I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1932 · Movie · NR · 92 min · ★ 7.8 · 91% critics
A World War I veteran returns home determined to build a better life, but the job market and hard times quickly crush his plans. After being wrongly convicted, he’s sent to a brutal chain gang and forced to fight for dignity and a second chance in a system stacked against him.
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Details
- Years
- 1932
- Release date
- 1932-11-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Critic score
- 91/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.8/10 (232 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tough, fast-moving drama about injustice and survival that still feels relevant; Not for you if you avoid bleak prison stories or harsh brutality, like in Fury.
Pros: gripping, hard-hitting story; powerful lead performance; tense escape sequences | Cons: some slow stretches; a few naive moments; some stiff acting
Themes
- prison
- war veteran
- blackmail
- hamburger
- based on true story
- chain gang
- fugitive
- pre-code
- escaped prisoner
- reverend
- tradesman
- prison system
- +7 more
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review Award — Best Film · 1932
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Sound · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actor · nominated
Cast & crew
Paul Muni
as James Allen
Glenda Farrell
as Marie Woods
Helen Vinson
as Helen
Noel Francis
as Linda
Preston Foster
as Pete
Allen Jenkins
as Barney Sykes
Berton Churchill
as The Judge
Edward Ellis
as Bomber Wells
David Landau
as The Warden
Hale Hamilton
as Rev. Allen
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy