The Gun (1974 TV Movie) User Reviews

Some might find it preachy and anti-gun....so be forewarned.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 March 2017]

I own a few guns, so you would think I might not be a fan of "The Gun" because it has a message that seems to be anti-gun. Michael Karol in "The ABC Movie of the Week Companion" said that "the NRA wouldn't like this movie"...well, maybe. I took the message to be NOT guns are evil but stupid people should never, ever own a gun...and the many folks who come to possess this gun are a real smorgasbord of stupidity!! First, you have people who buy a gun but aren't trained and are afraid of it. Selling it back to a store wasn't a bad idea...but then the gun is illegally sold to a maniac and the gun gets passes on and on...even in one case a total idiot throws it and the bullets into a dumpster to get rid of it!!! Crazy.

I didn't find the film unfair or preachy and it was well acted and constructed. Plus, several times people COULD have been killed but time and time again something intervened..at least in most cases. Fair and worth seeing....just understand if you get easily offended by things that seem anti-gun OR you want the film to be very clear and intense in its condemning of guns, you will be sorely disappointed.

Effective storytelling; stark yet brutally honest

[MartianOctocretr5 · 7/10 · 24 April 2010]

This was one of the many made-for-TV movies that was startling effective, in spite of limited budget and short production time. It gets its point across only too well, with expert direction by John Badham. He utilizes a number of odd point-of-view shots, and a cast of mostly unknown actors to provide the human interest essential to this story. The story's construction is a series of vignettes related by only one thread, the presence of the same gun in each case.

The main character is not a person, but as titled, a gun. It passes from hand to hand several times, commencing with its initial sale. As it changes hands in a variety of ways, each new possessor has a different agenda. The weapon itself is utilized in a variety of ways, often in manners that bring about woeful circumstances. The final tragic outcome of the last handler of the gun is rendered in a frightful image, which will stick with you long after seeing the movie. The commentary is clear and effective. A fine movie.

Possible inspiration for opening sequence in Lord of War

[darklybrite · 8/10 · 17 September 2005]

I recall seeing this made-for-TV movie around 1974 when it was released and being very impressed by the cold, docudrama approach used. From what I remember, it is a powerful statement against the over-prevalence of gun use, without being preachy. From what I have read in reviews so far of the just-released Nicholas Cage film, Lord of War, the opening sequence of the Cage movie (which visually traces the history of a bullet from manufacture in the U.S. to its use executing a person in Africa) seems to have been inspired by the story technique used in The Gun from beginning to end. It's sometimes a little surprising what certain directors did earlier in their careers. I would not have associated John Badham with this movie.

well done, and ahead of it's time

[JSouth1 · 8 November 2002]

"contains possible SPOILERS"

This movie is about the various hands through a .38 caliber revolver passes,and the events that occur for each of it's owners.The gun is first purchased by a man for home protection. But his wife does not feel safe with the gun in the house. So the man gives the weapon away, to a security guard at his job. From here, the gun is sold to a pawn shop, from which it illegaly purchased by a man who does not want to waste time on a background check or a 5-day waiting period.(This was in 1974. most people think waiting periods and background checks are new things,but they are not.)The man takes the gun from the pawn shop, and uses it to terrorize people at his job,from which he has just been dismissed.When the police show up, the man tosses the weapon in a nearby car to get rid of it. The revolver is then found by a carwash attendent. From here, the weapon travels through several innocent hands,before ending up being used during a robbery.The robbery goes bad,and the gun winds up in a police impound room,where it is scheduled for shredding,along with hundereds of other weapons seized during acts of crime. Up to this point,THE WEAPON HAS NEVER BEEN FIRED.The weapons are taken to a scrapyard, where they are loaded onto a car on a conveyor belt feeding into a shredder. All of the weapons are destroyed, EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE .38 SPECIAL!.The gun passes through the shredder unharmed, and is picked up by a scrap loader. The worker takes the gun home ,and it stays at his home,until one day ,his curious young son finds it.needless to say the final moment, DURING WHICH THE GUN IS FINALLY FIRED ,IS QUITE SHOCKING.

With it's gun safety overtones, this movie is ahead of its time. The issue of kids and guns, and ownership of firearms by unstable people,is examined. The movie is a little too intense at times for young children.

I found a copy of this movie on e-bay (i'm not quite sure how, as it is VERY hard to find ,or even see.) I had seen it as a boy about 25 years ago on t,v, but was never able to see it again,until now.If you can find a copy of this i would advise it.

i rate the movie 3 out of 5 stars.

Innovative

[Prof_Lostiswitz · 9/10 · 29 December 2002]

The central character in this movie is a gun; the story deals with the various characters who possess it, and the bad ends they come to. I haven't seen it for almost 30 years, so I can't write a proper review; but it sticks out in my mind as a TV-movie of the better sort, i.e. where the low budget and tight schedule encourage innovation that might not be acceptable on a big-budget movie needing to offer a safe return on its investment.

Other Detail(s) for 'The Gun'

[riverheadestelle · 4/10 · 27 March 2005]

I merely wanted to add that this particular TV movie belongs to the MIA (missing in action) list. It was one of the many early features that was done for the ABC network's 'Movie of the Week' programming segment. I only saw it once, but the central theme stuck in my memory even though I had long forgotten the names and/or faces of the actors who starred in it. I felt the movie made a powerful anti-gun statement without being too preachy or over-the-top. Regardless of how one might feel about the issue of gun control, this television movie was well-done! It's a cliché, but they truly don't make movies like that anymore. Too bad that a lot of these features, especially from the ABC network, have been lost or misplaced.

Good

[dukeb0y · 10/10 · 16 February 2003]

I remember it being a good story of the gun and its owners. Very well done for 1974. The location is California. One guy puts it under the seat of a 69 Charger to get rid of it. I believe it is then stolen and the gun ends up in the hand of a fellow, who thinks it's a good thing, but then gets rid of it. The gun gets passed around here and there, to a gun collection place for scrapping, but again, another person gets it. A business man gets it for protection, and then his kid gets a hold of it.

A really good TV movie, I highly recommend seeing it. You can see it on YouTube, although the quality is poor.

A nice look at California in the 70s.

Props don't get awards outside of set decoration, but props to this one.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 29 July 2022]

The cast really doesn't matter all that much in this episodic drama about the various hands that a gun ends up in, even though there are some nice performances in the various vignettes of this movie of the week. It's the well written script that guides this, taking the viewer through many hands and households, from an older man who purchases the brand new gun legally after a home break-in (getting rid of it because the gun makes his wife uncomfortable) to a disillusioned businessman fired from his job and fantasizing about shooting up the Century City shopping center to illegal salesmen, a petty thief and various others.

My favorite story involved the Mexican American family who are worried about the aging father, grieving over the death of his last friend, disappearing without telling anyone where he's going, and at one point taking the gun with him. The warmth of the younger son determined to help his father while expecting a baby is really touching, with Pepe Serna excellent in that role. Fans of "Welcome Back Kotter" will recognize John Sylvester White as the business owner who reacts to bring robbed in a brave but drastic way. This reminded me of "Tales of Manhattan" (1942) which dealt with a tuxedo jacket in various hands.

Shocked Me

[olderthandirt747 · 20 September 2009]

I saw this on "Movie of the Week" on ABC in the 70,s. The story of a gun that goes through several owners.I was 13 when I saw this film so parts of the film are vague. But I do remember that a man steals it from a pawn shop and stands on a wall and points it a people but does not shoot anyone. It is last used in a robbery that goes wrong for the robber. It is collected by the police and to be scraped with other collected guns from crimes. Then a worker at the scrap site finds it and this is the part of the movie I will never forget.(and it has been 34 years since I saw this film. To anyone that has a unlocked gun and children in the house they should have to watch the last five minutes of this film. There would be a lot of guns returned to the dealer where they were bought.Enough said.

Reminds me a great classic western topic...

[searchanddestroy-1 · 5 September 2010]

I have really no more to add to the other users comments. Except one thing. I am actually astonished that no one has realized that this story is no more than Anthony Mann's masterpiece remake. I am talking about WINCHESTER 73, of course. The tale of a gun - or rifle - odyssey, its story through different persons, and the tragedies it will mean for all of them. A modern remake but so wonderful, so terrific.

I really was surprised by this real gem, and directed by the early film maker John Badham. One of his first pictures. An unusual piece of work, as TV movies often give us. I was stuck to this film, to the unforgettable ending.

Catch it at all cost !!