Wrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.Wrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.Wrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 4 wins & 3 nominations total
William Le Maire
- A Texan
- (as William LeMaire)
Erville Alderson
- Police Chief
- (uncredited)
Irving Bacon
- Bill - Barber
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film was based on the true story of Robert E. Burns. It sticks basically to the facts except for two instances: Burns actually did steal the $5.29 in order to eat, and he finally succeeded in evading the Georgia legal system with the help of three New Jersey governors. Burns actually slipped into Hollywood and worked for a few weeks on the film, but ultimately the stress and risk were too much, and he fled back to the safety of New Jersey. The book and film helped bring about the collapse of the brutal chain gang system in Georgia. Warner Bros. took a big chance on the film, as social commentary was not normally done in Hollywood pictures. However, this film was a critical and financial success and helped establish Warners as the studio with a social conscience - it also helped save the financially ailing company. Even though Georgia was never specifically named in the film, numerous lawsuits were filed against the studio, the film was banned in Georgia, and the studio's head and the film's director were told that should they ever find themselves in Georgia they would be treated to a dose of the "social evil" they so roundly denounced.
- GoofsWhen the fugitive is getting a shave, a policeman comes in and is reading a magazine. Even though the time in the movie is 1926, the policeman is reading Liberty Magazine with a cover date of November 14, 1931.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood and the Stars: The Angry Screen (1964)
- SoundtracksSmiles
(1917) (uncredited)
Music by Lee S. Roberts
Lyrics by J. Will Callahan
Sung by soldiers during crap game
Featured review
Still powerful
Paul Muni comes back from the war (WWI) a hero. He's offered his old job back but declines it--he wants to make it on his own. He inadvetantly gets involved in a stickup and is (unjustly) sent to a chain gang for 9 years. The prisoners there are treated horribly--beaten by sadistic guards and forced to eat wretched food. After a few months Muni has had it. He escapes, changes his name, makes a living for himself and is very successful. But his past begins to catch up on him...
A very early Warner Bros. social drama--and one of their best. It's pretty strong stuff. I remember originally seeing this on TV back in the 1970s and really being shocked by it. It's not graphic but what you hear is even worse then being shown it (the whippings in particular). It also shows a law system that doesn't give a damn about how they treat their prisoners. They should be treated like dirt--and are! The story moves quickly and Muni is just superb. This movie made him and you can see why. Also it has one of the most depressing endings I've ever seen in a motion picture. It hit me hard back in the 1970s and still works today. Muni's haunted face and the final line are harrowing. A true classic--a must-see.
Be warned--some non-cable TV prints cut out the final line!
A very early Warner Bros. social drama--and one of their best. It's pretty strong stuff. I remember originally seeing this on TV back in the 1970s and really being shocked by it. It's not graphic but what you hear is even worse then being shown it (the whippings in particular). It also shows a law system that doesn't give a damn about how they treat their prisoners. They should be treated like dirt--and are! The story moves quickly and Muni is just superb. This movie made him and you can see why. Also it has one of the most depressing endings I've ever seen in a motion picture. It hit me hard back in the 1970s and still works today. Muni's haunted face and the final line are harrowing. A true classic--a must-see.
Be warned--some non-cable TV prints cut out the final line!
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- preppy-3
- Jul 30, 2004
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Večiti begunac
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $195,845 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Mono(original release)
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) officially released in India in English?
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