Gun Crazy
| Program section: | Retrospective: Joseph H. Lewis |
|---|---|
| Directed by: | Joseph H. Lewis |
| Year: | 1950 |
| Country: | USA |
| Length: | 87 min. |
| Cast: | John Dall, Peggy Cummins, Berry Kroeger, Morris Carnovsky, Anabel Shaw, and others. |
Screening:
- 21. 8. 2026 | 15:30 - Central Bohemia Hall (castle - gothic kitchen) / CZ subs /
Production: King Brothers Productions, Pioneer Pictures Corporations
Script/Based on: MacKinlay Kantor, Millard Kaufman, Dalton Trumbo
Director of Photography: Russell Harlan
Score: Victor Young
Although several crime films about lovers on the run from the law were made in the 1930s and 1940s, it was not until the 1950 Gun Crazy that this narrative formula was brought to perfection. The film was produced by the infamous King brothers, who allocated a generous budget of half a million dollars for its production. The final version of the screenplay was written by the exceptionally talented Dalton Trumbo. However, because his name was on the blacklist at the time, his colleague Millard Kaufman had to take his place in the credits. The direction by Joseph H. Lewis, one of the kings of B-movies, is exceptionally inventive: the heist scenes stand out in particular, one of which was shot from inside a car in a single take lasting more than three minutes. The film had a profound influence on the filmmakers of the French New Wave (especially Jean-Luc Godard) and the representatives of New Hollywood. A completely unnecessary remake was released in 1992. (mh)
