They Gave Him a Gun, 1937: Three Souls Altered by War

Fred reassures Jimmy

The 1920’s and early 1930’s saw a spate of films with pacifist themes. World War One was so traumatic to those who lived through it and Western society in general that the thought of it happening again was too terrible to think of. They Gave Him a Gun is one of the last anti-war movies of the 1930’s; all too soon, Adolph Hitler’s rise in Germany made it apparent that another war was inevitable, and the genre reluctantly faded away.

The title is the most political thing about this movie, however. The personal experiences of the three main characters tell the story. There are no elections, battles, or natural disasters. There are no references to current affairs or declarations of principles, just actions and interactions. You don’t really get to know anyone but the three central characters – or need to.

Fortunately, these three roles are played by Spencer Tracy, Franchot Tone, and Gladys George, and you will hardly see three more beautiful examples of film acting anywhere. Tracy, Tone, and George were all trained actors. Tracy attended the AADA; Tone was a founding member of the Group Theater; George was the child of actors and had been performing from the age of three. There is no weak link; all three have the commitment and authority to carry a feature film.

The structure of the film is unconventional; very small, intimate scenes can be followed by the passage of a decade. Director W.S. Van Dyke, who is not thought of as an innovator, employs an unusual number of closeups, two shots, and three shots throughout; the faces and voices of the three actors provide all the clarity, depth and humanity needed. It’s not that the film is small-scale or set bound; there are battle scenes, crowd scenes, city streets, a courtroom, Fred’s circus — but the only people you follow through these scenes are Fred, Rose, and Jimmy.

This is one of the films that shows you why Spencer Tracy was considered one of the finest actors of his generation almost as soon as he got to Hollywood. Despite all of his self-deprecating talk about knowing your lines and not bumping into the furniture, Tracy had massive technical skills; and of course, the aim of these skills was to disappear. Again and again, Tracy is so convincing, so natural, that you have to make an effort to realize that he is in fact delivering a complex speech in one unwavering take. Tone and George are right there with him.

The plot itself is pretty simple. Two ordinary young men are drafted into the Army during WW1, Fred (Tracy) and Jimmy (Tone), and they become best pals. Though a natural marksman, Jimmy is uncertain and rather timid, horrified at being trained to kill. Fred, who comes from a circus background, is more confident and practical.

A Major Choice Faces Jimmy, Fred, and Rose

The two of them manage to stick together until a serious action causes Jimmy to be badly injured while using his sharpshooting skill to save the squad. In the field hospital he is treated by an expert and deeply committed nurse, Rose (George). Rose is not just a pretty face; she is authoritative and forceful, and doesn’t stand any nonsense from soldiers, injured or well. Fred falls in love with her, and, unknown to him, so does Jimmy. Rose loves Fred, but a series of mix ups lead to her marrying Jimmy instead.

Fifteen years later, Fred – who manages the circus now – and Jimmy run into each other on a city street. It so happens that there has been a gangland assassination nearby, but at first Fred thinks nothing of it. Later, however, he deduces that Jimmy is now a well-paid hitman. He thinks that Rose must know about this, but she doesn’t –- so he has to tell her.

The conflict here is moral — Fred has cherished the memory of Rose’s strength and character, and when he thinks she knows Jimmy is a criminal, he is deeply angry. But when he finds out that she has no idea what the source of Jimmy’s money is, he has to tell her, however painful it will be, because she has the right to know. In other words, unlike Jimmy, he trusts her moral judgement.

The story is resolved by Rose’s moral choice, or rather the moral choices of all three of them. There are no judges or priests or social arbiters telling them what’s right and wrong; no sidekicks or best friends to give advice. Three grown-up people decide for themselves. Rather than being a wartime adventure or even a romance, this is an unusually intimate study of three people whose lives are entwined.

I can’t think of another movie from a major studio that relies so much on so small a group; a common advertising line of the day was “a cast of thousands.” But this story doesn’t need thousands. Just three.

2 thoughts on “They Gave Him a Gun, 1937: Three Souls Altered by War

    1. Thank you! I think that this one got lost in the shuffle because its anti-war stance became outdated, due to the rise of Hitler. But seen today, when we’ve forgotten all that, it’s spellbinding.

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