Carbine Williams

Carbine Williams is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart, Jean Hagen and Wendell Corey. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for the M1 Carbine while in a North Carolina prison. The M1 Carbine was used extensively by the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Originally filmed in black-and-white, it is also shown in a computer-colorized version.

Plot
The film follows the life of David Marshall Williams, who was a member of the Winchester team that invented the semi-automatic M1 Carbine used in World War II. Williams was found distilling illegal moonshine, and was held responsible for the death of a sheriff's deputy during a raid on his still. He was sentenced to thirty years' hard labor. He cycled through the prison system until a firm but compassionate warden, H.T. Peoples, allowed him to work in a prison tool shop. There, he invented the gas system for his famous rifle. Williams was released from prison in 1929 and worked with Winchester Firearms on development of the M1 Carbine.

Cast

 * James Stewart as David Marshall 'Marsh' Williams
 * Jean Hagen as Maggie Williams
 * Wendell Corey as Capt. H. T. Peoples
 * Carl Benton Reid as Claude Williams
 * Paul Stewart as 'Dutch' Kruger
 * Otto Hulett as Mobley
 * Rhys Williams as Redwick Karson
 * Herbert Heyes as Lionel Daniels
 * James Arness as Leon Williams
 * Porter Hall as Sam Markley
 * Fay Roope as District Attorney
 * Ralph Dumke as Andrew White
 * Leif Erickson as Feder
 * Henry Corden as Bill Stockton
 * Frank Richards as Truex
 * Howard Petrie as Sheriff
 * Stuart Randall as Tom Vennar
 * Dan Riss as Jesse Rimmer

Reception
According to MGM records the film earned $1,787,000 in the US and Canada and $802,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $575,000.

Comic book adaptation

 * Fawcett Movie Comic #19 (October 1952)