| They Gave Him a Gun | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | W. S. Van Dyke |
| Written by | Cyril Hume Richard Maibaum Maurice Rapf |
| Based on | They Gave Him a Gun 1936 novel by William J. Cowen |
| Produced by | Harry Rapf |
| Starring | Spencer Tracy Gladys George Franchot Tone |
| Cinematography | Harold Rosson |
| Edited by | Ben Lewis |
| Music by | Sigmund Romberg |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $606,000[1] |
| Box office | $1,313,000[1] |
They Gave Him a Gun is a 1937 Americancrime drama film directed byW. S. Van Dyke and starringSpencer Tracy,Gladys George andFranchot Tone. The picture bears a resemblance to laterfilms noir, with its dark theme regarding the struggles and failures of a man trying to take a criminal shortcut to theAmerican dream. The screenplay was written byCyril Hume,Richard Maibaum andMaurice Rapf, based on the 1936 book of the same name by William J. Cowen.[2][3] On March 20, 1937, director W.S. Van Dyke "announced Henry Mahan was cast in 'They Gave Him A Gun', joiningSam Levene and Teddy Hart, the three swell comedians in the film version ofThree Men on a Horse", but none of these actors appear in the final cut.[4]
A young man named Jimmy unexpectedly becomes aWorld War I hero by killing all theGermans in amachine gun nest. But he is severely wounded, and spends time in a hospital being cared for by a nurse, Rose, with whom he falls in love. But she is really in love with Jimmy's buddy, Fred, a carnival barker. However, when Fred does not return from thebattlefield, the two think he has been killed (he was merely captured), so they makewedding plans. When Fred returns, he decides to support Jimmy and Rose marrying, although it breaks his heart. After the war, Fred meets with Jimmy, and discovers that Jimmy is aracketeer who uses his battle skills to commit murder. So he tells Rose, who had no idea. She reports her husband to thepolice, so that he will go toprison and be reformed. But Jimmy breaks out of prison, and tries to take Rose on the lam with him. Fred intervenes. Jimmy, feeling undeserving, dies bysuicide by police.
According toMGM records, the film earned $718,000 in the US and Canada, and $595,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $253,000.[1]
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