Carbine Williams Reviews

Stewart gives a masterful portrayal of a simple but brilliant inventor, Marsh Williams, who is sent to prison for thirty years after his still is raided and a revenue agent is killed by one of Stewart's associates. At the North Carolina prison farm where Stewart is sent, hardships and brutality abound, and Stewart at first struggles against the quiet authority of warden Corey. To occupy his time, Stewart secretly begins to construct a weapon, not one with which to escape, but an entirely new invention. Having a lifelong fascination with firearms, Stewart conceives a weapon with a short-stroke piston. When Corey discovers the weapon and confiscates it, Stewart goes to him, begging that he be allowed to finish his creation, explaining that the US military has need of such an invention. Corey realizes Stewart is not intending to use the weapon to escape and allows him to continue his work over much opposition from superiors. The result is the creation of the M-1 carbine. This weapon helped to revolutionize modern warfare and more than eight million carbines were used by American troops during WW II. After serving eight years in prison, Stewart is released. This uncomplicated story is told exclusively from Stewart's point of view, and the star gives a captivating, intense performance, convincingly portraying the real-life, hard-as-nails mountain man so that his plight becomes thoroughly sympathetic. Thorpe's direction is tight and Mellor's camera is never inactive.