Safe in Hell is a 1931 American pre-Code melodrama directed by William A. Wellman and starring Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook, with featured performances by Morgan Wallace, Ralf Harolde, Nina Mae McKinney, Clarence Muse, and Noble Johnson.

Gilda rushes back to the judge and falsely confesses to killing Van Saal "in cold blood", preferring to be executed rather than break her vow to Carl.

[7][8] The production was originally scheduled to be directed by Michael Curtiz, and the casting of some male roles in the film initially included David Manners, Boris Karloff, John Harrington, Montague Love, and Richard Bennett.

The publication also noted that McKinney and Muse's performances provide the few bright spots in an otherwise "depressing" production:Picture's story is hardboiled and sordid.

Those who go for this sort of stuff won't care for the exit...Nina Mae McKinney, with one song, and Clarence Muse are the colored comedy relief, but up against too much of a handicap in the form of a constantly depressing air of evil which prevails throughout the picture.

[9]Time was less harsh in its assessment of the film than Variety, but the weekly in its December 28, 1931 edition calls it "crude, trite, sporadically exciting.

"[10] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette disparaged the film in its February 1, 1932 issue, characterizing its plot as illogical and its presentation unintentionally humorous: "Miss Mackaill is too good for the likes of her role while the villains are acted with self-conscious bestiality and amusing indifference."