I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Reference View | Change View
- Passed
- 1h 32min
- Crime, Drama
- 19 Nov 1932 (USA)
- Movie
Wrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Paul Muni | ... |
James Allen
|
|
| Glenda Farrell | ... |
Marie
|
|
| Helen Vinson | ... |
Helen
|
|
| Noel Francis | ... |
Linda
|
|
| Preston Foster | ... |
Pete
|
|
| Allen Jenkins | ... |
Barney Sykes
|
|
| Berton Churchill | ... |
The Judge
|
|
| Edward Ellis | ... |
Bomber Wells
|
|
| David Landau | ... |
The Warden
|
|
| Hale Hamilton | ... |
Rev. Robert Allen
|
|
| Sally Blane | ... |
Alice
|
|
| Louise Carter | ... |
Mother Allen
|
|
| Willard Robertson | ... |
Prison Board Chairman
|
|
| Robert McWade | ... |
Attorney
|
|
| Robert Warwick | ... |
Fuller
|
|
 |
William Le Maire | ... |
A Texan
(as William LeMaire)
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Erville Alderson | ... |
Police Chief (uncredited)
|
|
| Irving Bacon | ... |
Bill - Barber (uncredited)
|
|
| Reginald Barlow | ... |
Mr. Parker (uncredited)
|
|
| James Bell | ... |
Red (uncredited)
|
|
| Everett Brown | ... |
Sebastian T. Yale (uncredited)
|
|
| Frederick Burton | ... |
Southern Prison Official (uncredited)
|
|
| A.S. 'Pop' Byron | ... |
Cop in Barber Shop (uncredited)
|
|
| Eddy Chandler | ... |
Job Foreman (uncredited)
|
|
| Wallis Clark | ... |
Chicago Lawyer (uncredited)
|
|
| G. Pat Collins | ... |
Wilson (uncredited)
|
|
| George Cooper | ... |
Vaudevillian (uncredited)
|
|
| Jack Curtis | ... |
Prison Guard (uncredited)
|
|
| Douglass Dumbrille | ... |
District Attorney (uncredited)
|
|
| J. Frank Glendon | ... |
Arresting Officer (uncredited)
|
|
| Lew Kelly | ... |
Diner Cook (uncredited)
|
|
| Jack La Rue | ... |
Ackerman (uncredited)
|
|
| Edward LeSaint | ... |
Chamber of Commerce Chairman (uncredited)
|
|
| Walter Long | ... |
Blacksmith (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Jack Low | ... |
Big Prisoner (uncredited)
|
|
|
John Marston | ... |
Prison Commissioner (uncredited)
|
|
|
Charles McAvoy | ... |
Cop (uncredited)
|
|
|
Edward McNamara | ... |
Second Warden (uncredited)
|
| Charles Middleton | ... |
Train Conductor (uncredited)
|
|
| Dennis O'Keefe | ... |
Café Chateau Dancer (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
William Pawley | ... |
Doggy (uncredited)
|
| Charles Sellon | ... |
Hot Dog Stand Owner (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Allen D. Sewall | ... |
Train Station Guard (uncredited)
|
| Lee Shumway | ... |
Arresting Officer (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
William H. Strauss | ... |
Pawnbroker (uncredited)
|
| Sheila Terry | ... |
Allen's Secretary (uncredited)
|
|
| Fred 'Snowflake' Toones | ... |
Marine on Ship (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Jack Wise | ... |
Tailor (uncredited)
|
| Harry Woods | ... |
Prison Guard (uncredited)
|
|
| John Wray | ... |
Nordine (uncredited)
|
|
Directed by
| Mervyn LeRoy | ||
Written by
| Robert E. Burns | ... | (by) |
| Howard J. Green | ... | (screen play by) & |
| Brown Holmes | ... | (screen play by) |
| Sheridan Gibney | ... | (screen play by) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Hal B. Wallis | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Bernhard Kaun | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Sol Polito | ... | (photography by) |
Editing by
| William Holmes | ... | (edited by) |
Casting By
| Rufus Le Maire | ... | (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Jack Okey | ||
Set Decoration by
| Albert C. Wilson | ... | (uncredited) |
Costume Design by
| Orry-Kelly | ... | (gowns) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Al Alleborn | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Robert H. Wagner | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| William Forsyth | ... | casting assistant (uncredited) |
| William Maybery | ... | casting assistant (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Leo F. Forbstein | ... | conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra |
Additional Crew
| S.H. Sullivan | ... | technical director |
| Robert E. Burns | ... | consultant (uncredited) |
| S. Charles Einfeld | ... | general press agent (uncredited) |
| Jack Miller | ... | technical director (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1932) (United States) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.) (present)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1933) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1933) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros First National (1933) (France) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. First National Films (1933) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1956) (United States) (tv)
- Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- France 3 (1985) (France) (tv) (French subtitles)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Bros. (1952) (Belgium) (theatrical) (reissue)
- Epoca (Argentina) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cheney Brothers (silks by)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Having returned from fighting in World War I, James Allen doesn't want to settle into a humdrum life and decides to set off to find his fortune. He travels the length and breadth of America, working as a skilled tradesman in the construction industry. When times get tough however, he finds himself living in a shelter where an acquaintance suggests they go out for a hamburger. What the friend really has in mind is to rob the diner and Allen soon finds himself working on a chain gang with a long jail sentence. Allen manages to escape however and heads to Chicago where over several years he slowly but surely works his way up the ladder to become one of the most respected construction engineers in the city. His past catches up with him and despite protestations from civic leaders and his many friends in Chicago, he finds himself again on the chain gang. Escaping for a second time, he accepts that to survive, he must lead a life of crime. Written by garykmcd |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Hers was the Kiss of Judas...He was CRUCIFIED on the chain gang! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
|
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Budget | $195,845 (estimated) |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $3,485,820 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The film was based on the true story of Robert E. Burns. It sticks basically to the facts except for two instances: Burns actually did steal the $5.29 in order to eat, and he finally succeeded in evading the Georgia legal system with the help of three New Jersey governors. Burns actually slipped into Hollywood and worked for a few weeks on the film, but ultimately the stress and risk were too much, and he fled back to the safety of New Jersey. The book and film helped bring about the collapse of the brutal chain gang system in Georgia. Warner Bros. took a big chance on the film, as social commentary was not normally done in Hollywood pictures. However, this film was a critical and financial success and helped establish Warners as the studio with a social conscience - it also helped save the financially ailing company. Even though Georgia was never specifically named in the film, numerous lawsuits were filed against the studio, the film was banned in Georgia, and the studio's head and the film's director were told that should they ever find themselves in Georgia they would be treated to a dose of the "social evil" they so roundly denounced. See more » |
| Goofs | When the fugitive is getting a shave, a policeman comes in and is reading a magazine. Even though the time in the movie is 1926, the policeman is reading Liberty Magazine with a cover date of November 14, 1931. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The Angry Screen (1964). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Smiles See more » |
| Quotes |
[last lines]
Helen: How do you live? James Allen: I steal. See more » |