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Gun Crazy

Play trailer Poster for Gun Crazy 1950 1h 27m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
When gun-obsessed pacifist Bart Tare (John Dall) witnesses expert shooter Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) demonstrate her firearm prowess at a carnival one night, it's love at first sight. Aimless Bart joins the traveling show and begins a romance with Annie, but her dangerously rebellious spirit soon gets them both fired. After eloping, the young lovers embark on an armed robbery spree, managing to elude the authorities until Annie insists on pulling one last job.
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Gun Crazy

Gun Crazy

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Critics Consensus

Well-acted and strikingly filmed, Gun Crazy (Deadly Is the Female) delves into the darkness of human nature with noir-fueled B-movie flair.

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Critics Reviews

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Mildred Martin Philadelphia Inquirer 09/15/2021
Dall is particularly good as the boy who only feels important with a gun in his hands, and Miss Cummins, a pleasant surprise histrionically as the girl who doesn't give a hoot about anything except John, money and not getting caught. Go to Full Review Mae Tinée Chicago Tribune 09/15/2021
John Dall docs fine acting in this crime melodrama, which is frequently better than many of the more elaborate and expensive films on the same subject. Go to Full Review Marjory Adams Boston Globe 09/14/2021
For the most part, the film seems to be one that you've seen before. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy May 7
3.5/4
A seminal film noir as well as a cinematic primer for 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 05/04/2024
... the greatest of the criminal lovers-on-the-run thriller, explodes onto the screen in a fury of sex and guns and love and violence... a masterpiece of style and a blast of cinematic ecstasy on a budget barely bigger than a B movie. Go to Full Review Justine Smith Vague Visages 11/21/2023
In the film’s misty final stretch, the characters are lost in a dense fog. They anticipate their own demise, but they latch onto their weapons knowing very well that surrendering is no longer an option... Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Allan C @RT15713161 Jul 16 Armed and Amorous! GUN CRAZY is a lean, influential film noir elevated by Dalton Trumbo's sharp, character-driven screenplay and Joseph H. Lewis's stylish direction. Its famous single-take bank robbery remains a breathtaking piece of filmmaking, helping turn this low-budget thriller into one of the genre's most enduring classics. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW See more princeofwaldo T @RT26528424 07/24/2025 Lands in the Top-50 list of best film noirs in my opinion. Nicely paced, the action never really stops. Original screen-play and top notch acting make it a winner from every angle. It's one of those movies you'll never forget that you have seen, even years later after you've come across the title again. See more Insomniac X @RT03001349 05/16/2025 Bonnie & Clyde style romance between a conflicted obsessive and a deeply corrupt femme fatale. Fuller does an excellent job of developing his male lead through the childhood sequence in the film's opening, but leaves the backstory of his leading lady mostly opaque, reducing her motivations to simple short-sighted greed. Though she primarily drives the story's action, her character is missing the depth needed to give it much meaning. Despite its shortcomings, Gun Crazy is a decent thrill ride with some exciting moments. See more Anthony J @jenkinsdraws 03/17/2025 Sure it has its stylistic moments - lots of them actually- but the film is badly dated and the often corny acting undercuts the 'art' of it. See more mark g @Mark_Alan_G. 03/16/2025 This film is subtle brilliance. I think too many people don't see the forest through the trees here. It's a film noir fairy tale, and that is how it should be perceived. The characters are just that, characters, not meant to be taken literally. See more acsdoug D @acsdoug 07/26/2024 I didn't find John Dall particularly believable as a tough guy armed robber on the lam. Peggy Cummins is good though, and it's a good story, has a real Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. See more Read all reviews
Gun Crazy

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Cast & Crew

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Joseph H. Lewis

Director

Peggy Cummins

Annie Laurie Starr

John Dall

Bart Tare

Berry Kroeger

Packett

Morris Carnovsky

Judge Willoughby

Anabel Shaw

Ruby Tare Flagler

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Gun Crazy

Gun Crazy (1950) Gun Crazy (1950) Gun Crazy (1950) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When gun-obsessed pacifist Bart Tare (John Dall) witnesses expert shooter Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) demonstrate her firearm prowess at a carnival one night, it's love at first sight. Aimless Bart joins the traveling show and begins a romance with Annie, but her dangerously rebellious spirit soon gets them both fired. After eloping, the young lovers embark on an armed robbery spree, managing to elude the authorities until Annie insists on pulling one last job.
Director
Joseph H. Lewis
Producer
Frank King, Maurice King
Screenwriter
MacKinlay Kantor, MacKinlay Kantor, Dalton Trumbo
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
King Brothers Productions
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 20, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 27m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm