Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent "Little" Movie
Review: "Gun Crazy" is the story of Barton Tare, played by John Dall, who was in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope"--another great movie--a gun lover who returns to his hometown after being sentenced to reform school for stealing a gun and serving time in the army.
At a carnival, he meets a hot female trick shooter named Annie Laurie Starr, played by Peggy Cummins.
After beating her in a shooting contest, Bart joins the carnival. After her jealous manager fires both of them, Annie and Bart get married and go on a crime spree.
All of this is well-directed by Joseph L. Lewis, especially the shots of Annie in the getaway car when the couple is in the process of robbing a bank. I especially liked the way he has Ms. Cummins talk out loud in these scenes when nobody else is in the car. It's a great way to show the tension and anxiety about what she's doing.
There's real sexual sparks between these characters that fly off the screen and carry the movie.
The quality of "Gun Crazy" proves that you don't need big stars and budgets to make an interesting movie.
Rating:
Summary: EXCITING NOIR THRILLER....
Review: After a rocky young life of no parents, reform school and a stint in the army, Bart (John Dahl)---who's had a lifelong obsession with guns---meets sexy sideshow sharpshooter Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) and joins her in the show. When she rejects her boss's drunken advances, he fires them both. Bart and Laurie are in love and take off together. But they both love something else too. He loves guns and firing them (but won't kill anything) and she loves the thrill of guns and crime and won't hesitate to kill. Pretty soon they're on the road holding up anything and everything. Bart has mixed emotions about their exploits but Laurie loves it and urges him on and on. Like Claire Trevor's character in "Born to Kill", Laurie is turned on by violence. It excites her. Bart loves Laurie but doesn't understand why she kills. However he's in it for the long haul because he can't live without her nor she him. "Gun Crazy" was done on a low budget but director Joseph H.Lewis did wonders in keeping the film exciting and on the move like Laurie and Bart. Claustrophobic camera angles make you feel like you're riding in the back seat with them and extreme close-ups let you look in their eyes. The music score is excellent with a hint of romantic nuances from songs they've listened to that provides the sympathetic tinges you feel as they're on the run or hiding out in the swamps. The final scene where they're surrounded by fog and the law is closing in stays in you're memory. Cummins is astonishing as Laurie and Dahl is good as Bart. The film does have (as the box says) an amazing contemporary feel to it. Some scenes are so naturalistic they seem improvised for realism. The DVD print is absolutely clear and gorgeous which makes enjoying this dynamic film all the more a pleasure. "Gun Crazy" has a deserved cult status among noir connoiseurs and you can see why. It's an excellent crime film and character study. A keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Locked and loaded
Review: Believe the hype from team Tarantino: This is a sensational film -- smart, sexy, violent and emotionally on target. All of the classic noir elements dwell here: A good-hearted tough guy (John Dall) who should know better. A blonde siren, devious and desirable (Peggy Cummins). The inexorable downward spiral. Money. Sex. Death. For a B-movie that shot blanks when it was released (briefly under the title ''Deadly Is the Female''), ''Gun Crazy'' has gone on to great things, ending up in the National Film Registry -- right up there with the its better-heeled soulmate ''Bonnie and Clyde.'' Joseph H. Lewis' direction is relentless, keeping viewers enthralled and on edge as its anti-heroes blast their way across the country. ''Crime in 'Gun Crazy' is a performance art,'' commentator Glenn Erickson notes. Exhibit A is the famous bank robbery scene, shot in one unbroken take from the perspective of a backseat driver.
Rating: 
Summary: Guys with Guns and the Women Who Love Them
Review: Effective diatribe about an aimless sharpshooter who falls in with the wrong woman, who naturally leads him down the path of no good. John Dall and Peggy Cummins make an effective pairing as the outlaws on the run. My only qualm is that given the constraints of the production code in 1949, we can easily predict their inevitable outcome. Imagine how much better the film could have been if the producers of this film had the liberties that the makers of "Bonnie and Clyde" did in 1967. Good black-and-white photography and location work are on hand here.
Rating:
Summary: One of the great films noir
Review: For manic intensity, this ranks as one of the absolute best films noir. With no well known cast members, the director Joseph Lewis crafted a high-powered, fluid film that moves like a bat out of hell. Two lovers on the run, played by John Dall and Peggy Cummins, originally meet at a circus where she's the Annie Oakley sharpshooter and he's the guy who's an even better shot than she is---and proves it in a contest in which he shoots five candles out, placed on her head, while she manages only four of the five on his. Her admiration soars for the guy, as does her obvious sexual attraction, and before you can say "Rumpelstilskin" (or however it's spelled), the two of them are a hot and bothered item. This searing chemistry is what gives the film its incredible momentum as the two go on a robbing spree that more than gives any movie since a run for the money--Bonnie and Clyde, Love and a .45, etc., etc. This is the forerunner of all these guys, and it's very likely the best of them. The equally strong ending is a perfect capper for a truly classic film noir. It's a shame this is out of print on VHS and that no studio is interested in putting out a DVD. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites of all-time
Review: Hopefully someday this one will be re-released on DVD, because it's simply a great film-noir. Making a superb B-movie is no simple task. It takes ingenuity, guts, and vision. Something most mainstream multi-million dollar movies don't even come close to having. Joseph Lewis (also directed the Big Combo) does a masterful job directing, and John Dall and Peggy Cummings are perfect in their roles. No attempt is made to justify or explain away the motivations of the two characters except that they "...go together like guns and ammunition".
Rating: 
Summary: Firing blanks
Review: I got Gun Crazy as part of the recently released Noir Classic Collection. It was the one title in that collection I was unfamiliar with, so I watched it first. After viewing it, I'm very so-so on the film. Gun Crazy is one of those "influential" flicks, that supposedly inspired movies such as Bonnie and Clyde, and Badlands. That of course begs the question, why wouldn't the real life stories of Bonnie and Clyde, or Charles Starkweather, have inspired directors independently of Gun Crazy?
The movie itself is pretty tame stuff by today's standards, and plays a lot like a Bowery Boys episode (it's impossible to think of Dall as truly bad). The opening scene of vandalism by the young Barton Tare (played later in the film by John Dall), is done well. Also good, is our introduction to Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins), who stars in a carnival show. This scene is pure noir - Lady Death in a cowboy hat! The movie has a number of finely framed scenes - usually of characters, face shots (the transfer is superb). Particularly good are face close-ups from below the steering wheel during a chase scene. Interesting, and in a way that has you recalling Welles' camera work. And the ending in the swamp is excellent. But that's about it (it's no High Sierra), fragments here and there, that nevertheless leave you scratching your head over the supposed importance of this film. Surely a better example of noir from that period could of been included in Classic Collection. I know they exist, since I see them often enough on t.v.
Rating:
Summary: You'll never make big money. You're a two-bit guy.
Review: If this film were to be released in today's society, it would not be looked upon with the greatest of ease. Mothers, victims, and Michael Moore would talk about this film as being a perfect reason why guns are a problem in our society. It would be similar to making a sequel to Natural Born Killers and hoping that it sweeps the Oscars. It just wouldn't happen. Yet, in 1949 this film worked. With a growing interest in firearms began building, the studio that released this film decided it would take a chance and release this little ditty co-staring John Dall and Peggy Cummins while the main name in lights at the marquee is "GUNS". Throughout the film, director Joseph Lewis tries to demonstrate to us that "guns don't kill people, people kill people" by having us follow these two hapless victims lead by destruction by the forceful fist of the gun.
Through powerful imagery, detailed character studies, and creative direction, Deadly is the Female proves that it is more than just a simple black and white film about the evil of weapons. Dall and Cummins are perfectly matched as the mismatched bandits on the run from the law. Dall built such a strong character from the start to the finish of this film that I honestly forgot that I was watching a movie. His inability to kill coupled with Cummins disrespect of life provided some of the best dialogue, interaction, and intensity that I have ever seen in a film. I could watch these two characters in anything and I would still be entranced. The fire in their eyes, the passion in their voices, and the eventual crumbling of their own selves was vividly beautiful. I am not ashamed to say that the acting in this film could easily be put next to the work of those high paid in Hollywood today and be seen as the same (or better). There is something about these two that forces us to look deeper into them. From the beginning we settle in with our connection and never let go of our two characters. We watch everything they do with a close eye and cheering whenever they escape from the law. While the "gun" is the main character, the two wielding the weapon take the film to a new level.
One can only speak of the acting so much before you have to bring in the direction from Lewis and the cinematography that only give the actors room to showcase their talent. Lewis' direction is immaculate. His attention to detail and scene set up is one of the best I have ever witnessed. The scene that comes immediately to mind is early in the film when the friends are telling their story to the judge about how Bart couldn't kill the mountain lion. When he refuses and his friends try to shoot, the only camera angle we have is of the boys shooting with Bart's fist in the frame. His fist clenches everytime the gun is shot. This was amazing how well this built Bart's character for the rest of the film. Lewis knows this film. You can see it with every shot that he takes. He is excited and mesmerized by the characters, which translates onto the film perfectly. He takes his passion and pushes it towards the cinematography as well. There are several shots of our two "love-birds" driving the car to their next heist. Lewis builds so much intensity in those little spaces that it lingers throughout the rest of the film. The Savings and Loan Building heist is what immediately comes to my mind. When the two are searching for a parking space to rob the institution you just get this feel of humanity and nervousness. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
So, we have the top-notch acting, the intricate and detailed direction followed by a simple, yet effective story. Love plays second fiddle to the gun as we see a story that is not unlike ones that we currently see invading our multiplex. I think for me it was exciting to just see the era that this movie was filmed. Another reviewer mentioned the scenes of the gun in the window of a store and the one-man police station on the California border was hysterical and somewhat eerie as well. I couldn't agree more. While this may have been exaggerated at the time, it still provided a pleasing look as to where we have progressed to since then (and maybe because of this film!).
Overall, this film really impressed me. I am a fan of films made in the 40s, and Deadly is the Female is no exception. This era of film continually breaks new boundaries for me and proves that Hollywood may not be as creative as we think. I see these films made in the 40s, and see the exact same types of stories in today's movie theaters. Is there plagiarism happening or is Hollywood just recycling to continue to allure audiences to dish out more money? The world may never know, but what I do know is that if you ever have the chance to see Deadly is the Female, I suggest it. Powerful, stunning, and beautifully captured onto film, it will not disappoint. Enjoy.
Grade: ***** out of *****
Rating:
Summary: The Real Deal
Review: If you like low-budget 1949-era noir B movies you will love this one. It has everything that makes that style appealing: good lines, slightly overdrawn characters, simple morals, interesting exterior photography, etc. What a find!
Rating:
Summary: "She ain't the type that makes a happy home."
Review: In "Gun Crazy" Bart Tare (John Dall) is raised by his big sister Ruby, and she blames his very early obsession with guns on the fact that "Bart needed a man around the house." But whatever the reason behind Bart's obsession, the fact is that he feels the need to always have a gun in his possession. After stealing some guns from a local shop, Bart is sent off to reform school. Following a stint in the army, Bart returns home. Both of his childhood friends are settled in solid careers--one is a policeman, and the other is a newspaper reporter. Bart's plans are vague. He's now a marksman and has vague plans of getting a job with Remington. One night, Bart's friends drag him off to a carnival, and there Bart meets a British carnival sharpshooter, Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins). Laurie's baby-face sweet looks cover a heartless killer whose desire for money exceeds all else. The chemistry between Bart and Laurie is immediate. Unfortunately, Laurie wants to live the high life, and so they embark on a life of crime. For film noir fans, this is a must-see classic. Peggy Cummins is great as the evil Laurie Starr whose overpowering need for wealth and riches (without working for it) pushes weak-willed Bart into an action-packed life of crime. Of course, things spiral into an inevitable conclusion, but the ending, in spite of its predictability, remains riveting. The film is also known as "Deadly is the Female"-displacedhuman.
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