I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a 1932 American pre-Code crime tragedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni as a convicted man on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. It was released on November 10, 1932. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Muni. In 1991, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot: Sergeant James Allen returns to civilian life after World War I. He has served with distinction, earning a medal from Allied governments for his bravery. His war experience has made him restless and he wants to enter the construction industry as an engineer, but those dreams are shattered when he visits a diner with an acquaintance, who forces him at gunpoint to participate in a robbery. The police arrive and shoot and kill his friend. Allen panics and attempts to flee but is caught immediately. Allen is tried and sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labor. The brutal prison conditions compel James to break out and flee to Chicago, where he assumes a new identity and, over time, becomes a successful businessman. His freedom and happiness are threatened, however, when his scheming landlady (Glenda Farrell) discovers his secret and threatens to blackmail him.
