Carbine Williams

1952 "This is my Story"
6.9| 1h32m| NR| en
Details

David Marshall Williams is sent to a prison farm where he works in the tool shop and eventually develops the precursor of the famous M-1 Carbine automatic rifle used in World War II.

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Reviews

Nonureva Really Surprised!
Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict
Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Gunn Any film with Jimmy Stewart of Henry Fonda in it is a guaranteed very good film. "Carbine Williams" is no exception. When he takes on a role, you can't imagine anyone else doing a better job. Here he plays a man from a large country family in North Carolina who is very self-centered, but a decent fellow. After busting up rocks for a railroad for 40 cents an hour, he finds building boilers a better option. It turns out these boilers are used for illegal 'stills' and before long he is distilling whiskey. This leads to trouble and a prison sentence. It goes on from there. Stewart is terrific as is Wendell Corey and Jean Hagen as his loving wife. The true story is based on an article in Reader's Digest "Most Unforgettable Person" series. It is available from Warner Bros. Archive Collection on (barebones) DVD.
kirk_bones This is the story of convicted murderer David Marshall Williams who invented the M-1 carbine rifle that was used in WW11. This is James Stewart at his laid back, laconic best.However he injects a darker side to his role as a moonshiner,wrongly or rightly accused of killing a federal Marshall.His innocence or lack of it was neatly sidestepped as this is the story of his invention not of his crime. For modern films viewers the prison scenes may seem slightly twee and a bit too clean cut compared to modern prison classics such as The Shawshank Redemption and the Green Mile but some scenes really pack a punch they include a man being whipped and James Stewert in solitary confinement for differences with the prison warden. Jean Hagen does well in a supporting role as his wife who promises to wait for her husband till he completes his 30 year prison sentence. This film also has moments of great beauty the foremost being David M Williams being let out of jail for 24 hours to visit his wife.He is trying to get his wife to divorce him and she says, "without you I am only half a person,you are my other half".Priceless. This may not be considered by many to be a classic movie but it is certainly a very satisfying one that gives you a warm feeling inside at the end. Thank you TCM for showing another golden oldie.8/10
whatshisfacesoutpost This movie is a great movie for those who are into guns. Weather it be gun collecting, or just history. This movie portrays the actual real life story of how the winchester carbine was brought about. It is correct in it's history, and very interesting. Jimmy Stewart does an excellent job of portraying the feelings of a prisoner who may be wrongly convicted. It was never determined who actually killed the agent. This man made a rifle to help the American fighting man of the armed forces. Lighter, faster and more reliable than anything up to it's time. This was done inside a prison, with nothing but a file. When it was found out what he was doing, the warden of the prison eventually stands behind him and helps him in his efforts. If you are not interested in guns it is still a informative movie with a great human interest story!
k_jasmine_99 Jimmy Stewart plays real-life inventor Marsh "Carbine" Williams, a not-so-very-nice guy, really. Which is mostly the reason why Stewart wanted to take the part. Marsh Williams is convicted of murder although there was really never any proof. He is a bitter man, proud, trying to spare his family the heartache of seeing him in prison, but they stick by him anyway.I enjoyed this movie; my favorite part probably being the friendship that slowly develops between inmate Williams and Captain Peoples ("Cap"). Watch for a good scene towards the end where Cap makes his friendship for Williams loud and clear - a true symbol of the trust he had in the alleged killer.The story of the man, his family, and his friends, is the real story here. The fact that he invented a new kind of gun is a side-note. Interesting, though, the ability he had to build things with bare essentials and his own two hands.Good movie. Not the typical "everyman" Stewart, but he does a great job in the part.Jean Hagen (perhaps best known for her role as the ditzy silent-movie star opposite Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain") plays Stewart's wife in the movie.