This Gun for Hire
Seen it?1942 | 81 min | Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Batman or Double Indemnity, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 21 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1942: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide on a $512K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 36K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Frank Tuttle
- Alan LaddPhilip Raven
- Veronica LakeEllen Graham
- Robert PrestonDet. Michael Crane
- Laird CregarWillard Gates
- Tully MarshallAlvin Brewster
- Marc LawrenceTommy
- Olin HowlandBlair Fletcher
- Roger ImhofSenator Burnett
- Pamela BlakeAnnie
- Frank FergusonAlbert Baker