This Gun for Hire

directed by Frank Tuttle
Category: "Suspense"
Year of Release:1942
Date Added:07/18/2008
Date Watched:04/22/2005
Description:Raven (Alan Ladd) is a hit man who is hired by Gates (Laird Cregar) to recover a secret formula from a blackmailer (whom Raven kills). When Gates pays him off in marked bills and Raven is almost caught, he vows revenge. Crane (Robert Preston) is the police officer assigned to the case. Meanwhile, Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake), a night-club singer and magician, is asked to get close to Gates and find out why he’s been meeting with agents of the Japanese. She gets hired for Gates’ nightclub and takes the train to L.A. She ends up sitting next to Raven. When the train arrives, police are searching for Raven. He grabs Ellen and holds her hostage, but the cops are distracted, Ellen gets away and Raven gets away. Ellen has dinner at Gates house. He gets suspicious and has his servant grab her. Crane shows up, and the servant throws Ellen in a closet. Raven sees through the window. After Crane leaves, Raven overpowers the servant and rescues Ellen. They take off and hole up in a railroad yard. When Ellen and Raven compare information, they realize that Gates is working for Alvin Brewster, head of the chemical company, and that they’re selling industrial secrets to the Japanese. Ellen gives Raven a really corny patriotic speech and he agrees to help her in exchange for her help in getting away. She wears his coat and hat and heads off across the yard. Raven dashes out the other way. He corners Gates and Brewster in Brewster’s office and forces him to sign a confession just before Brewster dies of a heart attack. Gates tries to escape, and Raven shoots him. The police burst in and Raven is shot. He dies, but not before confirming with Ellen that he did good by her.
My Rating:7

Reviews for This Gun for Hire

Review - This Gun for Hire

A pretty stupid movie. The patriotic speeches were particularly corny. Veronica Lake was right to use her hair as her claim to fame. She wasn’t that attractive a girl otherwise. Alan Ladd was suitably sinister as Raven. The first half of the movie was pretty good, but the second half seemed to speed up with jumps. Still, it was fun to watch.
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