John Garfield took his Mickey Borden character from Four Daughters and used it again for Dust Be My Destiny. Teamed again with Priscilla Lane, Garfield is cast once again as a character seemingly cursed by the fates and by people who just won't give him a break.When we first meet Garfield he's in familiar prison garb and being brought into the warden's office where warden John Hamilton informs him he's now free. It seems as though the robbery he was charged with was committed by another who confessed it on his deathbed. Serving almost two years for something he didn't do is bound to give anyone a bad attitude. It's that which carries him throughout this film.Picked up for vagrancy even though he helped capture a pair of fleeing criminals he gets sentenced to a work farm where he meets Priscilla Lane who is the stepdaughter of a drunken sadistic foreman. The two run after Garfield accidentally kills the stepfather who had a heart condition and was drunk and aggressive.After that the film is a series of vignettes where Garfield and Lane marry and hit the road as fugitives. Along the way they meet all kinds of folks who actually do give him breaks though Garfield is blind to see it.Warner Brothers put a whole lot of familiar faces from their stock company in the cast. At times Garfield does get a bit over the top and melodramatic with his anguish, but no more so than this occasionally over the top and melodramatic film calls for. Dust Be My Destiny is a film set firmly in Depression Era America and it's truly dated. Still fans of Garfield will be satisfied.

John Garfield and Priscilla Lane always made a good team and this is one of their best pictures. Being a Warners film the subject of a young couple in love and on the run is given the gritty treatment that suits the story and the pair do very well in conveying the hardships faced. The wedding scene is particularly well played by both. As with most of the studios films at the time it looks at the problem through the lens of current events and society's ills. Not a timeless classic like Priscilla's Saboteur or Garfield's The Postman Always Rings Twice but a solid film with excellent work by the stars as well as the supporting cast.

After serving time for a crime he didn't commit, rowdy and rebellious John Garfield (as Joe Bell) is released from prison early. But, it wasn't for good behavior; the real burglar was caught in a hold-up. With no resources, Mr. Garfield hooks up with "Dead End" kid Billy Halop (as Hank Glenn) and his fifteen-year-old brother Bobby Jordan (as Jimmy). On the east coast, the three ride the rails as tramps, but get in trouble with the law; they receive brief sentences on the county work farm.Assigned to milk cows, Garfield meets pretty Priscilla Lane from "Four Daughters" (1938) in the barn. She is the step-child of drunken foreman Stanley Ridges (as Charlie Garreth). Due to a bad heart, Mr. Ridges kicks the bucket during a fight with Garfield, after the former finds the latter lounging by the hay with Ms. Lane. Naturally, the authorities mistakenly believe Garfield committed murder. He and Lane go on the run. Good Samaritans help the hungry couple, but the law closes in...This social consciousness drama is episodic to a fault, with some confusing transitions. The first occurs when Garfield is suddenly seen with two of the "Dead End Kids" from "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939). Obviously, the studio meant to evoke earlier films. Helpful Alan Hale (as Mike Leonard) and the Warner Bros. cast and crew go through the familiar motions. Everyone does their job well enough, but it just doesn't rise to the level of the studio's better work in the genre.***** Dust Be My Destiny (9/16/39) Lewis Seiler ~ John Garfield, Priscilla Lane, Alan Hale, Billy Halop

Down on his luck John Garfield finally sees his fortunes improve, and I do mean improve, when he teams up with Priscilla Lane. But the bad luck returns and the two end up on the lam for what turns out to be a pretty good movie. A few scenes shot on location spice things up a bit and there are some very nice supporting performances as well. The lead actors, John Garfield and the beautiful Priscilla Lane, work well together, as evidenced in their previous work on Four Daughters and Daughters Courageous.