THIS GUN FOR HIRE (1942)

This Gun for Hire (1942). Crime drama/film noir. Director: Frank Tuttle. Based on the novel A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene. Cast: Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, Alan Ladd and Yvonne De Carlo.

In San Francisco, during World War II, Philip Raven, a hired killer, wakes from his late morning nap, to carry out a job to murder Albert Baker, a chemist in possession of a formula for poison gas, which he is using to blackmail the company.

Raven, completes his job on Baker and his secretary and is paid by Willard Gates, an executive for Nitrochemical and an nightclub owner. Gates, had the money registered and claims that Raven stole the $20,000 from Nitrochemical.

Los Angeles police lieutenant Michael Crane, is assigned to the case. As luck would have it, Gates hires Michael's fiancee, Ellen Graham, to work at his Neptune Club, in Los Angeles. Both men are unaware that Ellen, is working undercover, for Senator Burnett, to find out Gates's involvement with the poison gas.

Raven, realizing that Gates, has double-crossed him, follows him onto the train to Los Angeles. Ellen, shares her seat on the train to Los Angeles with Raven. Looking, in her purse, she finds that he has stolen five dollars.

In the morning, Gates, sees Raven and Ellen, asleep on the same seat and suspects that they are in league together. He contacts the Los Angeles police, who search for Raven.

Raven, takes Ellen hostage and looses the police.

Later, he plans to shoot her in a condemned building. Michael, tries to track Raven, while wondering if his girlfriend has been kidnapped or is a willing accomplice.

I thought the film had wonderful casting, this maybe my favorite Ladd performance. Lake and Ladd have awesome on screen chemistry and you get the feeling that if the circumstances had been different they would be together.. Fun, to to see a young Yvonne De Carlo. Warning* there are some intense scenes.

GUN FOR HIRE MOVIE TRAILER.

Pamela Blake (August 6, 1915 – October 6, 2009). Her film career lasted for fifteen years, with her starring mostly in B-movies.

Her first film role was uncredited, playing a bit part in the 1934 film, Eight Girls on a Boat.

In 1938 she starred in the western, The Utah Trail with Tex Ritter.

In 1939 she starred in five films, a crime drama, a mystery and one a western, where she starred with John Wayne, in the 1939 film, Wyoming Outlaw..

In total, she had roles in fifty four films.

In 1946 she starred in Chick Carter, Detective.

 Her last role was in 1954, in the film, The Adventures of the Texas Kid: Border Ambush.