Gun Crazy: 1948

“Some guys are born smart about women and some guys are born dumb.”

This is dedicated to my fellow film critic WilliamJones, who likes film noir as much as I do.

The recently released DVD of Gun Crazy allows us noir fans to see one of the influential early films that provided the lumber to construct many of the later tales featuring doomed protagonists marching relentlessly towards their destruction.

Gun Crazy has a checkered history, with the title changing from pre-release Gun Crazy to the Mickey Spillanesque Deadly Is The Female for release (where it achieved lukewarm sales) and back to Gun Crazy for re-release several months later. Unfortunately, the film only achieved lackluster results at the box office and was quickly forgotten by the general public. However, among filmmakers, Gun Crazy was recognized as groundbreaking cinema and found a solid fan base in Europe.

Like some of Anthony Mann’s little-known, but excellently conceived and produced films noir, Gun Crazy tells its story with an economy of style that is rarely achieved by today’s filmmakers.

I often wonder whether directors don’t aimlessly shoot hundreds of yards of film and then hope to cut together something that will work in the editing room. Not so here – every shot is composed and lighted exactly as conceived by the director. The framing, shadows, and camera movement all contribute to the momentum of the story. This is the type of filmmaking that directors would do well to emulate, in my opinion, as I know from writing – it is much easier to write an abundance of material hoping you cover the subject rather than paring it down to a page or so of essential information that nails the subject but is short enough to remain interesting.

The film concerns a love triangle between a man and a woman and guns. Both are essentially in love with guns, but the man is incapable of violence whereas the woman will strike out in the blink of an eye. We are sympathetic to Bart (John Dall) but he is hopelessly fixated on the sexually dynamic Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) and she uses his weakness to enable her aspirations for a better life through crime.

They meet at a circus. After stints in reform school and the army, Bart returns to his hometown and accompanies his friends to the carnival where he is bowled over by the sharpshooter Annie. The scene establishes their attraction in a heartbeat, Annie entering through the bottom of the frame, firing a pistol in each hand like a fantasy cowgirl. Wearing a form fitting outfit that accentuates her considerable charms she puts on a real-time shooting exhibition guaranteed to get noticed, if you weren’t distracted by her prominently displayed figure. Annie offers to take on all comers in a shooting match and Bart, smirking, outshoots her. The attraction between the two is undeniable and they are throwing off heat like two wildcats…

Annie has been waiting for somebody to take her away from the circus, to a lifestyle she would like to become accustomed to. Bart carries her off; they marry and live for a short time on their ready money. The several images of this idyllic period take up maybe 60 seconds of screen time, an example of the fluid economy of Joseph H. Lewis’s directorial style. The hard truth intrudes when they have to eschew onions on their lonely hamburgers because they cost a nickel extra.

The answer is in guns: Peggy suggests they embark on a life of crime – her real aim all along. Bart demurs, at first, but is fatally attracted to her feral presence. Like a hapless fly, he is soon utterly entangled in this black widow’s web…

Now, rather than belabor this with more story elements, which I hope you will enjoy for yourself; let’s focus on the acting. Both John Dall (Spartacus) and Peggy Cummins do career performances here. Dall with his cheese eating grin and Cummins with her sexual magnetism, achieved fully clothed. Supporting cast consists of unknowns but very effective, particularly the carnival owner Packy played by familiar face Berry Kroeger and the young Bart, played by Russ Tamblyn (The Long Ships).

The story is by Mackinlay Kantor, who adapted his Saturday Evening Post story to the screen. The way the film is shot is very innovative and many of the techniques are now textbook, but then they were revolutionary. Worm’s eye view, back seat camera, continuous takes, and other moves keep the viewer engaged. Shot composition is very deliberate, yet the scenes come off as fresh and spontaneous, again a tribute to Director Joseph H. Lewis’ vision. Unlike most noirs, much of Gun Crazy takes place during daylight, so even though the shadows may not be as deep, they still exist in the hearts of our protagonists. Expressionistic camera angles and compositions are by cinematographer Russell Harlan (Rio Bravo, Run Silent, Run Deep).

The Warner Bros. DVD features a restored version of the 91-minute Gun Crazy in 1.37:1 Academy Format and a full-length commentary by fellow Internet film critic Glenn Erickson, who writes as "DVD Savant." Glenn gives a good background on the genre and fills in many details about the influence of the film and the careers of the actors, directorial choices and so on. I found the best price for Gun Crazy at Deep Discount DVD

Other films noir you’ll want to see include

He Walked By Night

T-Men

Raw Deal

- all by Anthony Mann, and

The Asphalt Jungle, by John Huston

Happy viewing!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening