I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A very moving film. Paul Muni beautifully depicts the story of James Allen and his battle for justice. Muni portrays a man who has been chosen by the system to serve time, although the man is innocent. I love how emotional Muni is throughout the duration of the film. He makes is very apparent how James Allen feels when he is up and how he feels when he is down. The sound effects made it even better, very off key which i took a liking to. What I didn't enjoy was how limited the cameras were in terms of movement but obviously this is a very old film. Its just interesting to see what they made out of what they had, it turned out very nicely. What was also interesting was too see which scenes were in a studio and which scenes were filmed outdoors. It was obvious with the lighting of each scene. Some of the scenes filmed in a studio were really well put together with how real the props looked. Overall, I thought this movie was great and I can't wait to watch more films with Paul Muni!

The autobiographical writings of Robert E. Burns, a real life chain gang escapee, form the basis for this stark, believable and effective picture. It's one of the finest examples, on film, of a case where the "justice" system would seek to make an example out of somebody, and that somebody turned out to be innocent.James Allen (Paul Muni) comes home from WWI with a change of heart. He no longer is willing to go into a safe, secure gig at a shoe factory, but wishes to make his name in construction instead. But he finds that job prospects are virtually nil. Making the acquaintance of a lowlife named Pete (Preston Foster), he is forced into participating in a robbery. This earns him 10 years of hard labor. Doing time on a chain gang, he finds that he can't tolerate the drudgery of this existence, and escapes the first chance that he gets. However, after some great success in the construction business in a different state, he'll find that his former captors have long memories - and want revenge.Not only is this an extremely well told, riveting yarn, but it stirred up some controversy in its day, leading to actual penal reforms. It's directed with some real style by Mervyn LeRoy, and scripted with heart by Howard J. Green & Brown Holmes. It's impossible to not sympathize with Allens' plight. You feel for him every step of the way. You feel his rage and frustration, conveyed so brilliantly by Muni that he doesn't have to say anything. His expression says it all.The supporting cast is mostly quite good. Glenda Farrell, as the woman who blackmails Allen into marrying her, and Edward Ellis, as the long term convict Bomber Wells, come off extremely well. But make no mistake, this is Munis' show. He delivers an impassioned performance that lingers in the memory."I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" has moments of great tension and excitement, and it is true: the finale has a haunting quality. But the fortunate real life post script is that Burns, while still on the lam at the time of production, ultimately had his sentence commuted.10 out of 10.

Paul Muni's performance in this is incredible. He carries himself with such pride and grace and keeps it together through everything he goes through in this movie, but still conveys that tortured under layer. I think its great when a movie can take a political stance and have a role in the changing of politics. Paul Muni's tortured performance is what really makes an audience feel for this character that was innocent and forced to make deals to try to get out from under the justice system. I also loved the story and development, the rise and fall of Paul Muni's character and the range of experiences he has creates an interesting movie that is able to captivate and keep you entertained and invested throughout the entire film. I fully enjoyed this movie and would definitely recommend.

This film does an incredible job of shining a light on a serious issue facing the United States at the time. The cinematography and talent of all actors and actresses involved really helped to solidify the point that this film was trying to make (exposing the fraud happening without the country's knowledge in the chain gang system). Paul Muni does a fantastic job as James Allen. When watching him play this major role, I had trouble remembering that he was only an actor and was not actually in this situation. I also found the special effects, especially when it comes to the mistreatment of chain gang workers, to be an incredible asset to the film.