"I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG" (1932)

[diane]

I just saw this film this afternoon. I hadn't seen it for about 20 years
but the power of it affected me greatly. It was a very topical film
and was instrumental in abolishing chain gangs. It also showed how
badly veterans were treated.
James Allen (Paul Muni) returns from the War restless and misunder-
stood by his family, who want him to settle down at his old job.
His childhood sweetheart (Sally Blane) bemoans the fact that he looks
shabbier without his uniform. He takes to the road picking up odd
jobs until a misunderstanding at a diner sees him sentenced to 12
years hard labour on a chain gang. The conditions are appalling and
when he finally escapes (in a very exciting sequence) he gets a job
that sees him rise to a position of prominence in Chicago. Unfortunately
he has acquired a wife (wonderful Glenda Farrell) who is not above
turning him in when things don't go her way. (My favourite Noel Francis
plays a sympathetic prostitute). He decides to give himself up on
condition that he is given a pardon after 90 days. He has also found
a sympathetic girl (Helen Vinson) who feels he is doing the right thing.
Of course the authorities have no intention of granting his request and when he goes back , after a year of tooing and froing, he is
at breaking point. He again stages another daring escape and, with
the aid of another convict (Edward Ellis) drives to freedom.
SPOILER ALERT:The ending is the most harrowing I have ever seen .
After a year on the run, he finds Helen but he is jittery and agitated.
When she asks him how does he live , he whispers "I steal".
It is a superb film - I was really suprised at how affected I was by a
film I have seen before - it was almost as if I was seeing it for the first
time. I would truly recommend it.

[Midge]

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang may be 77 years old, but it has never lost its impact. I think this is a tribute to the excellent direction of Mervyn LeRoy and the powerful, career-making performance of its star, Paul Muni.





***SPOILER***
Incidentally, the ending was supposed to have been filmed with full lighting, but a fuse blew out during rehearsals. The director decided to film the scene just as it was, with the light slowly fading away. It makes the final scene all the more chilling as Muni utters those last lines in pitch darkness.

[Hedvig]

What a film. I watched it by myself one evening, and my little brother joined me. He sat through the whole film with me. It's very harsh indeed, a picture for its times. There are some parts where you can almost feel the physical suffering that the characters are going through. I agree with the recommendation.