I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a
1932 movie in which
Paul Muni stars as a wrongly accused escapee from a brutal chain gang. The film was written by
Howard J. Green[?] and
Brown Holmes[?], from
Robert E. Burns[?]'s autobiography of the same name. It was directed by
Mervyn LeRoy. The film was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture; the film was controversial on its release and eventually led to the elimination of forced labor in the penal system in the
United States. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry.