Summer of Darkness: King Brothers Production

This week's spotlight was the films by King Brothers Production. It was a small company that made its start as a manufacturer of film projectors before moving on to producing films. Their films tended to be low budget b-movie. It scored a hit in 1945's Dillinger starring Laurence Tierney; a biopic about the life and crimes of John Dillinger. The brothers produced a string of films noir in the years following until the early 60s. TCM aired The Gangster, Gun Crazy, and Tomorrow is Another Day.

Of the three King Brothers Production films, the ones that struck me most were Gun Crazy and Tomorrow is Another Day. I noticed similar themes between the two films that I wonder if it's more of a social commentary and/or exploration of the crime/punishment of juveniles. Both protagonists committed crimes and the iron fist of justice came down on hard on each of them with zero regard for mitigating factors or the character witness testimonies to support the accused. Punishment seemed to be in the interest of justice more than rehabilitation of criminals. Call me a liberal (I'm a card carrying Green Party member), but I do believe people make mistakes and not everyone who serves time is a cold and callous criminal. (Of course I do believe for the most heinous of crimes, a just punishment is warranted. I just don't believe in a one size fits all approach.) What drove each protagonist in both films had more to do with an ethical ambiguity of the justice system more than the moral ambiguity of the protagonist. 

In Gun Crazy, Bart Tare truly has a moral conscious having learned of the consequences of shooting at a young age. He doesn't want to harm anyone; he just enjoys shooting non-living objects. Yes, he committed robbery (and from the context of the film, it sounds more like a shoplifting account) and he should pay a consequence, but his background, character and remorse for committing the crime should have been considered for a lighter sentence that would rehabilitate Bart. Instead, the judge imposes a harsher sentence and Bart thus grows up in the system without being taught the skills that lead a more productive life. It is no surprise, then, that his choice in a life partner is questionable. He can judge actions as right/wrong, but he can't judge people correctly. He is also easily influenced by his femme fatale wife because what kinds of influence did he have growing up in the system? If anything, the system made him worse by denying rehabilitation and forcing punishment. He can only survive by his wits with a psychopath murderess. The system created an emotionally conflicted individual that resulted in more robbery crimes and the loss of two innocent lives.

In Tomorrow is Another Day, Bill Clark has been released from an 18 year stint for patricide. The circumstances of the murder were never revealed, but at 13 years of age, perhaps he was abused or it could have been self-defense. Regardless, Bill Clark doesn't seem the morally ambiguous type. He truly wants to lead an honest life. If mitigating factors were considered, perhaps he could have served a shorter sentence in a juvenile facility (they actually sent him to an adult prison at 13!) than have his formative years stunted by 18 years banished from society. 

How Bill differs from Bart is that at least he learns a trade and can go out prepared to work. However, 18 years behind prison walls limits his ability to interact with society and/or judge a person carefully. His first interaction with a person seemed genuine but I was very skeptical from the onset as this is an example of "too good to be true". But how would Bill understand this? He's had no exposure to the outside world. Only later he finds out this man's motivation for befriending him; a journalist seeking a high profile story by "outing" Bill in the only community he knows. This results in his inability to trust others which, on one hand, is good for his own self-preservation, but on the other, he is unable to determine who is friend or foe. This could have led to dire consequences had it not been for his quick thinking wife (who I thought would be another femme fatale, but she ended up redeeming herself later in the film).

When we ask what makes a film Noir, perhaps we should consider that the narrative goes beyond the conflicted, morally ambiguous protagonist. It can also be a social commentary on the justice system.