The Gun Runners

1958

1h 23m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

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1 Video

22 Images

Action

Crime

Thriller

Drama

Remake of "To Have and Have Not" based on Hemingway short story. Plot reset to early days of Cuban revolution. A charter boat skipper gets entangled in gunrunning scheme to get money to pay off debts. Sort of a sea-going film noir with bad girl, smarmy villain, and the "innocent" drawn into wrong side of law by circumstances.

Directors

Don Siegel

Writers

Daniel Mainwaring(screenplay by)

Ernest Hemingway(novel by)

Paul Monash(screenplay by)

Stars

Audie Murphy

Eddie Albert

Patricia Owens

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Videos1

Trailer
Watch The Gun Runners (1968) ORIGINAL TRAILER

Photos22

Top cast

Sam Martin

Hanagan

Lucy Martin

Blond Henchman on Boat

Sy Phillips

Arnold

Rhett

Harvey

Pop

Soldier in Car (uncredited)

Gambler (uncredited)

Caz (uncredited)

Juan

Pepito

Carlos Contreras

Eva

Detective (uncredited)

Tony Dantes

Gambler (uncredited)

Directors

Don Siegel

Writers

Daniel Mainwaring(screenplay by)

Ernest Hemingway(novel by)

Paul Monash(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

A man can't turn bad if it ain't in him to be bad. And it ain't in you, Sam. The Gun Runners is directed by Don Siegel and adapted to screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring and Paul Monash from the Ernest Hemmingway novel, "To Have and Have Not". It stars Audie Murphy, Eddie Albert, Patricia Owens, Everett Sloane, Richard Jaeckel, Paul Birch and Jack Elam. Music is by Leith Stevens and cinematography by Hal Mohr. It's The Cuban Revolution and boat owner Sam Martin (Murphy) finds himself unwittingly mixed up in gun running... The Hemmingway novel had already been adapted with considerable success twice previously (To Have and Have Not (1944)/The Breaking Point (1950)), so why another variant on the source was commissioned is a bit of a mystery. As it happens, it's no dead loss without pulling up any trees. Thematic heart comes by way of Sam Martin's moral compass, which is jarred when he learns he is quite simply in over his head. With an adoring wife at home (Owens) and his alcoholic best friend in tow (Sloane as usual good value), the human interest factor is above average. Albert gives quality villainy, with henchmen by his side, and the pic stands out for the moments of violence that take one by surprise. There's some poor back projection work, but this is offset by some lovely location photography, with Mohr (Phantom of the Opera/The Lost Moment) also bringing some nifty monochrome shadings to key character interactions. Yet ultimately the plus point is with Murphy, who really pushes himself for Siegel, his performance deserved a better film, but as it is he lifts it above average and makes it a must see for his fans. 6/10

John Chard16 May, 2020