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"No one knows more about film noir than Eddie Muller."
—Robert Osborne
"At last: a thorough look at one of the great American films, told by someone who sees both the Big Picture and the details that make Gun Crazy so memorable. Artfully combining history and analysis, this book is a must for any fan of film noir."
—Leonard Maltin
"Gun Crazy is a cinematic jolt of mad love and obsessive violence that can still amaze and move, and now there is a book worthy of it. In an irresistibly gripping and constantly enlightening narrative, Eddie Muller guides us along the winding paths that led to this one-of-a-kind masterpiece, uncovering the many hidden dramas of the filmmaking process and bringing to life the extraordinary collection of individuals who made the film happen. More than an homage, this is a savory slice of movie history."
—Geoffrey O'Brien,
Editor-in-Chief, Library of America
"A fitting and well-deserved tribute to arguably the most infamous film noir of them all. Muller goes straight to the relevant sources, digging into what might be the clearest articulation of America's obsession with outlaw love. And a much needed and important revision regarding the role of writers and producers in the making of the film, inevitably enriching subsequent viewings.
—Woody Haut, author of Pulp Culture and Neon Noir
"This remarkable book, impeccably researched and richly illustrated, chronicles the long odyssey of this outstanding film. If we thought everything had been said or written about Gun Crazy, one must discover Eddie Muller's book to take the measure of the gaps in our knowledge."
—Samuel Blumenfeld, Le Monde
"Eddie Muller [is] the most informative and least pretentious of the folks providing historical perspectives on film classics."
—Ed Blank, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
GUN CRAZY: THE ORIGIN OF AMERICAN
OUTLAW CINEMA
The True Story of a Cult Classic's Creation
Black Pool Productions, 2015
Gun Crazy caused barely a ripple in public consciousness when it hit movie screens in 1950. Yet over time it would prove to be the most innovative and provocative motion picture of its era—a simple genre film, but packed with so much cinematic bravura and timeless symbolism, its power has spanned decades, crossed oceans, and influenced countless filmmakers.
It's no stretch to declare Gun Crazy one of the essential American films—as well as a cornerstone of the auteur theory that's dominated cinema discourse since the 1960s. Its larger-than-life reputation among cinephiles has mainly been based on the recollections—also larger-than-life—of its director, Joseph H. Lewis, whose intriguing yet surprisingly short career never again reached the level of this bona-fide classic.
In this thoroughly researched and vividly told tale, Eddie Muller explodes many of the entrenched myths about Gun Crazy—and the auteur theory itself. He subverts the film's legend with the fascinating story of its actual creation, a six-year struggle that involved an array of exceptional collaborators.
Packed with never-before-seen ephemera —original script pages (some never filmed), production notes, on-set photos—Gun Crazy: The Origin of American Outlaw Cinema is available for sale online exclusively from Black Pool Productions.