Film Noir Week: Gun Crazy

Heya kiddies! Welcome to Day 4 of Film Noir Week.   After the RKO Pictures Out of the Past movie yesterday I thought we would go a bit more B-Movie this time around.  This is a simplistic yet dark storyline about two misunderstood enthusiasts and how the world does not get them.    So clean your cylinder, make your loads and get ready to bear arms.   This is Gun Crazy.

Pardon my erection, ma'am. 

You were going to kill that spoiler!

1950 film noir thriller Gun Crazy a.k.a. Deadly Is the Female. Directed by B-movie mogul Joseph H Lewis (Invisible Ghost, The Undercover Man, Cry of the Hunted, The Rifleman and The Big Valley). This adventure stars a crime spree commited by a husband and wife, daring to buck the ends and devil may care attitude about the consequences. Bart Tare (John Dall of Rope, The Man That Cheated Himself, Spartacus, Atlantis, the Lost Continent and Perry Mason) is a man with a long association and fixation of guns. At age 14 he is sentenced to reform school for breaking and entering as well as stealing a gun. At age 20 he musters out of the military and returns to his hometown to settle down.

Dear, your ear's on fire.

While attending a carnival act with his childhood friends, the sharpshooter Annie Laurie Starr (Peggie Cummins of Green Grass of Wyoming, Hell Drivers, Curse of the Demon and In The Doghouse) finds an attraction to Bart and the two become close instantly.  Annie feels a natural kinship of a like minded Bart and asks on his behalf to get him a job with the carnival.  Carnival owner Packett (Berry Kroeger of Guilty of Treason, Battles of Chief Pontiac, Hitler, The Story of Ruth, The Time Travelers and Demon Seed) offers a challenge to outshoot the champion markswoman and Bart equaled out.  

More than a few weeks go by and Packett hates Bart and it tries to get him fired and Annie goes with Bart.   Annie has a dirty secret of an accidental shooting in St. Louis taking a man’s life.  The two are married and have the idyllic honeymoon until the money runs out.  Bart comes to the conclusion he could simply sells his guns and put a little coin in his pocket.   Annie wants the fat cash and easy life and this shouldn’t be too difficult to do.  Annie proceeds to twist Bart around her finger and they proceed to pull heists from armored cars. 

While they never had to kill anyone Bart grew tired of a life of crime as it was something he was not comfortable with.   Can’t imagine why that is.   Annie sets up work for Armour Meat Company (festive name), prep work there and plan the payroll heist.  The plan goes sideways as the burglar alarm gets pulled as Annie throws lead at her supervisor.  

 

Females be wily, Officer Bumbles.

I have just some minor thoughts and conclusions on the film itself.  35mm Spherical naturally capturing every single nuance of the film and it is very clear that Bart and Laurie is modeled after Bonnie and Clyde.  While this is an extreme example of how weak men of decent heart can be corrupted but I think it really sets a tone of realism.   Rear projection car chases aside, the heist scene of 3 and a half minutes was all shot in one take was pretty impressive.