History Film / IAmAFugitiveFromAChainGang

* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan: One of Warner Bros.' anti-establishment films of the 1930s, which were making them a pretty tidy income.

Based on the true story of Robert Elliott Burns, and with the help of this movie Burns--who was still on the run at the time this was made--was pardoned in 1945, and lived free until his death ten years later. (Burns would later be the subject of a 1987 made-for-TV biopic called ''The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'', in which he's played by Creator/ValKilmer).

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: In a reverse ShooTheDog, Jim leaves Helen forever, cutting her from him permanently, so she won't be caught up in his wrecked life.

* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: The film is based on the autobiographical book by Robert E. Burns entitled ''I Am a Fugitive from a '''Georgia''' Chain Gang!'', published in 1930. The title was changed so as not to offend anyone from Georgia, and the state Allen escapes from is never named (the TravelMontage of his return fades out over Kentucky). Still, the film outraged the Georgia authorities so much that they refused to pardon the book's author until 1945.

Muni plays Sergeant James Allen, who on his return home from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI knows he is now a changed man, and leaves home to go work in construction. However, along the way, he manages to talk to the wrong man at the wrong time, and on a trip to go get a bite to eat he is caught up in a robbery. Held at gunpoint, Allen is forced to steal 5 dollars from the restaurant (that's about $85 today,) and when the man holding the gun at him is shot by police, he flees in a panic, but barely gets out the door before he is caught. He is sentenced to serve ten years on a DeepSouth chain gang.

Allen is told that if he turns himself in, he will be out of the chain gang in 90 days, but after the 90 days he learns this was just a ruse to get him behind bars, and he must now serve the 9 years he missed. Brutally upset, he manages to escape once more, and is able to find Helen once more, telling her he can never see her again, and will be on the run for the rest of his life, before disappearing into the shadows. (Director Mervyn [=LeRoy=] claimed that the final scene was an idea that came to him after a fuse blew on the set, plunging it into darkness, but in fact that was always part of the script.)

Muni plays Sergeant James Allen, who on his return home from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI knows he is now a changed man, and leaves home to go work in construction. However, along the way, he manages to talk to the wrong man at the wrong time, and on a trip to go get a bite to eat he is caught up in a robbery. Held at gunpoint, Allen is forced to steal 5 dollars from the restaurant (that's about 85 dollars today,) and when the man holding the gun at him dies, he takes the money and runs. He is soon caught, and sentenced to serve ten years on a DeepSouth chain gang.

Allen decides he's had enough, and with the help of two other men he is able to escape to UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}. He becomes a success in the construction business under the name Allen James, but when femme fatale Marie Woods discovers he is an escapee, she blackmails him into marriage for his money. However, it's clear that they are not in love in the slightest; 'Allen' cheats on her for the beautiful and kind Helen. When Allen asks Marie for a divorce, she is so outraged she tells the authorities that Allen James is James Allen, and he is caught once more.

Allen is told that if he turns himself in, he will be out of the chain gang in 90 days, but after the 90 days he learns this was just a ruse to get him behind bars, and he must now serve the 9 years he missed. Brutally upset, he manages to escape once more, and is able to find Helen again in the shadows before he tells her he can never see her again, and will be on the run for the rest of his life. (Director Mervyn [=LeRoy=] claimed that the final scene was an idea that came to him after a fuse blew on the set, plunging it into darkness, but in fact that was always part of the script.)

Based on the true story of Robert Elliott Burns, and with the help of this movie Burns -- who was still on the run at the time this was made -- was pardoned in 1945, and lived free until his death ten years later. (Burns would later be the subject of a 1987 made-for-TV biopic called ''The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'', in which he's played by Creator/ValKilmer).

* AllCrimesAreEqual: Allen is staying the same amount of time, doing the same labor, and living in the same conditions as hardened murderers (most notably mentioned is a man who killed his mother, wife, and sister-in-law, which makes Allen reasonably unwilling to say he's only in for stealing five dollars at gunpoint).
* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: Allen's wife demands that he marry her, or [[{{Blackmail}} she'll turn him in]].

* ClotheslineStealing: Allen has just escaped prison and comes across a farm where clothes are hanging out to dry. He "harvests" the clothesline and runs away with his new garments that turn out to fit perfectly.
* ConvenientlyCellmates: When James returns to prison after several years, he ends up in the same quarter with the old prisoner who helped him out the first time around. Guess what the two are planning next.

* DrivingADesk: Most obvious during Allen and Bomber's flight from the guards.

* ExplodingCalendar: Probably the TropeCodifier with its extensive use of this trope. Months fly off a calendar several times, like when Allen is waiting out the months during his second stint on a chain gang.

* FantasyForbiddingFather: Jim's father doesn't want him to pursue his dream of working in Engineering but stay with the clerk job in town.
* TheFilmOfTheBook: ''I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang'' by Robert Burns. The book, and the film, were released while he was still in hiding after his second escape (hence the present tense in the title).
* HadToComeToPrisonToBeACrook: This is the point of the novel AND the movie. After escaping — twice — he is forced into hiding, and in the film's memorable final scene, bids farewell to his former fiancee.
-->'''Helen:''' Oh, Jim. It was all going to be so different.
-->'''Jim:''' It is different. They've made it different. I've gotta go.
-->'''Helen:''' I can't let you go like this!
-->'''Jim:''' I've got to.
-->'''Helen:''' Can't you tell me where you're going? ''[Jim shakes his head]'' Will you write? ''[Jim shakes his head again]'' Do you need any money? ''[Jim shakes his head again]'' But you must, Jim. How will you live?
-->'''Jim:''' ''[whispers]'' ''I steal!''

* HollywoodLaw: Averted - the practices you see in this movie were lawful until the 1950s. This movie helped bring them to an end.

* {{Irony}}: Jim's second escape is very symbolic — the man who dreamed of building bridges blows one up to get away from the police.

* MovingTheGoalposts: First they let James work for 3 month, then 1 year but it becomes apparent they'd never let him go.

* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: The film is based on the autobiographical book by Robert E. Burns entitled "I Am a Fugitive from the ''Georgia'' Chain Gang", published in 1930. The title was changed so as not to offend anyone from Georgia. Still, the film outraged the Georgia authorities so much that they refused to pardon the book's author until 1945.

* PursueTheDreamJob: Jim wants to be an engineer instead of clerk and he works hard to achieve that goal.
* ReedSnorkel: This is how James gets away from the guards the first time.

* SpinningPaper: There is a newspaper headline montage with the publics' reaction to James facing extradition.

* TooDumbToLive: The old inmate who James escapes with. He leans out of the truck to observe the pursuers who are wildly shooting at them. Of course he gets hit by a bullet.

* WhatAreYouInFor: James is asked this by a fellow inmate but refuses to answer.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: While Robert Elliott Burns' real-life incarceration took place in Georgia, and his book (on which the film was based) was titled ''I Am a Fugitive from a '''Georgia''' Chain Gang'', the state is never named in the film. This did not stop numerous lawsuits being filed against the filmmakers by various Georgia prison officials, the film being banned in Georgia, or the studio head and the director of the film being threatened with firsthand experience on a chain gang if they ever set foot in Georgia.

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* StarCrossedLovers: James and Helen, who part forever at the end.

* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: The film is based on the autobiographical book by Robert E. Burns entitled "I Am a Fugitive from the ''Georgia'' Chain Gang", published in 1930. The title was changed so as not to offend anyone from the Georgia. Still, the film outraged the Georgia authorities so much that they refused to pardon the book's author until 1945.

->'''''"I steal!"'''''

Muni plays Sergeant James Allen, who on his return home from WorldWarI knows he is now a changed man, and leaves home to go work in construction. However, along the way, he manages to talk to the wrong man at the wrong time, and on a trip to go get a bite to eat he is caught up in a robbery. Held at gunpoint, Allen is forced to steal 5 dollars from the restaurant (that's about 85 dollars today,) and when the man holding the gun at him dies, he takes the money and runs. He is soon caught, and sentenced to serve ten years on a DeepSouth chain gang.

* ReturningWarVet: James fought in UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne, and not far into the film, he's riding the rails looking for any kind of employment. It often gets overshadowed by the film's penal reform themes, but this movie also deals with how American war vets had been abandoned by the government.

* {{Blackmail}}: Allen's wife demands that he marry her, or she'll turn him in.

* HellholePrison: With [[WardensAreEvil sadistic wardens]] and disgusting food. Apparently this was TruthInTelevision at the time.

* MovingTheGoalposts: First they let James work for 3 month, then 1 year but it is apparent they'd never let him go.

* ScaryBlackMan: The big intimidating black inmate who turns out to be quite helpful.

* IdiotBall: James' brother who reveals his identity as a fugitive in a letter to his brother. No writing in code, just spill it all out about the police still looking for him.

* {{IdiotBall}}: James' brother who reveals his identity as a fugitive in a letter to his brother. No writing in code, just spill it all out about the police still looking for him.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Linda takes good care of James on his first night after his initial escape. That likely would not have played out that way had the film been made after the UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode went into effect in 1934.

* ExplodingCalendar: Months fly off a calendar several times, like when Allen is waiting out the months during his second stint on a chain gang.