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This Gun for Hire | Year: 1942 Classification: Drama Directed: - Frank Tuttle Actors/Actresses: - Veronica Lake - Alan Ladd A Tortured Soul Finds Peace This was the first time Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were in the same film together, and when box office receipts exploded because of the gritty and tortured performance of Ladd as the killer Raven, Paramont knew it had a star. The chemistry of Ladd and Lake together was electric also, and Paramont also knew it had a couple. Ladd might not have gotten her in this one, but they ended up together in the other three films they would make and everyone loved it. This was a dark and star making performance from Ladd. From the very first scene, as Raven stops on the stairs, gun in hand, to pause and decide if he should shoot the little girl who has seen him, he was a star. Raven has been double crossed by "Neptune Club" owner Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) and is out to settle the score. Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake) has a nightclub act and a cop boyfriend played by Robert Preston. The government wants Ellen to help get the goods on Alvin Brewster (Tully Marshall) who runs a chemical company that has sold poisonous gas to the Japanese and also happens to be Gates's boss, the man pulling all the strings. But when Ellen senses the pain inside Raven and becomes his only friend, other than cats, we know the bad guys don't have a chance. Doom follows Phillip Raven also though, his horrific chidhood slowly revealed to Ellen, his willing captive. She begins to reach Raven and make him human once more, maybe human enough to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and put his personal demons to rest. It was a teriffic turn from Ladd and one of his most memorable roles. It's a good movie made great by Ladd's performance. It was also the beginning of screen magic for he and Lake. You have to see this movie if you like crime noir and/or you like Ladd and Lake, and how could you not? They were lightening in a bottle and the cork is blown completely off here.... A nice, slick bit of 40s movie-making This Gun for Hire was based on the Graham Greene novel A Gun for Sale and was considerably toned down and glammed up for the early 40s movie going public. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I found this movie rather enjoyable, it is easy to see why Ladd and Lake were made into a screen team. They are supported by Laird Cregar as a plotting spy with no stomach for violence and Robert Preston as Veronica Lake's cop boyfriend. Alan Ladd steals the show as Raven, a killer for hire who really only likes cats. (as a cat lover, I was automatically more sympathetic to him) Cregar's Gates betrayed him to the cops and now he wants revenge. Raven and Lake's Ellen, a nightclub magician, cross paths throughout the movie and she begins to strip down his tough guy veneer to reveal an abused childhood. Armed with her brains and a considerable amount of flag waving, Ellen tries to persuade Raven to give up his vengeance and uncover an Axis plot. Ladd, Lake and Cregar are all marvelous but the usually wonderful Preston (best known for his smooth con-man in Music Man) isn't given much to work with and his cop character feels flat especially next to Raven. This movie is really a must-see for any fan of 40's films and even with its flaws (I also found the final image to be annoying and totally against Lake's independant character), it is still a pleasant way to pass an evening. Over-rated....Lake and Ladd make up for a tired scenario This is the movie that made Alan Ladd a star, and his teaming here with Veronica Lake caused quite a stir back in 1942. Sadly, THIS GUN FOR HIRE is really second-rate noir, a tired melodrama that really doesn't hold up, especially for repeat viewings. Universal's DVD looks very similar to the old Image laserdisc release from a few years back. Not really any improvement There's a lot of film-noir available on DVD, but this one doesn't live up to the hype. Skip it. Buy This Gun For Hire at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on This Gun For Hire Search with the Priority Search Engine on This Gun For Hire This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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