Movie Cosmos - This Gun for Hire

Description:

Sadistic killer-for-hire Philip Raven becomes enraged when his latest job is paid off in marked bills. Vowing to track down his double-crossing boss, nightclub executive Gates, Raven sits beside Gates' lovely new employee, Ellen, on a train out of town. Although Ellen is engaged to marry the police lieutenant who's hunting down Raven, she decides to try and set the misguided hit man straight as he hides from the cops and plots his revenge.

Top Cast >

Veronica Lake

As Ellen Graham

Robert Preston

As Det. Michael Crane

Laird Cregar

As Willard Gates

Alan Ladd

As Philip Raven

Tully Marshall

As Alvin Brewster

Marc Lawrence

As Tommy

Olin Howland

As Blair Fletcher

Roger Imhof

As Senator Burnett

Pamela Blake

As Annie

Frank Ferguson

As Albert Baker

Victor Kilian

As Drew

Patricia Farr

As Ruby

Harry Shannon

As Steve Finnerty

Charles C. Wilson

As Police Captain

Mikhail Rasumny

As Slukey

Bernadene Hayes

As Albert Baker's Secretary

Mary Davenport

As Salesgirl

Chester Clute

As Rooming House Manager

Charles Arnt

As Male Dressmaker

Earle S. Dewey

As Mr. Collins

Clem Bevans

As Scissor Grinder

Lynda Grey

As Gates' Secretary

Virita Campbell

As Little Girl

George Anderson

As Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Don Barclay

As Piano Player (uncredited)

Ernest Baskett

As Porter (uncredited)

Jack Baxley

As Innocent Dupe (uncredited)

Karin Booth

As Waitress (uncredited)

Harry Brown

As Superintendent (uncredited)

William Cabanne

As Laundry Truck Driver (uncredited)

Eddy Chandler

As Demolition Foreman (uncredited)

Jack Cheatham

As Policeman (uncredited)

Kenneth Chryst

As Workman (uncredited)

Yvonne De Carlo

As Showgirl at Neptune Club (uncredited)

Gordon De Main

As Superintendent (uncredited)

Joan Evans

As Saleslady's Mother (uncredited)

Jim Farley

As Night Watchman (uncredited)

Virginia Farmer

As Maid in Dress Shop (uncredited)

Betty Farrington

As Woman on Bridge (uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

As Policeman (uncredited)

Sam Harris

As Man at Rehearsal (uncredited)

Harry Harvey

As Passenger (uncredited)

Harry Hayden

As Man in Restaurant Recognizing Gates (uncredited)

Charles Irwin

As Old Irishman (uncredited)

Louise La Planche

As Dancer (uncredited)

Lora Lee

As Girl in Car (uncredited)

Arthur Loft

As Man who Bumps into Raven (uncredited)

Patsy Mace

As Young Girl in Reception Room (uncredited)

George Magrill

As Policeman (uncredited)

John Marston

As Superintendent (uncredited)

Charles McMurphy

As Detective (uncredited)

Ivan Miller

As Doorman (uncredited)

Charles R. Moore

As Pullman Waiter (uncredited)

Frances Morris

As Receptionist (uncredited)

Pat O'Malley

As Conductor (uncredited)

Sarah Padden

As Mrs. Mason (uncredited)

Reed Porter

As Workman (uncredited)

Lee Prather

As Gateman (uncredited)

Cyril Ring

As Neptune Club Waiter (uncredited)

Julian Rivero

As Man with Monkey (uncredited)

Dick Rush

As Lt. Clark (uncredited)

Tim Ryan

As Weems, Guard (uncredited)

John Sheehan

As Keever (uncredited)

Oscar Smith

As Train Porter (uncredited)

Alan Speer

As Frog (uncredited)

Edwin Stanley

As Police Captain at Train Station (uncredited)

Elliott Sullivan

As Officer Glennon (uncredited)

Phil Tead

As Machinist (uncredited)

Emmett Vogan

As Police Sgt. Charlie Carlisle (uncredited)

Fred Walburn

As Walt - Newsboy (uncredited)

Richard Webb

As Young Man (uncredited)

Pat West

As Janitor (uncredited)

Gloria Williams

As Woman (uncredited)

Robert Winkler

As Jimmie (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Frank Tuttle

Director, Additional Writing

David Buttolph

Original Music Composer

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

Buddy G. DeSylva

Executive Producer

W.R. Burnett

Screenplay

Wally Westmore

Makeup Department Head

Graham Greene

Novel

Albert Maltz

Screenplay

Archie Marshek

Editor

John F. Seitz

Director of Photography

Edith Head

Costume Design

Robert Usher

Art Direction

Richard Blumenthal

Associate Producer

George Templeton

Assistant Director

Leo Shuken

Orchestrator

Walter Scharf

Orchestrator

Farciot Edouart

Special Effects

Gordon Jennings

Special Effects

William L. Pereira

Special Effects

George Parrish

Orchestrator

Frank Loesser

Songs

Lynd Ward

Production Design

Jacques Press

Songs

Marian Chavez

Technical Advisor

Teet Carle

Publicist

Jimmy Grippo

Technical Advisor

Jack Baxley

Stunts

Frank Herman

Technical Advisor

Mal Bulloch

Still Photographer

Buck Walters

Boom Operator

George King

Stage Director

John Cope

Sound Recordist

Philip Wisdom

Sound Recordist

Reviews:

John Chard (9/10)

I like Cats! So says the icy cold broken wrist killer!

Phillip Raven is a hit man of no obvious moral fibre, he literally will kill anyone for the right price. After fulfilling a contract for the chocolate munching Willard Gates, he finds himself pursued by the law on account that he was paid by Gates with stolen money. Raven sets out for the ultimate revenge and dovetailing towards the explosive finale with him is sultry conjurer Ellen Graham and honest cop Michael Crane.

Based on the Graham Greene novel "A Gun For Sale", this is not a straight out adaptation, the plot has been re-jigged with very impressive results. The most enlightening thing I found when reading up on the film was that the studio were so blown away by the efforts of Alan Ladd as Raven, they turned the script around to make him the film's chief axis, and boy what a smart move that was for this is Alan Ladd's show all the way.

Ladd plays Raven with brilliant icy veneer, he's cold and devoid of emotion, his only trip to anything resembling caring is an affinity to cats - because in his own words, "cats don't need anyone, they are on their own, just like me", the result is one of the most unnerving killers put on to the 40s cinema screens. Veronica Lake is the stunning female of the piece, she glides through the picture with ease as Ellen, a character with her own issues, but thankfully she's integral outside of any sort of romantic plot, even though she is the only one who gets close enough to Raven to learn anything about what makes him tick.

Robert Preston as Michael Crane was to be the pics focus but he becomes a mere side part thanks to Ladd's barnstorming show, and unsurprisingly Laird Cregar is suitably shifty as Gates. It's a fine film in its own right, it's tightly filmed, wonderfully scripted and contains a great noir ending, but ultimately it's all about the cold as death hit-man Raven - and of course the great performance by the man who played him. 8.5/10

2019-01-10