Plot: What’s it about?
Bart Tare (John Dall) has always loved firearms, he loves gun of all kinds, from small pistols to high powered rifles to potent shotguns. This led him to enlist in the military, where he learned how to shoot and handle guns like a professional. A tour as a soldier seemed like a natural choice, though he soon returned back home. But Bart didn’t like the more violent side of guns, which turned him off to a career in the service. When he arrives back in town, he and his friend venture to a carnival and look for some good times. His life would change that night, as he met a beautiful young woman named Annie (Peggy Cummins). She performed as a sharpshooter and of course, her profession was a huge attraction for Bart. The sparks were intense from the start, as the two engaged in a whirlwind romance. Soon enough, Bart and Annie run off together and get married, to start a life together and settle down. Or at least that is what Bart assumed, but Annie is displeased with their lack of financial security, so she makes a proposal. As the job market is a tad slow, Annie wants to embark on less than legal methods to obtain huge amounts of cash. After all, she can handle a gun and so can Bart, so armed robbery just makes sense. But will Bart be able to go against his instincts, or will he put Annie in her place?
This movie isn’t given that much attention, but Gun Crazy deserves to be in the same class as some great film noir pictures. Though not as polished or well financed as some of the better known genre films, Gun Crazy has a special B movie texture that adds to the atmosphere. So we have an even more raw feel in this movie, which is good in this case. As with a number of film noir movies, the central focus is on a femme fatale and this is one of the best. Peggy Cummins (Night of the Demon, Meet Mr. Lucifer) sparkles in her evil role, which ensures that all of the other pieces fall into place, as needed. If she weren’t so bewitching and manipulative, we’d lose all focus within the movie, since her beau is made to jump through constant hoops. She holds him in place with her mind and her wiles, not with blackmail, violence, or bribes, as in most film noir pictures. John Dall (Rope, Spartacus) fails to keep pace with Cummins’ dynamic performance, but he holds his own and is more than solid in his role. In the end, I just think Gun Crazy is a wildly entertaining motion picture, one that never fails to be a blast to watch. I know better movies are out there, in terms of technical skill or polish, but this one is just plain fun. Warner’s treatment is thin, but has a proper presentation of the film itself, so for those interested, this disc is well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Gun Crazy is presented in full frame, as intended. The source print shows some wear and tear at times, but on the whole, debris and grain are minimal at worst. I am very impressed with this visual presentation and I think this is a superb transfer, given the age of the source material. The contrast (this film is black & white) is well balanced throughout and detail is clean and high also. I did notice some small instances of moire patterns, but no serious compression flaws. So Warner has delivered, with a terrific all around treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
An adequate, but unimpressive mono track handles the audio side of things, which is good and bad news. You’ll hear all the elements in decent enough form with this mix, but on the whole, this is a very unmemorable experience. The dialogue is sharp and clear though, so the main portions are well tended to and never falter. I just wish the music and sound effects could show more range at times, but that is one of the limits of the mono format. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary by film noir expert Glenn Erickson is decent, but not worth the time to sit down and take in as a whole. I think comments from someone involved in the production would have better, as opposed to Erickson, who rattles off common knowledge. A decent guide to the basics of film noir, but Erickson is just repeating what others have said before, so don’t expect to find much worthwhile information here.
