''The Gun Runners'' is a 1958 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut plots centered o ...

. It's the third adaptation of

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

's 1937 novel '' To Have and Have Not'', and stars

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

. Everett Sloane plays the part of the alcoholic sidekick originally played by

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

in the film's first adaptation, although Sloane's interpretation is less overtly comic. Eddie Albert delivers a bravura performance as a charismatic villain; other cast members include Jack Elam and Richard Jaeckel. Gita Hall, "Miss Stockholm of 1953", made her Hollywood film debut as Albert's girlfriend Eva. The earlier remake, titled '' The Breaking Point'' (1950), was directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz (; born Manó Kaminer; from 1905 Mihály Kertész; ; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed classic films from the silen ...

and starred

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle; March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

. Don Siegel, writing about the film in his memoirs, reflected, "There’s an old adage; never make a sea picture with a C budget."

Plot

Sam Martin (

) runs a charter boat with his alcoholic

first mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the shi ...

, Harvey ( Everett Sloane). He is forced by financial necessity to run guns for the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

but his employer seeks to maximise his profit.

Cast

as Sam Martin * Eddie Albert as Hanagan * Patricia Owens as Lucy Martin * Everett Sloane as Harvey * Richard Jaeckel as Buzurki * Paul Birch as Sy Philips * Jack Elam as Arnold * John Qualen as Pop * Edward Colmans as Juan * Stephen Peck as Pepito (as Steven Peck) * Carlos Romero as Carlos Contreras (as Carl Rogers) * Gita Hall as Eva * Robert Phillips as Outlaw (uncredited)

Production

According to Don Siegel, star Audie Murphy had asked him to direct the film and United Artists agreed following the success of ''Baby Face Nelson''. However, Siegel was worried about the low budget. This was the first feature from the fledgling Seven Arts Productions. Director

was unhappy with having to use

in the lead role. However Siegel wrote Murphy "was always polite and quiet with me, never any trouble."Siegel p 209 The film was shot in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

Reception

Ron. of '' Variety'' called it a "well-done adventure yarn with average b.o. prospects".

Notes

References

External links

* * 1958 films Film noir 1958 crime drama films American crime drama films Remakes of American films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Ernest Hemingway Films directed by Don Siegel Films scored by Leith Stevens American seafaring films United Artists films Films set in Florida Films set in Cuba Films about the Cuban Revolution 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language crime drama films {{1950s-US-film-stub