Review of Gun Crazy (1950) by Kenr — 20 Apr 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 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.