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IMDb > I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
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I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

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User Rating: 8.2/10 (3,099 votes)
Photos (see all 9 | slideshow)

Overview

Director:
Mervyn LeRoy
Writers:
Robert E. Burns (writer)
Howard J. Green (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
19 November 1932 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Film-Noir | Drama more
Tagline:
Six sticks of dynamite that blasted his way to freedom... and awoke America's conscience!
Plot:
Wrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins more
NewsDesk:
Warner Bros. To Be Feted At Cannes (From Studio Briefing. 8 May 2008, 10:30 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Still powerful more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

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. Allen
Sally Blane ... Alice
Louise Carter ... Mother
Willard Robertson ... Prison Board Chairman
Robert McWade ... Attorney
Robert Warwick ... Fuller
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
I Am a Fugitive
I Am a Fugitive from the Chain Gang
more
Runtime:
93 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono | Vitaphone
Certification:
Norway:16 (1933) | Finland:K-16 (1946) | Australia:PG | USA:Approved (certificate number not assigned at release) | Finland:(Banned) (1933)
Filming Locations:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 6% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Atlanta, Georgia - Monday, October 10, 1939: Action bought by Vivian Stanley, a member of the Prison Commission of the State of Georgia, against Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., Vitagraph, Inc. and local exhibitors, Wilby and Holden, was won by the defendants when a verdict was rendered in the latter's favor in the Superior Court of Fulton County here. Plaintiff brought the suits trial of which commenced some three weeks ago, for $100,000 charging libel because of the content of the (1932)Warner feature, "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang." more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Jim is serving his 9 more months after his second capture, a calendar is shown and the months drop off one by one. December 31st is shown to be on a Saturday. On the next page, January is shown to begin on Wednesday (or some other day besides Sunday). more
Quotes:
[last lines]
Helen: How do you live?
James Allen: I steal.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Killers (1946) more
Soundtrack:
St. Louis Blues more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 17 people found the following comment useful:-
Still powerful, 30 July 2004
10/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

Paul Muni comes back from the war (WWI) a hero. He's offered his old job back but declines it--he wants to make it on his own. He inadvetantly gets involved in a stickup and is (unjustly) sent to a chain gang for 9 years. The prisoners there are treated horribly--beaten by sadistic guards and forced to eat wretched food. After a few months Muni has had it. He escapes, changes his name, makes a living for himself and is very successful. But his past begins to catch up on him...

A very early Warner Bros. social drama--and one of their best. It's pretty strong stuff. I remember originally seeing this on TV back in the 1970s and really being shocked by it. It's not graphic but what you hear is even worse then being shown it (the whippings in particular). It also shows a law system that doesn't give a damn about how they treat their prisoners. They should be treated like dirt--and are! The story moves quickly and Muni is just superb. This movie made him and you can see why. Also it has one of the most depressing endings I've ever seen in a motion picture. It hit me hard back in the 1970s and still works today. Muni's haunted face and the final line are harrowing. A true classic--a must-see.

Be warned--some non-cable TV prints cut out the final line!

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Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
One Of The Best Endings Ever PrimoEscobar
Georgia or Virginia? boazbenjamin
Crime and Punishment , Then and Now Kanamit99
Taut prison drama starring Paul Muni clive-38
I heard this was based on a true story. mrgregorykitt
How can I get hold of it in UK? matt_pratt
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