Gun Crazy (1950)
Genre: Filmnoir / Crime
Duration: 86 minuten
Alternative titles: Deadly Is the Female / De Man die Geen Killer Wilde Zijn
Country:
United States
Directed by: Joseph H. Lewis
Stars: Peggy Cummins, John Dall and Berry Kroeger
IMDb score:
7,6 (16.489)
Releasedate: 20 January 1950
Gun Crazy plot
"Thrill Crazy... Kill Crazy... Gun Crazy"
Bart Tare has been fond of pistols since childhood. After his military service, Bart goes to the fair with friends. At a shooting attraction, he meets the Annie Laurie Starr. Bart gets to participate in Anne's sniper act. Bart and Annie then meet more often, but her boss - who is in love with her - is not happy about it. Anne therefore leaves the attraction of her jealous boss and marries Bart not long after, but Anne is soon dissatisfied with their financial situation.
Actors and actresses
Annie Laurie Starr
Bart Tare
Packett
Judge Willoughby
Ruby Tare
Sheriff Clyde Boston
Dave Allister
Sheriff Boston
Bart Tare (age 14)
Miss Augustine Sifert
Reviews & comments
pjmj
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- 311 messages
- 288 votes
Great film noir as it should be. The opening scene is photographically beautiful with a wide range of deep blacks, whites and grays. The high-quality Blu-ray disc is available through Warner Archive Collection, is region-free and has English subtitles, which unfortunately are not white but yellow in color. Furthermore, in this film noir, a blissfully acting, dominant femme fatale once again ensures that a man who has become entangled in her web, goes straight into the abyss in a delightful way. There are some car chases that were filmed from the back seat of the car. The actors were then only visible from behind without their faces being visible. I thought that expressed the desperation in which the protagonists increasingly found themselves very strong and clever. It was like sitting in the back of the car with them myself. To me this was all worth a solid five stars.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Bobbejaantje
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- 2301 messages
- 2092 votes
A crime film with a focus on action. And that action is beautifully portrayed by Joseph H. Lewis and his team. And especially in various chases with a (certainly for that time) realistic grit. Furthermore, full use is made of low angle shots, which contributes to a threatening undertone. However, I don't find the use of light and shadow that special compared to other noirs from that time.
Furthermore, the plot line is too straightforward for me. John Dall is a weak and uninteresting character, almost a mere victim of her femme fatale Peggy Cummins. Peggy Cummins in turn is too unambiguous to really captivate me. It's just very clear what she's all about and there's no room for other interpretation. In general, I think psychology is underdeveloped and therefore too ostentatious.
And then there are those moments when credibility is completely lost. Like when newspaperman Nedrick Young asks Sheriff Harry Lewis to leave his gun at home when they visit John Dall - their old childhood friend and then-wanted criminal. Harry Lewis as a police officer on duty does indeed comply with that request.
At the beginning of the film there is also the circus shooting competition. I couldn't believe that Peggy Cummins (as the performer) and John Dall (as a casual passer-by) would take such risks for their lives in that match, relying entirely on the other's shooting skills.
And then the final. Beautifully filmed. Secure. But I couldn't believe how this ended. No this doesn't do it for me.
Despite all the comments, I still see the positive: a professionally shot crime film. Nice to have seen once, especially for a B-movie.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31191 messages
- 5473 votes
The blueprint of Bonnie & Clyde, but within the lines of the then Hollywood code. Had this film been made 10 years later, it would have looked completely different. The film mixes crime, film noir and romance with a touch of humor. Visually it does look neat. The tension is somewhat blocked by that code, but the film is interesting enough.
John Dall already had an Oscar nomination in his pocket with The Corn is Green from 1945 and had made the underrated Rope with Hitchcock. Afterwards, Spartacus would follow, but you can see that no great actor has actually been lost to him. Peggy Cummins does quite well as a femme fatale. It was her last film in the US and somewhat forgotten by the general public.
Gun Crazy is a fun crime film. Nothing high-end, but with the necessary charm.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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