I was just rewatching this wonderful noir, and I felt I had to create its own special topic thread.
Annie Laurie Starr,
You said you just wanted a man with spirit and guts...
and along came Barton Tare. Then it started something that nobody could stop!
A road trip…
A woman he would do anything for…and I mean anything!
That first touch, that moment of love’s first blush…
The steamroller of passion …
Peggy Cummins and Eddie Muller introduced Gun Crazy at the Egyptian during the TCMFF 2012. If you've never seen it, it's a must!
Miss Cummins flew in from London for the festival, and I hope she knows how much we appreciated it!
One of our own SSO Guest Stars, Shannon Clute, discussed this film in his book, The Maltese Touch of Evil.
To view his Archived Guest Star thread, follow this link: http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... =36&t=5996
Re-watched it Saturday night. Wonderful film. Their love was palpable. Peggy Cummins was like a high voltage fence. One touch and you're incinerated. And like other lovers in "Double Indemnity" "Out of the Past" they ride together straight down the line. And the last stop is the cemetery.
I re-watched too, and it just gets deeper and deeper every time! I love the use of close up in this film.
Things I noticed:
The cops in Bart's town don't carry guns, but the forest rangers on the lonely mountain road do? I guess after Mad Dog Earle, they just couldn't be too careful....never, NEVER run to the mountains when you are on the lam.
It's BART'S decision at the end to run from the cops, not Laurie's. For all of Bart's gentle side, he's the one who decides to make the final run. I have my own theories as to why Bart ran instead of giving up, but I'd love to know what you guys think.
Some of the lines are quite poignant, like Bart's friends telling him that they don't carry guns, because it's their town, why would they want to hurt anyone? Not even Bart. And the way Bart responds each time, as if he's so far away from them. "That's nice." as if they had met at a high school reunion or something, or that they had just offered some business advice. "Well, nice seeing you both again."
Another set of lines that particularly resounded with me was this exchange at the end of the film:
Laurie: Bart, I'm afraid.
Bart: You just rest. There's nothing we can do for a while.
Laurie: (snuggling) It's so good to be so close with you.
Bart: I used to go camping here when I was a kid, every summer, Dave and Clyde. I think we can find a way out - when it's daylight.
"When it's daylight." Bart is so sure he can find a way out, I even believed him, and I've seen it before. He's such a comforting presence. But the sun doesn't come up, you see. The only thing that comes up is the fog, a metaphor for life and the crappy hand we are sometimes dealt. And yet, is it crappy? Annie Laurie doesn't get all the big things she wanted, things that money can buy, but when Bart says to her, "Laurie, no matter what happens, I wouldn't have it any other way." well, I'd exchange my whole house full of things for someone who would say that to me.
Wonderful reflections, Wendy. I agree. Also, I think he felt that no matter what happened, he wanted to be with her at the end, however bitter it might be.
Outstanding crime thriller. I've posted enough in the past. I don't have much to add. This is one of those movies where everything works. Even certain actors who may not be the best in the business. If anything, that makes the characters more human. The story more accessible. With big stars and accomplished thespians, it would not have worked so well. This one is a big winner!
0kay. I might rob a bank...once. Get all that moola and then live on that.
But Annie & Bart kept robbing and robbing and robbing. Annie Laurie, we need to get you to Suze Orman. 0f course Freud would say that the robbing is just the underlying issue. You can never fill the hole that's in your heart from the outside in.
Love the movie. And again, the inexorability of their actions. They played that fiddle until ALL the strings broke! I felt their passion.
Thanxx for featuring this movie on it's own thread Tex.
Cinemaven, thanks for the earlier compliment. Evidently, Annie Laurie's "backstory" would have made a fabulous film, too! I love to create those historic promos reminiscent of the 30s-60s with a little 21st century twist.
Red, before I created this thread I read many of your earlier comments, and those of other posters. That's what gave me the idea to open it's own thread. I just can't keep my eyes off of those two. Peggy Cummins for her femme fatale phosphorescence, and John Dall because he's just so unique. I think he looked so Dall-ing his Western get-up, and part of the attraction was that he looked so out of place in it, but I just wanted to see what he was going to do next. And then I wanted to see what Peggy Cummins was going to do next. And then...
The movie is just so compelling for me. And Jackie, I now realize that the next time I am on the run, I will NOT run to the mountains. Especially with a cute little dog. Nor will I go to the spooky, foggy marsh. Such a valid point about Barton Tare wanting to save his childhood friends.
And for me, Gun Crazy is climbing closer to the top of the Out of the Past heap!
You pointing out that Bart looks so out of place in his western gear made me think about Bart never really fitting in.... when he sees his friends again at the family place on the run, he's distant, alienated, looking at them through the prism of lost time. It makes me wonder was he ever really close to them? They never really knew him, I think, but accepted him as kids do one another before stuff gets in the way. What is it in Bart that turns him away from them? I think Laurie is the only one who truly madly deeply understands him, and he in turn is the only one who understands her. Dave and Clyde have some sympathy for Bart, but they could never accept Laurie, nor her them. And I think he knows deep down inside that he'd be a freak show to all those townspeople if he didn't run this last time, even if his friends stuck by him. Even Dave and Clyde would never really understand. His last words are of them though, back when they were kids and they used to escape to the mountains, before adult choices and the world got in their way.
Interesting observation regarding the alienation between Bart and his boyhood chums, Dave and Clyde. I, too, have come to focus more on that relationship than that with Annie Laurie. From almost three years ago:
And another way of analyzing the movie smacked me upside the head: Forget Annie Laurie. Bart's downfall is caused by his best friends, Dave and Clyde. They cause him to confront his loss of manhood when they try to get him to kill his first feline. They invite him to the fateful carnival. They kick in $30 of the $50 necessary to enable Bart to compare guns with Annie. And they hunt him down. They know Bart won't shoot them, but they also know that Annie Laurie won't hesitate, which will likely cause someone else in the posse to shoot. With Annie Laurie on one side and friends like that on the other, Bart really was doomed with a capital D.
Bart know he's different. Dave and Clyde know he's different. The "Other" is a nonentity until they have to confront it and, then, the "Other" can be tolerated for only so long. Teasing and good-natured ribbing will no longer suffice. The "Other" must be completely ostracized to bring their world back to normalcy.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
Awesome observations, ChiO! It struck me so hard in that last scene that they couldn't possibly understand what we understand about Bart, because we've walked in Bart's shoes and they have never even tried. I didn't even realize that they instigated everything forcing Bart even more into the role of "Other". Boy, that's the way of the world isn't it? No wonder it reminded me of Cat People this time through.
Thanks for the link to the old thread, Chris! I'll have a read, in between watching Sterling Hayden today.
I will NOT run to the mountains. Especially with a cute little dog
My dog was actually stopped by the police last night. We were walking. A squad car pulled up. "Are you cleaning up after that dog? We've had complaints." Yes, officer. Here are my poop bags. Sugar and Clyde!
Perhaps we’ll never know the deep psychology of Bart Tare. ( Yikes! What a name. ) We just know that since he’s been a kid, he’s really liked shooting his gun. But he’s sensitive enough NOT to want to KILL things with it. We only know what the film shows us. Not wanting to give up his gun even in the face of being sent to the principal’s office shows me a very determined and disturbed little boy.
BUT all those early scenes make me kind of chuckle at the pop psychology of it all; the way they showed psychology in the movies. I never really got the sense that his friends treated him like the Other. He had a skill that they admired, and though they were upset with him when he didn’t shoot that mountain lion on their little camping trek, I think they accepted his friendship just fine. They wanted to use his skill for their benefit in that instance.
So now he gets “street cred” for four years in reform school, and then serves time for Uncle Sam in the military; he’s now out and about. Aimless. I don’t see him knowing where to go. But not to worry ‘cuz he’s immediately scooped up by his friends for a reunion. And at the carnival he meets Annie Laurie.
I’ve never seen a movie character so gobsmacked in love like this before. It was electric. Imagine if you meet someone who likes, loves the same thing you do: movies...I mean GUNS. There’s an instant bond; a love. I think there was some kind of transference for Bart, from his gun to this young woman. To go further ( you know how I roll ) I think this woman IS his gun. It’s the only acceptable way for Bart to get really really “close” to his gun. And when Annie Laurie, enters - guns blazing, she is his gun...personified.
[u][color=#0000BF]Chi0[/color][/u] wrote:And another way of analyzing the movie smacked me upside the head: Forget Annie Laurie. Bart's downfall is caused by his best friends, Dave and Clyde. They cause him to confront his loss of manhood when they try to get him to kill his first feline. They invite him to the fateful carnival. They kick in $30 of the $50 necessary to enable Bart to compare guns with Annie. And they hunt him down. They know Bart won't shoot them, but they also know that Annie Laurie won't hesitate, which will likely cause someone else in the posse to shoot. With Annie Laurie on one side and friends like that on the other, Bart really was doomed with a capital D.
This is a stretch for me. Bart’s responsible for his own actions. His psyche was set in motion long before he went to school and met up with his friends. In fact, I could take it that the fellas kick in that money for Bart to buy him his "first girl." But I do like the last part of your old argument, Chi0. Bart IS caught between a rock and a hard place. The Rock---> his friends, ( which though they’re not bosom buddies, they do represent normalcy, living within the bonds of society ) and a hard ( crazy ) place ---> with Annie Laurie. And doomed Bart is. Boy, is he ever. If Hester Prynne wears an "A" on her frock, then Bart has a "D" across his forehead. Poor Bart. He is an Innocent. Definitely not as savvy as Brandon in "ROPE."
[u][color=#0040BF]JACK FAVELL[/color][/u] wrote:It struck me so hard in that last scene that they couldn't possibly understand what we understand about Bart, because we've walked in Bart's shoes and they have never even tried. I didn't even realize that they instigated everything forcing Bart even more into the role of "Other". Boy, that's the way of the world isn't it? No wonder it reminded me of Cat People this time through.
Wow! “CAT PEOPLE”!! Didn’t see THAT one coming, and that makes total sense to me, Jaxxxon. Instigated. I still don’t subscribe to Dave and Clyde being the catalyst to Bart’s “Otherness.” He brought that to the table himself. We certainly were in Bart's shoes. And I must say, Annie gave me an exhilarating ride.
[u][color=#400080]SUE SUE APPLEGATE[/color][/u] wrote:...And for me, Gun Crazy is climbing closer to the top of the Out of the Past heap!
Two sides of the same noir coin? "I wouldn't have it any other way."* * *"Baby I don't care."
Wow! Well “GUN CRAZY” is very compelling to say the least, Christy. It pulls me along like no other movie. ( At least I can't think of one right at the moment I am typing this. ) I'm on a bank robbery...I'm in the getaway car...I'm running through the swamp. ( The swamp? How'd the heck did I get here. Dang it! Something slimy just touched my leg!! ) And even the money they use is no good to them b'cuz the Law's got the serial numbers. "Gun Crazy" definitely has a lot more kinetic energy than my beloved “Out of the Past.” While Cummins and Dall are hot as a pistol, I do prefer the simmering heat of Mitchum and Greer. Both men end up the same place, the big lugs. And the women they choose, lead them and other men in noir by their...triggers.
In fact, with the gun issue we're facing here in the United States, I know the bulk of it is about money on the gunmakers' side. No one is going to interfere with their profits - not a politician or innocent bystanders...or first graders. ( Bad guys really do have a lot of disposable income. Are they paying their fare share in taxes? ) But on gun owners' side, I wonder if having a big strong powerful gun that shoots rounds and rounds and rounds of ammunition in seconds, isn't a metaphor and represents something else with men.
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...
My rifle and I know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...
My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...
Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!
I’ve never seen a movie character so gobsmacked in love like this before. It was electric. Imagine if you meet someone who likes, loves the same thing you do: movies...I mean GUNS. There’s an instant bond; a love. I think there was some kind of transference for Bart, from his gun to this young woman. To go further ( you know how I roll ) I think this woman IS his gun. It’s the only acceptable way for Bart to get really really “close” to his gun. And when Annie Laurie, enters - guns blazing, she is his gun...personified.
Beautiful!
This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...
My rifle and I know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...
My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...
Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!
That last quote, I have no idea what it is, I am assuming it's a military mantra of some kind, from WWII? The marine credo? The weird thing is, reading Lee Marvin's bio, this is EXACTLY the type of thing he wrote to his dad at the start of his marine military service, which basically scarred him for life, but also was where he totally lived. So you've just blown my mind here, by bringing all the things I'm interested in into one post....
...So you've just blown my mind here, by bringing all the things I'm interested in into one post....
As a Cravin' Maven, I aim to blow folks' minds. Uhmmmm...with Ideas, not Guns.
* * * *** * * *
According to Wikipedia:
THE RIFLEMAN'S CREED (also known as My Rifle and The Creed of the United States Marine) is a part of basic United States Marine Corps doctrine. Major General William H. Rupertus wrote it during World War II, probably in late 1941 or early 1942. All enlisted Marines learn the creed at recruit training and they are expected to live by it. Different, more concise versions of the creed have developed since its early days, but those closest to the original version remain the most widely accepted.[1][2]