Gun Crazy

Name: Gun Crazy
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime, Film-Noir
Released: January 20, 1950
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 74
Cast: Anabel Shaw, Berry Kroeger, Harry Lewis, John Dall, Mickey Little

1950

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Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: January 20, 1950 | Passed

Starring: Anabel Shaw, Berry Kroeger, Harry Lewis, John Dall, Mickey Little, Morris Carnovsky, Nedrick Young, Peggy Cummins, Russ Tamblyn, Trevor Bardette

Summary: A well meaning crack shot husband is pressured by his beautiful marksman wife to go on an interstate robbery spree, where he finds out just how depraved and deadly she really is.

Director: Joseph H. Lewis

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime, Film-Noir

Rating: Passed

Runtime: 87 min

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Critic Reviews

The Guardian Philip French

It's a superbly crafted film by a cult film-maker and features a virtuoso bank robbery sequence shot in a single take from a camera in the back seat of a car. Read full review

Stephen Hunter

Quintessential film noir. [20 Mar 2005, p.N03]

Richard Brody

It’s a strikingly modern, complex, disturbing, and yet sad, touching, and romantic film. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

Darker and more subtly complex than you'd expect from a 1950s crime caper. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Gun Crazy is a magnificently enjoyable film, distinguished by Joseph H Lewis’s restless, catch-all directorial style. Read full review

Eric Henderson

Lewis, through sheer force of will, turns the script’s easy ways out into the essence of blunt, adolescent sexual flowering. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Script points up the physical attraction between Dall and Cummins but, despite the emphasis, it is curiously cold and lacking in genuine emotions. Fault is in the writing and direction, both staying on the surface and never getting underneath the characters. Read full review

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User Reviews

KenR

Apr 20, 2021

Gun Crazy – A Mini Masterpiece (spoiler-free overview)
How did the King Bros and director Joseph H. Lewis (Cry of the Hunted ’53) turn this independent work into a striking, major motion picture? Lewis was not considered for major productions yet he consistently turned minor projects intoGun Crazy – A Mini Masterpiece (spoiler-free overview)
How did the King Bros and director Joseph H. Lewis (Cry of the Hunted ’53) turn this independent work into a striking, major motion picture? Lewis was not considered for major productions yet he consistently turned minor projects into major works! This is pure genius at its best and while contemporary so-called ‘movie makers’ constantly attempt to imitate him, they fail at every turn, and the more money they pour into their copycat works the more they elevate Mr Lewis. Director of photography Russel Harlan (Lust For Life ’56) works superbly with Mr Lewis, bringing stylish visual spectacle to this well above par movie. The surprising performance of Irish Peggy Cummins as the sociopathic female carnival sharpshooter is a well-earned femme fatale classic. Her partner in crime is a fellow sharpshooter - who because of an incident in his youth, never wanted to ever use guns to kill anything again, is well played by John Dall (Spartacus ’60). Both make a compelling pair on the tragic road to nowheresville. Black-banned performer Morris Carnovsky does a fine turn as a sympathetic small town Judge, with fellow black-banned writer, Dalton Trumbo smartly adapting MacKinlay Kantor’s intriguing story for the screen. Production Designer Gordon Wiles keeps it looking interesting & Composer Victor Young provides a dramatic music score – complete with a song sequence. The Warner Achieves DVD 9 transfer offers clear images and sound.… Expand

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CodyZamboni

Aug 10, 2019

Solid noir, with some amazing one shot sequences by cult director Lewis. The fun factor mostly comes with the bizarre relationship between the two charismatic leads, with Peggy Cummings getting more psycho as the movie goes along, and her partner in crime, realizing this way too late.

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