Carbine Williams

directed by Richard Thorpe
Category: "Drama"
Year of Release:1952
Date Added:04/15/2026
Date Watched:04/15/2026
Description:Fictionalized version of the story of David Marshall Williams (played here by James Stewart), a moonshiner who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a sheriff. (It was never proven who fired the shot that killed the man.) After a few years, he was transferred to a prison run by Captain Peoples (Wendell Corey), who saw promise in Williams, allowed him to work in the prison blacksmith shop, and even let him build his own rifle. Williams invented a new style of gun (which I don't even begin to understand) that was adopted by the Army, used extensively in WWII and subsequent wars. After 8 years (in the movie anyway), Williams was pardoned and went to work for Winchester. Jean Hagen plays his patient wife, Maggie.
My Rating:6

Reviews for Carbine Williams

Review - Carbine Williams

Like many movies about famous people, there is very little suspense — I knew how it turned out. And since making a rifle isn't all that interesting, much of the movie was just Stewart sulking in prison, which was dull.

Reviewed by Roger on 2026-04-15 12:23:36

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