I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Robert E. Burns (by)
Howard J. Green (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 November 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Chain Gang | Hamburger | Tradesman | Character's Journey Shown On Map | Reverend

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins

Cast

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	...	Ramsey
Robert Warwick	...	Fuller
William Le Maire	...	A Texan (as William LeMaire)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erville Alderson	...	Police Chief (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Bill (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	Parker (uncredited)
James Bell	...	Red (uncredited)
Everett Brown	...	Sebastian T. Yale (uncredited)
Frederick Burton	...	Southern Prison Official (uncredited)
A.S. 'Pop' Byron	...	Cop in Barbershop (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Job Foreman (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Chicago Lawyer (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Wilson (uncredited)
George Cooper	...	Vaudevillian (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Douglass Dumbrille	...	District Attorney (uncredited)
J. Frank Glendon	...	Arresting Officer (uncredited)
Lew Kelly	...	Diner Cook (uncredited)
Jack La Rue	...	Ackerman (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Chamber of Commerce Chairman (uncredited)
Walter Long	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Jack Low	...	Big Prisoner (uncredited)
John Marston	...	Prison Commissioner (uncredited)
Charles McAvoy	...	Cop (uncredited)
Edward McNamara	...	2nd Warden (uncredited)
Charles Middleton	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Café Chateau Dancer (uncredited)
William Pawley	...	Doggy (uncredited)
Charles Sellon	...	Hot-Dog Stand Owner (uncredited)
Allen D. Sewall	...	Train Station Guard (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Arresting Officer (uncredited)
William H. Strauss	...	Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Sheila Terry	...	Allen's Secretary (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones	...	Marine on Ship (uncredited)
Jack Wise	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Harry Woods	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
John Wray	...	Nordine (uncredited)

Directed by
Mervyn LeRoy

Writing credits
Robert E. Burns		(by)
Howard J. Green		(screen play) &
Brown Holmes		(screen play)
Sheridan Gibney		screen play (uncredited)

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(photography)

Film Editing by
William Holmes		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Jack Okey

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Alleborn	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra
Bernhard Kaun	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)

Other crew
S.H. Sullivan	....	technical director
Robert E. Burns	....	consultant (uncredited)
S. Charles Einfeld	....	general press agent (uncredited)
Jack Miller	....	technical director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (A Warner Bros.-Vitaphone Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1932) (USA) (theatrical) (present) (as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (1932) (USA) (theatrical) (present)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Bros First National (1933) (France) (theatrical)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cheney Brothers  silks by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (original release)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1933) | USA:Approved (certificate number not assigned at release) | Australia:PG | Norway:16 (1933) | Finland:K-16 (1946) | Sweden:15 (cut) | USA:Approved (re-release: PCA #2647-R, 3 September 1936) | Argentina:13 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The final fade came as an accident. Director Mervyn LeRoy had planned to go to a blackout after the final line. During rehearsals, a light blew, taking the fuse with it. The resultant slow fade, starting just before the final line, was so powerful that Leroy decided to shoot the film exactly that way.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After James Allen's second escape from the chain gang, the last newspaper article shown states that he escaped "A little more than a year ago...". In the (final) scene that follows, Helen says to him, "It's been almost a year since you escaped."

Quotes:

James Allen:Do you mind if we stay here awhile, or must you go home?
Helen:There are no musts in my life. I'm free, white and twenty-one.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brother Can You Spare a Dime (1975)

Soundtrack:

Working All the Live-Long Day

More Facts For Fans Of This Film

Since the movie ends somewhat abruptly, I was interested in what happened to this character in real life, so I did some research. For those interested, read on:

The man, whose real name was Burns, lived quite awhile in New Jersey, wrote the book with this same title, even smuggled himself into Los Angeles for two weeks to help with the movie, using an assumed name and acting very skittish. He then went back to New Jersey. The state of Georgia, home of these chain gangs, tried to extradite him but New Jersey wouldn't give him up.

Regarding the film........

"Powerful" was a word describing this movie when it came out over 70 years ago, and it still holds true today. It was based on a true story and if injustice bothers you, this film will be disturbing. It certainly was to me, at least the first time I saw it.

I've seen it several times and am always mesmerized by Paul Muni's performance. Just the expressions on his face alone are fascinating. The other members of the cast are so-so, but it's Muni's movie anyway.