A western from the 50s but certainly following in the footsteps of other westerns from that era. Much more of a character study of a man trying to gain some redemption we see a Gregory Peck sans moustache, apparently against the wishes of the studio head, spending a great deal of movie trying to forget his past and move onto a different, brighter, settled future. The trouble is when you lived a tough, unforgiving past trying to shake that off is difficult. The Shootist with John Wayne followed the same path and is more or less the same story.

Here we see a stark monochrome film with an adult theme which compared to some of the output of 1950s western films was clearly setting the future up for a more dirty, unshaven, morally ambiguous future for westerns on the silver screen. The mood is downbeat throughout and threaded through with a feeling of impending doom catching up with the participants, the path they took in life was always leading here and as they get older it gets closer and closer.

Peck is impressive as the world-weary gunfighter whose legend is a huge boulder chained to him that he drags from town to town in the old west and he is well supported by the Millard Mitchell as his former ‘running mate’ Mark Stret the marshal. Both men want to leave their past behind but Stret has managed and Ringo wants to. The way his life choices is further outlined to him and audience when a cheerful rancher, pops into the bar, has one drink, briefly outlines his life and pops out again is odd and perhaps a tad heavy-handed but the point is reinforced for sure. Karl Malden rounds out the triumvirate of men from the old days who is pleased to see Jimmy, hankers for nostalgic old days but really sees the commercial opportunities in a gunslinger far outweighing any ‘trouble’. He is redeemed as a character by being basically decent.

The female side of cast is mainly supplied by Helen Westcott as the estranged wife of Jimmy, Peggy, who I found as a character a bit hard to believe she hung out and married hell-raising gunslinger Jimmy Ringo, of the main actors she seems more of her era, more actorly and dare I say a bit ‘hammy’ but not enough to detract. Jean Parker and the more worldly and thereby more realistic Molly, Ringo’s old partner Bucky’s wife, gives the other female support as the non-romantic interest who ultimately intervenes to the extent that Jimmy stays longer than he should and she is very good in a limited role.

As with stories and films of this era if Peck is the, admittedly anti-hero, of this film the makers need the real black-hat. This role is filled by the whip-thin interesting looking Skip Homeier who plays his role as the spoiled and unlikeable Hunt Bromley with great skill. In lesser hands it could have been a sneering moustache-twirling pantomime baddy but with Homeier and his callow, youthful, ‘he hasn’t started shaving yet’ looks he fits the role perfectly and on the right side of the line of melodramatic. An interesting actor he mainly played youthful villans after coming out of his child-acting career before retiring in the 70s. He certainly had that look and clearly played to his strength.

Oddly enough for a film of his era there is no score, particularly in the more dramatic moments, I for one liked this but it is a strange thing when you notice it. Equally as impressive for me was the lack of gunplay during the running, for a gunslinger western this is impressive and the writers and director have clearly tried to make the story about the man and not his deeds.

In line with the noir style in Hollywood the film has no happy ending and no resolution, it starts with Ringo riding into the scene and ends with Ringo going out.

All in all, for a 1950s gunslinger western The Gunfighter is intelligently and well-made and acted and does ask some questions rather than just try to elicit boos and cheers.

Good work stands up whenever it was made, this much we should know by watching The Gunfighter

*Falacies of the Useless*

✓Script (history) and Performances:[0.7]
The story of the gunslinger tired of so much running goes very well and convinces mainly by the performance of Gregory, who is very angry! His younger and now more mature life convinced me of his current motivations, and the character's impatience and ignorance with the boys who once looked like him helped to bring out the protagonist's psychology.
The acting was pretty average overall except for Gregory and Millard Mitchell. They were the highlights in the performances although some less important ones managed to do well, as well as the extras. It was the antagonists that didn't impress me.

✓Theme(Direction):[1.0]

At 35 years old, Ringo concludes that he doesn't intend to spend the rest of his life having to prove he's as trigger-happy as the legendary Wyatt Earp or Buffalo Bill. The reasons for his retirement were genuine, after all, what cowboy wouldn't want to have an old age of peace with his sweetheart and boy? The film tries to teach young people that bravery may not be the best choice. A fight avoided brings less wear and for sure, a life being invisible and having peace.


The film brings the message through its narrative in the voice of our main character. His tone of voice and dialogue make this very clear.
The watch, at all times shown, helps to bring about the mood of impatience.
✓Costume:[1.0]
The clothes were in accordance with the time in which the

✓Makeup:[1.0]
Here, the credit goes precisely for mischaracterizing the heartthrob.
Gregory gets rough and rough, like he should be the biggest gunslinger in that region

✓Edition:[0.8]
The scenes were very well assembled with the intention of detailing each step of the story in its 84 minutes, without leaving anything too shallow.

Even so, it lost its rhythm a little in the middle of the film, in my impatience with the outcome, which was not what I wanted to see.
The beginning shows a traveler of many miles looking for an ending, a place to rest. The end brings the outcome of his desire, eternal rest.

✓Aim of the Film:[1.0]
The message was passed without arresting us for three...four hours.

✓Photography[0.9]
Making the film in black and white was a great achievement.
The framing of the scenarios, which are already very faithful to the period, make the experience even better.

✓Art Direction[1.0]
All very beautiful and well decorated.

✓Visual Effects[0.5]
If there's anything to comment here, it's the shooting scenes, which weren't many and had very little detail.

✓Sound[0.8]
It worked as it should, nothing too disjointed and the rides and shots really felt real.

Grade: 8.7

***Dramatic B&W Western starring Gregory Peck in the titular role***

Released in 1950, “The Gunfighter” stars Gregory Peck as a middle-aged quick-draw gunfighter who rides into a Southwestern town where his fame excites the populace and attracts young bucks wanting to make a name. Millard Mitchell plays the sheriff, an old friend, while Helen Westcott appears as his former babe. Karl Malden plays the bartender while Jean Parker is on hand as a saloon singer.

The movie starts great with a saloon confrontation and a chase in the desert wilderness. Too bad the B&W photography renders the awesome locations flat.

From there the story turns dramatic and it’s done well as we get to learn about the gunfighter through his conversations with peoples he’s known. There are a couple of hokey elements but, for the most part, this is a potent Western drama. I didn’t like the ending though; I think it was a cop-out and something better could’ve been scripted. For one thing, a certain character wasn’t a criminal (that is, if the dialogue is to be believed); he only shot others in self-defense, about 15 people, which is even illustrated in the opening scenes.

The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes and was shot in California and Arizona.

GRADE: B

A moustachioed Gregory Peck is the renowned, but now reformed, gunslinger "Ringo" who rides into his hometown hoping to meet up with his old flame "Peggy" (Helen Westcott) and his young son - whom he has yet to actually meet! The locals are less than enthusiastic at his arrival - especially the prudish elder women, but then neither is "Peggy" nor the fair-minded sheriff (Milllard Mitchell). Indeed, once news of his arrival spreads he becomes a magnet for people keen to have a pop at this legend. The most irritating of them proves to be "Bromley" (Skip Homeier) and with tensions rising we wonder just how long "Ringo" can use his wits instead of his guns. Karl Malden is quite good as the barman who shares quite a bit of the accruing danger and as Henry King keeps us interested for just shy of ninety minutes, we are taken on a trip that gradually and effectively builds the sense of imminent peril. Peck is on good form and Homeier also rather good as the youth with the scent of blood and fame in his nostrils. It's quite sparingly scripted; well scored by Alfred Newman and paced slowly but deliberately as we think we know what's bound to happen - but will it?