Gun Crazy

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph H. Lewis directs. Russell Harlan behind the camera. Victor Young scores. Harry Gerstad cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 3Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Victor Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Harry Gerstad shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Peggy Cummins and John Dall and Berry Kroeger carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "Thrill Crazy... Kill Crazy... Gun Crazy".
• 8IMDB entry: tt0042530 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Classified under 12 themes, including "gun", "carnival", "film noir", "sharpshooter".
• 10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Russell Harlan

Original score

Victor Young

Editing

Harry Gerstad

Production design

Gordon Wiles

Costume design

Norma Koch

Makeup / hair

Carla Hadley

Runtime

87 min · 1h 27m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

Gun Crazy (1950) ↗

Also by

Joseph H. Lewis

• 
  Boss of Hangtown Mesa

  1942 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Singing Outlaw

  1937 · ★ 9.0
• 
  Texas Stagecoach

  1940 · ★ 9.0
• 
  Blazing Six Shooters

  1940 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Border Wolves

  1938 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Courage of the West

  1937 · ★ 8.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  "I Told You I Was No Good" Clip

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  The Getaway

  Clip · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• John Chard2014-06-07
  ★ 9/10

  The Real Sex Pistols. Bart Tare (John Dall) had a fascination with guns from an early age, even getting sent to a reform school at the age of 14 for yet another gun related incident. Back home now as an adult, after a stint in the army, he falls for a sharp-shooting carnival girl called Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) and promptly joins the act. But after a fall out with the boss, the pair hit the road and turn to a life of crime - with Annie particularly showing a thirst for gun-play. No doubt inspired by real life outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, "Deadly Is the Female" (AKA: Gun Crazy) is as good a "doomed lovers on the lam" picture that has ever been made. It may be a "B" movie in terms of production, but no doubt about it, this film is stylish, crafty and also very sexy. Directed by the unsung Joseph H. Lewis ("My Name Is Julia Ross/The Big Combo"), it's based on a story written by MacKinlay Kantor that was reworked by Millard Kaufman (AKA: the then blacklisted "Dalton Trumbo"), into one that links sex and violence whilst simultaneously casting an eye over gun worship and its place in the American way of life. Dall & Cummings looked on the surface an odd pairing, but under Lewis' direction they go together like gun and holster (ahem). He is well spoken, almost elegantly fragile with his musings, yet underneath there is still this twitchy gun fanatic. She is savvy, almost virginal in sexuality, but ultimately she's a wild cat who's practically un-tamable. The work of Lewis here should not be understated, check out the quite sublime continuous one take bank robbery. While marvel throughout at his long takes, use of angles, deep focus and jerking camera movements - all of which dovetail with our protagonists as they go on their nihilistic journey. But perhaps his master-stoke was with his preparation tactics for his two leads?. Sending them out with permission to improvise, he fired them up with sexual pep talks, and the result, in spite of the inevitable "code" restrictions, is a near masterpiece, a true genre highlight, and a film that continues to influence as much as it still entertains. 9/10

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• KI

  King Brothers Productions

  US

Key crew

• ProducerFrank King
• ProducerMaurice King
• EditorHarry Gerstad
• Music EditorStuart Frye
• Production DesignGordon Wiles
• Set DecorationRaymond Boltz Jr.
• Sound EngineerTom Lambert
• Technical AdvisorHerman King
• HairstylistCarla Hadley
• GafferLloyd Garnell
• Still PhotographerEddie Jones
• GripHarry Lewis
• Technical AdvisorAl J. Jennings
• Stand InLew Morphy
• StuntsDale Van Sickel
• Costume DesignNorma Koch
• Production ManagerAllen K. Wood
• Assistant DirectorFrank Heath
• OrchestratorSidney Cutner
• OrchestratorLeo Shuken
• Producer's AssistantArthur Gardner
• ContinuityJack Herzberg
• Dialogue CoachMadeleine Robinson

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• gun
• carnival
• film noir
• sharpshooter
• payroll robbery
• based on short story
• gun violence
• crime spree
• gun shooting
• gun culture
• gun enthusiast
• fugitive lovers

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2014-07-17· Maine International Film Festival
• Theatrical1950-01-20
• Theatrical1991-05-17· New York City, New York (Re-release)

Also known as

International titles

• Deadly Is the FemaleUS
• Vivir para matarAR
• Vrouw of duivelBE
• Femme ou démonBE
• Ludilo za pištoljemHR
• O polemos tou eglimatosGR
• La hembra se imponePE
• Без ума от оружияSU
• Ludilo za pištoljemYU
• Rikosten pyörteissäFI