Trafiquants d'armes à Cuba

A remake of "To Have and Have Not" based on the Hemingway short story. The plot is reset to the early days of the Cuban revolution. A charter boat skipper (Audie Murphy) gets entangled in gunrunning scheme to get money to pay off debts.

Director Don Siegel may be the third person to tackle this tale, but he is not working fro ma dry well. By updating the story to involve the Cuban Revolution (before its success), the film takes on new life and now works as not only a great story but something of a historical document. Assisting Cuban rebels in 1958 may have had a very different sense at the time than it does today after fifty-plus years of Castro.

This was the first feature from the fledgling Seven Arts Productions, before they went on to make "The Misfits" (1961), "Lolita" (1962), and several others, including a large number of co-productions with Hammer films.

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

I picked this movie out because Don Siegel never produces garbage in fact it is almost guaranteed quality what ever the budget...and this movie has a B grade budget.

Audie Murphy and Eddie Albert star in this 1958 rendition of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not. It is an intelligent well filmed maritime adventure. Eddie Murphy is superb as the charming villain--I have never seen a better one. Audie Murphy is boyishly handsome and earnest as the hard up boat captain.

Well worth the watch. No politically correct baggage or tiresome social messages just action and gun running to Cuba.

RECOMMEND

Most Decorated War-Hero of WWII...Audie Murphy...by 1958 had a Decade Long Career in Mostly Westerns,

would Go On to 50 Roles in Movies and TV, took the Challenge of Comparison to Humphrey Bogart and John Garfield. Both Considered Class-A Actors, and Enjoyed Great Popularity.

Murph was Never in Their League, but a Proven Fighter Nevertheless,

was Up for a Choice Icon of Literature, Ernest Hemingway, and Americana and the 2 Aforementioned Top-Notch Performers Did Not Dissuade the "Medal of Honor" Recipient and the Opportunity to "Be All That He Could Be" as an Actor.

Audie Murphy is Quoted Deep in His Career..."Acting was a battle I never won."

This Version was Directed by the Great B-Movie Director Don Sieger, who Populated the Picture with a Talented Cast. And the Script was Written by Another Proven-Pro, Daniel Mainwaring.

It's Got a Lot of Siegel's Style, of Pulp-Panache,

He Could Get "Bang-for-the Buck", and Impressed Critics and Fans with His Hard-Boiled, In-Your-Face Action, that was Economy Film-Making at its Best.

Murphy Did His Best and it's a Solid Outing. Film Critics were Never Kind to an "Audie Murphy" Movie,

with the Exception of a Few Big Pictures Like His Autobiographical "To Hell and Back" (1955) and "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951).

His Filmography is Full of Under-Rated, Low-Budget Gems, and those Critics, it can Now be Said, Historically, that His Huge Fan-Base was Right.

Most of His Movies are Above Average and Murph Always Delivered.

While this Film will Always Rank 3rd Behind "To Have and Have Not" (1944) and "The Breaking Point" (1950), but a Respectable 3rd.

It is a Fine Film and is a Must-See for Audie Murphy and Don Siegel Fans.

For All Others, it's...

Worth a Watch.

WWII hero and busy actor stepped into Bogart and Garfield's shoes for a third version of a Hemingway story, "To Have and Have not." The film is bare-bones, budget-wise, but makes good use of its Florida locations to tell the story of gun runners and romance among the the coastal folk. Murphy isn't half-bad in the lead role of a charter boat captain caught up in a smuggling scheme, although I could not quite get used to Murphy in a boat captain's hat (I was so used to seeing him in Army helmets and cowboy hats). Eddie Albert plays a very convincing bad guy, and the film is loaded with familiar faces of the period, including Paul Birch, John Qualen, Jack Elam, Herb Vigran and Everett Sloane. Worth a look, mainly for Murphy/