This Gun For Hire – Veronica Lake
This Gun For Hire – Vintage 1942 film noir Movie Poster
Veronica Lake is featured on this beautifully restored vintage movie poster. The film was directed by Frank Tuttle and based on the 1936 novel (published in America with the same title, and in Britain with the title A Gun for Sale) by Graham Greene. The film stars Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan Ladd. The movie made a star of Alan Ladd.
Graham Greene’s novel This Gun for Hire was published in the U.S. in 1936 and several movie studios considered obtaining rights to the book, including 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. Paramount bought the rights in 1936 and announced Gertrude Michael as a possible star. Later that year the cast was announced as being Akim Tamiroff, Ray Milland and Ida Lupino with Dore Schary writing the script.
However the film would not be made for several more years. It was reactivated in 1941 with Frank Tuttle attached as director.
Veronica Lake was announced early as a female lead with Macdonald Carey – who had been signed by Paramount following his appearance on Broadway in Lady in the Dark – mooted as a possible male lead. Tuttle had some difficulty casting the part of Raven – he later claimed he looked at six stars but not were suitable. (One of them was Alan Baxter.) Alan Ladd screen tested; by September Ladd had been cast and signed to a long term Paramount contract.
Robert Preston was given the other main role, replacing Carey. Lake and Preston were given above the title star billing, with Ladd given an “and introducing” credit. However it was clear during filming that Ladd would be the breakout star. The New York Times reported shortly afterwards that:
Tuttle and the studio are showing more than a passing enthusiasm for Ladd. He has been trying to get a foothold in pictures for eight years but received no encouragement although he tried every angle known to town – extra work, bit parts, stock contracts, dramatic schools, assault of the casting offices. Sue Carol, the former silent star who is now an agent, undertook to advance the youth’s career two years ago and only recently could she locate an attentive ear. Then the breaks began.
Before This Gun for Hire was even completed, Paramount announced their next film for Ladd would launch him as a star, a version of The Glass Key.
Adaptation – without Veronica Lake
This Gun For Hire was adapted as a radio play on the July 3, 1942, broadcast of Philip Morris Playhouse with Marlene Dietrich starring, on the January 25, 1943 broadcast of Lux Radio Theater and the April 2, 1945 broadcast of The Screen Guild Theater. Alan Ladd reprised his role in both adaptations while Veronica Lake reprised in the latter, but was replaced with Joan Blondell in the former.
In 1957 Paramount Pictures adapted the story as Short Cut to Hell, directed by James Cagney. The film was Cagney’s only directorial effort.
