and humanity of capital punishment. It is recognized as a significant work that influenced later dramas and films dealing with prison life and the complexities of justice.
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The Last Mile (play)
Identification Play about a Western state prison riot on death row that awakened concern about capital punishment
Author John Wexley
Date Published in 1930
The Last Mile gained popular and critical attention with its realistic depiction of the final procession of events of a prisoner condemned to die in the electric chair. John Wexley based the drama on prison riots and a published sketch by Robert Blake, a condemned inmate awaiting execution. The play also launched Spencer Tracy’s film career; he played the lead when the play was made into a film in 1932.
To add authenticity, Wexley visited a prison to observe its conditions. The play is set in death-row cells and the death-chamber corridor in an Oklahoma penitentiary. Among seven condemned prisoners are a young man (Walters) to be executed in hours, a poetry-quoting lunatic, a youthful father-to-be (Mayor), and cell-block leader John Mears. The play demonstrates death row’s corroding effect on inmates.
In the first act, Walters prepares for electrocution, from the last meal to the final march to the electric chair; the lights dim to indicate electrocution. The other men are anguished by their fellow inmate’s suffering. Taking place two weeks later, the second act includes a mutiny. Mayor is set to be executed. Mears takes command by overpowering a guard, freeing the other prisoners, and capturing and locking up four guards and the chaplain. The rioters collect guns. The warden and armed troopers arrive outside. Mears sends an ultimatum to the officials, promising to kill captives hourly until demands are met. In the third act, the warden refuses the prisoners’ terms. Mears shoots two guards when deadlines are not reached, and he threatens to kill the priest. The men become discouraged. Realizing the situation is hopeless but that the riot will demonstrate the despair generated by capital punishment, Mears walks out into machine-gun fire. Praised for its emotional impact, the play had a successful run.
Impact
The play reflected developing concerns about the death penalty. In the play’s preface, Sing Sing Correctional Facility warden Lewis E. Lawes praises it for questioning capital punishment as an effective, humane legal device. Wexley’s affecting play became a forerunner of 1930’s dramas and films treating prison settings.
Bibliography
Chambers, Jonathan L. Messiah of the New Technique: John Howard Lawson, Communism, and American Theatre, 1923-1937. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2006.
Salem, James M. A Guide to Critical Reviews, Part One: American Drama, 1909-1982. 3d ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1984.