Although John Dall did a few cinema classics like The Corn Is Green, Rope, Spartacus, he will probably go down with this small B film noir Gun Crazy which even with the Code firmly in place managed to come across with a finely etched portrayal of two young people with serious self esteem issues which are represented by their obsession with firearms.
With Dall it's self esteem, with British import Peggy Cummins it's a great deal more than that. Gun Crazy has a prologue where we see Dall portrayed earlier in his life by Russ Tamblyn as an incorrigible juvenile. But with decent surroundings he might have kept his darker impulses in check.
But a chance encounter with at a carnival where Peggy Cummins is a featured attraction as a trick shot artist and Dall finds he and Cummins have a bond with their shooting. Unbeknownst to Dall, Peggy has already honed her skills on human targets already. She has no problem getting Dall to put his useful skill with firearms to a life of crime.
Dall can kill if needed, but Cummins is one of the most amoral individuals ever shown on the big screen. She really loves her work and never more when someone gives her an excuse to fire fatal bullets.
There's a lot of action in Gun Crazy, but ultimately the film is a fine character study of two flawed individuals. This is a real underground classic, don't miss it when broadcast because it provided two career roles for its stars.
With Dall it's self esteem, with British import Peggy Cummins it's a great deal more than that. Gun Crazy has a prologue where we see Dall portrayed earlier in his life by Russ Tamblyn as an incorrigible juvenile. But with decent surroundings he might have kept his darker impulses in check.
But a chance encounter with at a carnival where Peggy Cummins is a featured attraction as a trick shot artist and Dall finds he and Cummins have a bond with their shooting. Unbeknownst to Dall, Peggy has already honed her skills on human targets already. She has no problem getting Dall to put his useful skill with firearms to a life of crime.
Dall can kill if needed, but Cummins is one of the most amoral individuals ever shown on the big screen. She really loves her work and never more when someone gives her an excuse to fire fatal bullets.
There's a lot of action in Gun Crazy, but ultimately the film is a fine character study of two flawed individuals. This is a real underground classic, don't miss it when broadcast because it provided two career roles for its stars.