The Gunfighter (1950)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

William Bowers (story) and
André De Toth (story) ...

Release Date:

21 August 1950 (Sweden)

Genre:

Western | Drama

Tagline:

His only friend was his gun... His only refuge - a woman's heart!

Plot:

Notorious gunfighter Jimmy Ringo rides into town to find his true love, who doesn't want to see him. He hasn't come looking for trouble, but trouble finds him around every corner.

Plot Keywords:

Gunfight | 1880s | Absent Father | Ambush | Barbershop

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Jimmy Ringo
Helen Westcott	...	Peggy Walsh
Millard Mitchell	...	Marshal Mark Strett
Jean Parker	...	Molly
Karl Malden	...	Mac
Skip Homeier	...	Hunt Bromley
Anthony Ross	...	Deputy Charlie Norris
Verna Felton	...	Mrs. August Pennyfeather
Ellen Corby	...	Mrs. Devlin
Richard Jaeckel	...	Eddie

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Germany:12 | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved (PCA #14217)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The studio hated Peck's authentic period mustache. In fact, the head of production at Fox, Spyros P. Skouras was out of town when production began. By the time he got back, so much of the film had been shot, it was too late to order Peck to shave it off and re-shoot. After the film did not do well at the box office, Skouras ran into Peck and he reportedly said that "mustache cost us millions".

Quotes:

Jimmy Ringo: How come I've got to run into a squirt like you nearly every place I go these days? What are you trying to do? Show off for your friends?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Rock of Ages

Psychological Western with an impressive Gregory Peck

The Western is not my favorite genre. I've seen some of John Ford's classics and many B-Westerns. Of most I can't even remember the titles, but this one is different. It's much more a psychological study, without the grand landscapes, backgrounds or epic story lines. If John Ford's splendid cinematography is not for you, this one cuts back to the basics of human relationships, without the epic adventure many Westerns try to depict.

This film is skimmed down to an absolute minimum with Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, notorious killer and the deadliest shot in the Old West. Though his appetite for bloodletting is over, Ringo is forced to stay on the run from young ambitious gunners determined to shoot him down. After killing an upstart in self-defense, he escapes to the nearby town of Caynenne. There, he hopes to convince his estranged wife (Helen Westcott) to resume their life together, but his arrival causes a sensation. With more young bucks gunning for him, Ringo's fate lies in the hands of the sheriff (Millard Mitchell), his old bandit partner.

With this film the old credo, "less is more", is evident. No great showdowns, not much action, just Gregory Peck in a great character study with carefully built-up tension. He never let me down, giving a fantastic performance, again.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10