MovieChat Forums > I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) Discussion > you can leave your hat on...

you can leave your hat on...

posted 19 years ago by EnterJamesClayton
6 replies | jump to latest

So you were unfairly arrested for stealing from a burger stall (only under the pressure of gunpoint from a real criminal). Now you're banged up in an institution, your ankles permanently in chains and everyday forced to endure hard labour spending hours in the hot sun smashing rocks for apparently no reason. All your rights, possessions and luxuries are stripped, the guards and authorities degrade you and treat you as grabastic pieces of amphibious sh!t, you are forced to wake at the crack of dawn, wear stripey uniform and eat sloppy sewage.

but hey, you can keep your hat. In fact you can wear it throughout the whole movie, even when you're being locked up in prison and toiling away doing manual labour with the chain gang!

"don't think...feeeeel"

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TheLionKingKong 16 years ago

He actually does have his hat off during the movie. I think it's after he escapes.

Taking your hat off means showing respect, so if he keeps it on in prison and takes it off after breaking out, that means he has respect for life outside of jail. (My interpretation).

[–] LCShackley 15 years ago

Check out Randy Newman's song, "You Can Leave Your Hat On."

[–] weirdturnpro 14 years ago

In the 1920s and 30s, men wore hats ALL the time, in any situation, in every kind of weather. But I'm sure you knew that having done so much exhaustive research before you posted.

[–] infinity8 13 years ago

But Paul kept the hat that he brought in with him. It seems humane for the prison guards to let the men wear hats to keep the sun off while they work, but shouldn't the hats at least be prison issue?

[–] Flight_of_Fantasy 13 years ago

I noticed that, too. I figured it was just a mark of how badass James was.

"He's already attracted to her. Time and monotony will do the rest."