They Gave Him a Gun
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	W. S. Van Dyke
Written by	Cyril Hume Richard Maibaum Maurice Rapf
Based on	They Gave Him a Gun 1936 novel by William J. Cowen
Produced by	Harry Rapf
Starring	Spencer Tracy Gladys George Franchot Tone
Cinematography	Harold Rosson
Edited by	Ben Lewis
Music by	Sigmund Romberg
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's Inc.
Release date	May 7, 1937 (1937-05-07)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$606,000[1]
Box office	$1,313,000[1]

They Gave Him a Gun is a 1937 American crime drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Spencer Tracy, Gladys George, and Franchot Tone. The picture bears a resemblance to later films noir in its dark theme regarding the struggles and failures of a man trying to take a criminal shortcut to the American dream. The screenplay was written by Cyril Hume, Richard Maibaum, and Maurice Rapf, based on the 1936 book of the same name by William J. Cowen.^[2][3] On March 20, 1937, director W.S. Van Dyke "announced Henry Mahan was cast in "They Gave Him A Gun", joining Sam Levene and Teddy Hart, the three swell comedians in the film version of Three Men on a Horse", but none of these actors appear in the final cut.

Plot

The movie begins in World War I when a young man named Jimmy (Franchot Tone) unexpectedly becomes a hero by killing all the Germans in a machine gun nest. But he is then severely wounded and spends time in a hospital being cared for by a nurse, Rose (Gladys George), with whom he falls in love. But she is really in love with Jimmy's buddy, Fred (Spencer Tracy), a carnival barker. However, when Fred doesn't return from the battlefield, the two think he's been killed (when he was merely captured) and so they make wedding plans. Then when Fred returns he decides to support Jimmy and Rose marrying, even though it breaks his heart. After the war Fred meets up with Jimmy again and discovers that Jimmy is a racketeer who uses his battle skills to commit murder. So he tells Rose, who had no idea. She then reports her husband to the police so he will go to prison and be reformed. But Jimmy breaks out of prison and tries to take Rose on the lam with him. At this point Fred intervenes. Jimmy, feeling undeserving, commits suicide by police.

Cast

• Spencer Tracy as Fred P. Willis
• Gladys George as Rose Duffy
• Franchot Tone as James "Jimmy" Davis
• Edgar Dearing as Sgt. Meadowlark
• Mary Lou Treen as Saxe
• Cliff Edwards as Laro
• Charles Trowbridge as Judge

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $718,000 in the US and Canada and $595,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $253,000.^[1]