Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

They Gave Him a Gun

  • 1937
  • Approved
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
429
YOUR RATING
Spencer Tracy, Gladys George, and Franchot Tone in They Gave Him a Gun (1937)
Film NoirCrimeDramaRomanceWar

A World War I veteran who married the girlfriend of his presumed-dead war buddy falls into the racketeering business.A World War I veteran who married the girlfriend of his presumed-dead war buddy falls into the racketeering business.A World War I veteran who married the girlfriend of his presumed-dead war buddy falls into the racketeering business.

  • Director
    • W.S. Van Dyke
  • Writers
    • William J. Cowen
    • Cyril Hume
    • Richard Maibaum
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Gladys George
    • Franchot Tone
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    429
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • W.S. Van Dyke
    • Writers
      • William J. Cowen
      • Cyril Hume
      • Richard Maibaum
    • Stars
      • Spencer Tracy
      • Gladys George
      • Franchot Tone
    • 15User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Photos8

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top Cast56

    Spencer Tracy
    Spencer Tracy
    • Fred P. Willis
    Gladys George
    Gladys George
    • Rose Duffy
    Franchot Tone
    Franchot Tone
    • James 'Jimmy' Davis
    Edgar Dearing
    Edgar Dearing
    • Sgt. Meadowlark
    Mary Treen
    Mary Treen
    • Saxe
    • (as Mary Lou Treen)
    Cliff Edwards
    Cliff Edwards
    • Laro
    Charles Trowbridge
    Charles Trowbridge
    • Judge
    Ernie Alexander
    • Admiring Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Hooper Atchley
    Hooper Atchley
    • Army Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Irving Bacon
    Irving Bacon
    • Tall Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    John Lucky Ball
    • Carnival sword swallower
    • (uncredited)
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Military Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Eugene Borden
    • French Captain Pinning Medals
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Bruno
    • Gangster in Court
    • (uncredited)
    Francis X. Bushman Jr.
    Francis X. Bushman Jr.
    • Lieutenant
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Byrd
    Ralph Byrd
    • Wounded Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Thomas Carr
    • Aide
    • (uncredited)
    George Chandler
    George Chandler
    • Taxi Driver
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • W.S. Van Dyke
    • Writers
      • William J. Cowen
      • Cyril Hume
      • Richard Maibaum
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    6.3429
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    More like this

    Mannequin
    6.6
    Mannequin
    Big City
    6.4
    Big City
    Stanley and Livingstone
    7.0
    Stanley and Livingstone
    Edward, My Son
    6.5
    Edward, My Son
    A Guy Named Joe
    6.9
    A Guy Named Joe
    Test Pilot
    6.8
    Test Pilot
    The Power and the Glory
    6.6
    The Power and the Glory
    Fury
    7.8
    Fury
    The Seventh Cross
    7.4
    The Seventh Cross
    I Take This Woman
    6.4
    I Take This Woman
    Riffraff
    6.2
    Riffraff
    State of the Union
    7.2
    State of the Union

    Related interests

    Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)
    Film Noir
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
    Band of Brothers (2001)
    War

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      With the help of the U.S. government, the rifle range scene was for real.
    • Goofs
      (at around 33 mins) As Saxe hands Rose a list of casualties with Fred on it, in the very next scene the list magically has disappeared from her hands.
    • Quotes
      • Fred P. Willis: Jimmy, how did you ever get in this racket?
      • James 'Jimmy' Davis: [Cynical] What did you want me to be, a fifteen buck a week bookkeep?
      • Fred P. Willis: Well, this is sure a clean way of making a living.
      • James 'Jimmy' Davis: [laughs] You're forgetting they got medals for us in 1918.
      • Fred P. Willis: Yeah, and a kiss from a French general but this isn't the same.
      • James 'Jimmy' Davis: Yeah, that's a fact. Some of those German boys I wiped out were good guys. Around here, they're nothing but a bunch of hopped up monkeys.
    • Soundtracks
      A Love Song of Long Ago
      Music by Sigmund Romberg

      Lyrics by Gus Kahn

      Sung softly as background music

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    • Release date
      • May 7, 1937 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Kad umuknu topovi
    • Filming locations
      • La Jolla, San Diego, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 34m(94 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.