Customer Reviews

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang [VHS]

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"I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is one of the most respected Depression-era "social conscience" pictures. The story was adapted from Robert Burns' autobiography "I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang", and Burns was an advisor on the film even though he was a wanted man at the time it was made. The film was released to great popular success less than a year after Burns' book was published. The story is essentially true, although some details have been changed. The real Robert Burns was perhaps a little less a victim than his character, James Allen, in the movie, and he was a magazine editor, not an engineer. Allen is a man who is consistently wronged in spite of trying to do right, and Depression-era audiences identified with his victimhood. Robert Burns was a crusader against the inhumanities of chain gangs, on which he was twice forced to serve. Instead of confining its themes to one cause, filmmakers made "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" into a platform for a host of social issues of the time, including unemployment, veterans' rights, the penal system, and the criminal justice system. Although most of the events of the film take place in the 1920s, the economic circumstances depicted in the film have been altered to reflect the hardships of the 1930s, when the film was made.

James Allen (Paul Muni) is a World War I veteran returning home with high hopes of putting the engineering skills he learned in the Army to civilian use. He takes a factory job, but is reluctant to replace the routine of the military with that of the factory. So he travels the country in search of construction work but has trouble making ends meet. One evening, he accompanies an acquaintance to a lunch wagon for a hamburger. His friend tries to rob the proprietor, and James is sentenced to 10 years hard labor on a chain gang as his accomplice. On the chain gang. prisoners are beaten, starved, and sleep deprived, and James makes a successful escape. He ends up in Chicago, where his landlady, Marie (Glenda Farrell), blackmails him into marrying her with threats of exposure. But James works his way up from a laborer on a bridge project all the way to engineer and becomes a honored and affluent citizen of the city. When he threatens the free-spending and philandering Marie with divorce, she exposes James to the police. And things begin to repeat themselves.

The social agenda of "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is heavy-handed, but there is no denying the film's impact on audiences in 1932. And this film isn't nearly as political as some of the New Deal movies that would follow later in the decade, as it was made during the Hoover administration. It's just a very good example of "social conscience" filmmaking of the 1930s, made all the more interesting because the story is essentially true. Paul Muni gives a sympathetic performance as a bright, hardworking man who is trying to build America into a better nation as America keeps tearing him down. I have to mention Edward Ellis, a wonderful character actor of the 1930s who is memorable here as James' friend on the chain gang, Bomber. "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" was critically acclaimed, popular, and timely in the 1930s. It's also a very good film that fans of 1930s cinema won't want to miss.

The DVD ( Warner Brothers 2005 release): This is a good print of the film, but it does not appear to be a restored print. There is an occasional white speck on the image, but picture and sound quality are basically good. Bonus features include a short film, a theatrical trailer, and an audio commentary. The short film is "20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang" (20 minutes), which is a comedic spoof of "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang". A zany group of convicts escape the chain gang only to try to return because the conditions have become luxurious in preparation for a review by the Governor's Committee. The audio commentary is by USC film professor Richard B. Jewell. Jewell talks about the actors, making the film, the film's reception, and compares the life of the real Robert Burns to his fictional counterpart in the film. This is an informative, generally well-organized commentary that I recommend if you enjoyed the film. Subtitles of the film are available in English, French, and Spanish.

I considered Paul Muni amazing in Scarface (and consider that one of the best gangster films ever), but he knocked me on my ... with this performance. I was mesmorized from his speech to his father at the dinner table--explaining his dreams and desires, his frustrations at his mundane life. It's an absolutely incredible film. I'm not sure what I expected, I knew it was a film that was often banned for it's less than glowing portrayal of the chain gang system and especially the unfair justice system.
The Cinematography was especially compelling, it was so incredible to look it that I could care less if they reused the chain gang sets and guards. I loved the passage of time, with the calenders falling away to the beat of sledgehammers. And the final shot elevated the film to an even higher plane of achievment. Extremely gutsy to end the film on the line it ends on as Paul Muni backs into shadow, beautifully done, a perfect ending.

Watching I AM A FUGITIVE is an experience. The viewer can't help but get caught up in the ongoing saga of James Allen, a World War I vet who is sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Because it was made so long ago, in 1932, you would think that it's age would hurt the film. But in this case, it is just the opposite. Watching this movie is like going back into time and we can almost feel the suffering of James Allen (Paul Muni) as he endures the horrors of a Georgia chain gang. This film has some historical significance as well, for after its release there was a public outcry against the chain gang prison system which was mostly prevelant in the South. As a result, chain gangs soon disappeared. I AM A FUGITIVE hits the viewer with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It stunned the audiences of the 30s with its brutal portrayal of living conditions in Georgia prisons (mild by today's cinema standards). And although Muni's acting gets a bit hammy at times, his portrayal of Allen is a great achievement. And the ending! Besides the emotional punch it delivers, I AM A FUGITIVE is full of truths. And after 65 years, those truths may be even more relevant today than when the film was made. Don't miss it!

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. Great to have it on DVD, too!

Good movies tend to make bad history and I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, a great movie, is no exception.
I AM A FUGITIVE is the story of James Allen, a character closely modeled on the real individual named Robert Burns, who, along with two other men, in 1922 robbed an Atlanta grocer of $5.80 Burns was tried, convicted, and sentenced to serve six to ten years of hard labor on a Georgia chain gang. After only a couple of months into his sentence Burns escaped and fled to Chicago, where he found a good measure of success. Burns married into some money and, within a few years, was a respected and somewhat influential member of society. During this time Burns founded and edited the real estate trade magazine, Greater Chicago Magazine.
Then, fate decreed, his life was to change again. Burns fell in love with another woman and asked his wife for a divorce. At this point his wife, who had some knowledge of Burns' troubled past, reported him to authorities. Georgia sued for extradition and, after some negotiations which, according to Burns, included a promise of an early parole, Burns returned to Georgia and her notorious chain gang in July, 1929. Slowly realizing that an early release was unlikely, 14 months into his internment Burns escaped the chain gang for a second time. Fugitive Burns sold his story to True Detective magazine, where it ran as a serial and was soon published as a book, a best-seller, entitled I am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang.
The movie is based on Burns' best-selling book, although in the movie Burns is named James Allen and he's a decorated vet with dreams of becoming an engineer. At every turn the character is buffed, burnished, and elevated by the filmmakers. The guy can't do no wrong in the movie. The real life Burns, after his first escape, apparently married into some wealth. The movie's James Allen is a self-made man saddled with a shrewish wife. No big deal, but the movie pounds into us the notion that Allen is a darn good egg, a self made man fighting the odds who had some of the awfulest breaks you could imagine.
The accomplished actor Paul Muni throws his heart and soul into the role of James Allen and, in so doing, pretty much seals the deal. The righteous purity of Allen's character isn't the main issue anyway. The chain gang system defined cruel and unusual punishment and director Mervyn LeRoy captures its dehumanizing brutality with astonishing force. Given the censorship practices of the time it's just this side of a miracle that I AM A FUGITIVE retains such power. Film historian Richard Jewell, in some detail, discusses the problems posed by a stricter code for a movie of this type. He also goes into quite a bit of detail about the real life character the movie was based on. If you like background histories of stars and stories above film deconstruction you'll love Jewell's informative commentary.
The print is in good shape and the ending is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful in film history. Mervyn LeRoy is usually described as a competent, but something of a journeyman, director. Although he's somewhat dismissed because of his lack of a distinctive auteur style, he had a heck of a lot of great movies to his credit. I'm a sucker for strong endings, and I AM A FUGITIVE and another LeRoy movie, LITTLE CAESAR, have terrific closing scenes.
Also included on the dvd is the 20-minute Vitaphone musical-comedy short "20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang." It's very goofy, with miniature French poodles acting as bloodhounds and the inmates barracks infested with lace doilies, tuxedoed inmates, and scantily clad chorus girls. Highlights include the unforgettable The Sing-Sing Serenade.

You will never see a more powerful film in American cinema than "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang." Nor will you find a more effective performance than Paul Muni's as James Allen. Mervin Leroy was given a chance to direct by WB Vitaphone and proved himself more than capable. This film is as fresh and powerful today as it was in 1932, thanks in part to the pre-Hay's office frankness of its subject matter. It is a film about the role destiny and fate play in our lives. You will never look at the life you have in the same way after seeing this film.

James Allen, returns from WWI a changed man. Working as an engineer in the military has given him dreams for something more than his brother expects from him. Only his mother understands and gives him her blessing to go out into the world and find himself. So he sets off to work in construction to build, traveling all across the country from job to job.

Times are lean in the depression and when Preston Foster offers to mooch a hamburger for him he can not refuse. But Foster pulls a gun and forces Allen to help him rob the diner. He is killed during the robbery by the police and Allen is unjustly sentenced to 10 years in the chain gangs of the deep south. The brutality and demoralization of the human spirit is more than he can bear and with a little help from his friend (nicely played by Edward Ellis) he plans a successful escape. He manages to avoid the police and changes his name to Allen James.

In her brief screen time, Noel Francis as Linda, a speakeasy girl, gives a touching performance, offering a little humanity and love back to James. He seems to have a fresh start and slowly works his way up in construction to become a prominent and respected member of the community, helping Chicago become a great city.

But fate forms a dark cloud once more in the form of Marie (Glenda Farrel), a self absorbed girl who blackmails him into marriage when she accidently learns his secret. Her hard drinking and free-spending lifestyle and her free loving ways are only made bearable when he meets the wonderful Helen, played nicely by the lovely Helen Vinson. In Helen, he finds the love that has been missing in his life and asks for a divorce so they can be together. He calls Marie's bluff only to find it was not a bluff.

His prominence in the community keeps him from jail for a time and he lashes out publicly against the brutality of the chain gangs of the deep south. This film changed public opinion about the chain gangs and was the impetus for its demise in the deep south.

James finally strikes a deal where he will return for 90 days and then receive a pardon. He accepts so he and Helen can live free from the cloud that has been hanging over him. But the state reneges on its deal and offers one year as a model prisoner before his release.

He has no choice but to accept and it is a quietly powerful scene when that deal also is taken away after the year is up and it breaks Allen's spirit. He plans another escape from the chain gang and is once more successful, but his friend is killed this time. Allen's last stint in the chain gang has changed him, however, and he must now live a life on the run, barren of love and devoid of humanity.

Robert E. Burns wrote this powerful story and Paul Muni gives an unforgettable performance. The final scene is as powerful as any you will ever see, as he hunts down his beloved Helen just to see her one last time and say goodbye. Her desperate words as they embrace embody this entire film: "It was all going to be so different." As Allen backs away into the darkness and she asks him how he survives, you will never forget Muni's heartbreaking response.

Don't be turned off by this film, thinking it is just a prison movie from the past. It is about fate and destiny, and our own humanity. You will not see anything else like it in American cinema. A Must Own.

I'd avoided this film for decades, since I was generally unimpressed with Muni's stuffy biopic films--George Arliss he ain't. But Muni absolutely delivers the goods in CHAIN GANG, forcing me to re-view and possibly reassess his other film efforts. This movie is HBO quality, without the gratuitous profanity.

A word about the ending. Late in life, Mervin LeRoy fessed up that the blackout BEFORE delivery of the last line was a fluke. Previous scripts ended the movie with James Allen graphically depicted as a fugitive beast desperately escaping over a state border...as well as implied borders of societal humanity. But, in rehearsal, klieg lights blew a fuse just before the final line was delivered, and the impact of this accident made the intended coda superfluous.

Also note that the real-life subject of this story, Robert E. Burns, was still a fugitive when he served as technical advisor on the film. When the movie proved to be a tremendous success, he made public appearances on its behalf before being captured again by the authorities. He did receive a pardon this time, thanks in no small part to the riveting content of CHAIN GANG.

I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang is similar to the later film Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman except it is shorter and more interesting. It revolves around a man named James Allan (Paul Muni), a solider from WWI who comes out wanting more out of life than just working in a factory. He sets out to find work in engineering, a skill he gained from the military. He finds work, but it is sporadic and soon he finds himself stealing rides on trains to get to the next town. As a bum, he meets a guy (Preston Foster) who gets him involved in a small robbery at a diner, guaranteeing him a spot in a chain gang. In the gang, everyone is treated badly, and when Allan has enough, he finds a way to escape. He is more successful than one might think and finds himself rising in the engineering field under the name Allan James. In order to save himself from the chain gang, he marries a blackmailing cheat named Marie (Glenda Farrell). However, he soon finds himself caught again.

Paul Muni is excellent in this film. He uses his haunted, attractive eyes quite well to his advantage; he never loses the look of youth in his eyes despite all the hardships his character endures. Muni is especially good in his emotional scenes, being sure never to overact.

Glenda Farrell is good in her part. Her face looks like the face of a woman who used to be beautiful but who has deteriorated like her soul over time.

This DVD includes a commentary over the film, a theatrical trailer, and a short called 2000 Cheers For the Chain Gang, a comical musical short about a chain gang. In it, several men escape and are chased by tiny yapping dogs who push them into a group of teenagers singing about soda on a picnic.

I always find a viewing of "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" a soul wrenching experience and it never fails to leave me stunned and slightly uneasy that man could be so incredibly cruel to their fellow man.

The film without a doubt is one of the most significant and brutally honest depictions of life on the chain gangs of the 1920's and 1930's. I'm glad the film was made by Warner Bros in the early thirties bacause not only was the topic still fresh but Warners were expert at portraying gritty and emotional situations with all the surface verneer stripped off. Indeed "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" never glamourises the story of one man wrongly convited of a crime he didn't commit and who finds himself sentenced to the living hell of life in one of America's notorious chain gangs. Not only the lack of justice offered is explored but also the almost unspeakable brutality that all the prisoners are subjected to. The film never flinches from displaying the soul destroying and totally degrading de- personalisation that the men go through in the course of their backbreaking work on the mountains and highways they are clearing.

Paul Muni is nothing short of brilliant in the lead role of James Allen the man wrongly accused on a petty crime who experiences the unendurable nightmare of life on the gangs and who seeks to escape, seeing any existence as better than that he is living. Rarely has Muni been more suited to a role and his progression from naive innocent to a hardened member of the chain gang is both compelling and brilliantly portrayed. Muni had a way of actually getting under the skin of most of the characters that he played and here he expertly conveys the anguish of a man wrongly accused who seeks proper justice only to find that system betray him and sentence him to a second term on the gangs.

There are so many memorable and thought provoking moments in "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang". Notable scenes include the muster first thing in the morning of all the prisoners, the miserable rotten food they are forced to eat, the back breaking work that they perform day in day out, the ongoing cruelty by the guards towards the men, and the scenes during Muni's illfated attempts to escape and make a new life for himself.

So many other performers also shine in this production as well. Notable among them are Glanda Farrell as Marie who plays the conniving wife of Muni who eventually betrays him to the authorities after he has built a new life for himself. Hers is a vicious and despicable performance and indeed was one of the best Farrell ever did. Allen Jenkins also shines in the role of Muni's elderly pal on the chain gang Barney, a character that has seen it all and has basically resigned himself to a life time of suffering. His performance is tragic yet brutally honest at the same time and his eventual death is a heart wrenching experience to witness on screen.

As stated previously the movie has a harsh and gritty look and feel to it. Any sentiment is stripped to the bone and the production benefits greatly from the terrific on location photography that was employed, in particular in the scenes of the chain gangs working on the highways and on sides of mountains. It gives the film a dull and honest feel, as though we were almost there with the men. Theawe inspiring scope of the story really fills the viewer with a feeling of the awesome sense of hopelessness that these unfortunate men must have experienced.

I often wonder if such a confronting film as this released at the time it was did any good in getting the running of these gangs reviewed. One would certainly hope so as it shows quite clearly that it only brulaised men and didn't help to reform them and send them back to society as useful citizens.

I cannot recommend "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" highly enough. It is a splendid motion picture that really makes you think and stuns with its superb central performance by Paul Muni. It is one of the very best social justice films of the 1930's or of any decade for that matter.For Paul Muni's work alone in this film, of which he is the heart and soul, it is worth having in your film collection and it deserves multiple viewings.

based on a true story, this movie recounts the tale of a man who escapes from the chain gang, goes on to a prosperous life only to see it all collapse around him when his past is revealed. paul muni, who had just become a star in "scarface" turns in one of the great screen performances, leading up to possibly the most shattering fade-out ever filmed (and if you dont know what it is, go rent the movie, because 70+ years later, it still shocks!)