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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Sigmund Freud would have a
field day with Bart Tare (John Dall), the gun
crazy marksman who just can't live without always
having a firearm in his possession. Feeling more
than a little inadequate, shall we say, Bart soon
teams up with Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) a woman
he meets at a carnival for whom the moniker --
girls gone wild -- must have been invented.
Basically, Laurie's pure poison, a sugar coated
heartless killer consumed by her obsession to be
rich. Naturally, the chemistry between these two
ne'er-do-wells is immediate and deadly: Laurie's
high life fueling both their rabid passions for
each other and a life of crime.
In "Gun Crazy" Bart is a pre-teen reprobate who,
after a stint in reform school and the army,
returns home without much concern or interest in
anything other than a life of crime. It isn't that
Bart goes looking for trouble -- only that the
excitement of getting into some is very
compelling. The film is one of those cautionary
tales that attempts to chart what happens to
individuals to whom life does not follow the
straight and narrow trajectory.
"Gun Crazy" is a superb example of the must-see,
raw B-flick. It sparkles with sordid raunchy
performances that, quite frankly, are refreshing
in light of the usual antiseptic film output one
has come to expect from "the golden age" of
Hollywood.
In keeping with Warner's current trend to not
really do all that is required to completely
remaster classic movies for DVD, this film is just
average. The gray scale is nicely balanced with
deep solid blacks but the whites are not very
clean. There's a considerable amount of film grain
and a lot of age related artifacts for a visual
presentation that, while a considerable
improvement over previously issued VHS tapes, is
still below par for what might have been if more
digital wizardry had been applied. The audio is
mono but nicely balanced. The more intent listener
will notice slight pops and some hiss but nothing
that will distract. There's a fairly interesting
audio commentary by Glenn Erickson that will most
surely enhance your appreciation for this film.
All in all, a good disc to add to your library of
classic cinema. |
