This Gun For Hire [1942] Part 1/9

[gallantrycross]

Possibly the best film noir movie ever made.

[opencurtin]

@gallantrycross My favourite is "Out of the past" with Bob Mitchum .

[peekaboots01]

That bitch! How could she be so mean to a kitten?! Bitch!

[mvies77]

1 If anyone ever knocked my kitten out of a window they would have much more than a blouse torn!

2 No, this is not the best acted psycho villain, James Cagney in White Heat beats them all.

3 Veronica Lake matched Ladd in height only. She could not act. If she ever showed any expression in her face, it would crack.

4 Very few books transfer to screen, either on purpose or creatively.

[miltsar]

@mvies77 You're right bout Veronica Lake in this film. She is woooden.but she is really very good in I Married Witch and Sullivans Travels. Agree with you about the kitten !

[mvies77]

@miltsar I have read several comments mentioning I Married A Witch. I will watch it, although since I made the comment about Lake I have seen her in some more movies. She is an enigma. In some she is as you say, wooden. In others she is actually charming. It is usually one or the other. Really good or awful, but I'll watch witch. thanks.

[cleopatrabonz]

@mvies77 Actually Lake was 5'1" Alan was 5'5" so he had her by 4"...They were also good in "the Glass Key" and "The Blue Dahlia...which is shown on here also..I think Veronica was a decent actress she was better with him than Gail Russell in Calcutta...

[mvies77]

@cleopatrabonz Agree about Calcutta. As to saying they matched, the more correct word was fit. Their sizes complemented each other. I have seen pretty much every movie Alan Ladd made and all of the ones he did with Veronica. I have also seen several more Lake movies and I still feel the same. She is still an enigma to me. Great in some, not so great in others. Really miss them both though. Wish there had been many more movies.

[stefan103]

Very underrated actor. Outside of Cagney, this is the best noir psycho. Not outdated either.

[scotnick59]

one of finest B noirs EVER!

[IETCHX69]

Just watched the movie. Great quality. Great movie. Greatfully yours.!!

[aggressioncity]

why are old movies from the 40s so relaxing?

[gallantrycross]

Alan Ladd steals the film. This may be the best film noir, anybody know of any better noir film? By the way, I think they copied the opening scene of him laying in bed for the opening scene of John Garfield's last film "He Ran All The Way", which I consider Garfield's best performance, though I like his "Postman Always Rings Twice" better (well, duh, it had Lana Turner). There's a few scenes with Veronica in "Gun For Hire" that were too schmaltzy.

[elchoya100]

ladds best perfomance till shane 11 years later i think in the book raven had a harelip in the film its a broken wrist .hes kind to kids and kittens doesnt kill the little girl because shes crippled not blind as one reviewer said he probably didnt see the film.lifted ladd from 10 years of bit parts to a star overnight

[cleopatrabonz]

He was hot no matter how short he is..he can smile and make you think all is ok and then he lowers the hammer down

[boldingjohn]

Is the fatguy, mr gates, is he Laird Trigar?! I think so!

[billbadford]

The best performance by Ladd that I have seen. He is quite a convincing psycho.

[primepm]

wait, a paramount picture brought to us by universal?

joking aside, I love this movie; saw it in film noir class

[TatarInExile]

Ladd's role is one of the most memorable bad guys in all of filmdom

Jeez! He was a murdering punk, and I was rooting for him !!

[MisterMasterShafter]

A great movie. Ladd's breakout part.

[djcharliejunk]

SIMPLY A WONDERFUL MASTERPIECE.

[macemcguire]

Though it says introducing Alan Ladd he actually had been making movies for at least 5 years. He'sone of the reporters in Citizen Kane. Easy to see why he becamea big star after this.Incidentally notice they don't try to hide how short he is here.

[Fania54]

The butcher from Andy of Mayberry.

[mszoe3000]

opening sound track very dynamic

[McNugget06]

Can anyone say Le Samourai?

[cjlowe1970]

@McNugget06 this was way before Le Samourai

[McNugget06]

@cjlowe1970 Well obviously, I'm pointing out Le Samourai's inspiration.

[cjlowe1970]

@McNugget06 clearly

[McNugget06]

@cjlowe1970 If you're mocking me, fuck you. If you're not, than I'll see you in the next life.

[cjlowe1970]

@McNugget06 sensitive little fellow aren't you? 

[McNugget06]

@cjlowe1970 Douchitive little fellow aren't you?

[cjlowe1970]

@McNugget06 lol

[robertlaberge]

Classic film noir.

Thanks!

[glamorgangirl]

wonderful video, outstanding, thumbs up big time, ann .✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

[Grifiki]

"I watch this movie, Because the last one was determined to start, at part two."

[ufoveronicalake]

why bitch-slap the cleaning girl?...(yes he loves the kitten) but she could" drop a dime "on him to the police...(10 centsilver dime public payphone)...

[notAbba]

The simple answer is no decent man slaps a woman. Obvioulsy there are none in Hollywood. When the lead character is an acts like a pimp, the movie is worthless.

[cjlowe1970]

@notAbba unless she is trying to steal your horse....everyone knows that.

[ebaum1saik]

@ufoveronicalake

You do realize criminals are human beings therefore are not perfectly logical creatures, right? People do irrational things in the moment. Hired killers who have an obsession with cats I would guess are even more irrational. Who knows? The director is also trying to make the audience dislike him. Slapping a woman for no logical reason usually elicits such a dislike.

[ufoveronicalake]

I was born in 1965 ...i have to search engine the 1940s slang for some lingo..."a finger-man..." (to point someone out...to identify simeone to the police...) yes its noir flavor and part of the fun...but its like a code...

[JubalCalif]

Ah, the movie that made Alan Ladd a star! THANKS for sharing! Ladd was an unlikely leading man...being so short. By being unfit for the military he was able to fill the WWII male star shortage. Being a diving champion, he was in great shape when he started at Paramount. And what a great voice...he was also active in radio, as you'd expect. He & Veronica Lake really made the silver screen burn...what chemistry...her being even shorter than him helped! Laird Cregar is xlnt too, as always!

[000266617]

The villians name here is Bill Gates? Ahead of its time.

[aitch3]

I love Laird Cregar in everything he is in. 

did not know that about Veronica Lake. I have read she was at least OK to work with.

[TheJerseybull]

in the book the alan ladd character had a speech impediment for the movie it was changed to the broken wrist that wasn't set correctly.marc lawrence was the last cast member to pass away in 2005.rare to see frank fergueson play a villian.laird cregar was a young man when he passed,only 28,result of see-saw dieting.he was terrific in 'i wake up screaming',1941 with victor mature,betty grable,remade in '53 with richard boone in cregars role.look for yvonne de carlo as a dancer,yes lilly munster!!

[wrght9185]

Any killer who slaps mouthy dames & feeds cats is OK with me.

[000266617]

"Hit man Philip Raven, who's kind to children "

Not exactly. He is getting ready to shoot the little girl, and the only reason he doesn't is because she is blind and can't identify him. (She couldn't see the ball she dropped)

[aitch3]

I don't this so.

[000266617]

At around 7:22, he puts up the case containing the gun as he has this look on his face at the girl. Looks like he is getting ready or seriously considering shooting her.

[aitch3]

I saw him put his gun in his pocket after the killing upstairs. I saw the briefcase thing too. Any way it was brutal enough to kill the "secratary" of the blackmailer. It was unnecessary so he is definitely painted as a heartless guy. but because he was physically abused as a child, and she has braces from polio--I don't think he was quite that bad. Maybe he was in the book.

[000266617]

Could have him say "my that is a tasty cookie" like Jules in "Pulp Fiction" as from "This Gun For Hire" is where they get the eating before killing thing as he enjoys the cookies and killing doesn't bother his appetite.

[aitch3]

I don't think so---- is what that should read.

[oysterjoe]

Night club owner, Laird Cregar, plays a somewhat sympathetic Jack the Ripper in "The Lodger". A fine film.

Veronica Lake, born in Brooklyn, was so difficult to work with she became known as Moronica Lake.

[dolceflats]

the cat is fcking cute :D

[msinarath]

Finally, I get to watch this movie! I've been wanting to see this for the longest time!

[tegrimm]

Wow I just realised in the opening credits that this must have been Alan Ladd's debut? Guess I need to read the credits better..lol

[tegrimm]

You are outdoing yourself with these great films!