A late 60's western about ruthless cattle ranchers and their ranch hands who terrorize helpless sheep ranchers, with the action alternating between the range, the ranch, and the town, itself with a thriving saloon/brothel where a lot of the action is centered. Into this arrives an ex gunfighter turned preacher played by Glenn Ford who wants to bring peace. The script nearly does the film in, although the story and late 60's permissiveness keep one watching. As well, even though the screenplay verges on being ridiculous, the acting by Ford, John Anderson (as the ruthless big cattle rancher with a sadistic son played by David Carridine) and some other parts (J.D. Cannon chews some serious scenery as hired gun Mace) elevate the entertainment quotient, and the film's ending doesn't make one feel remorse about watching this.
18 Reviews
Decent Glenn Ford Western around ordinary conflicts between cattle and sheep breeders
ma-cortes25 March 2019
Lightly watchable Western about confrontation between Sheepmen , cattlemen and homesteaders . This is an ordinary Hollywood Western , it turns out to be a mixture of action , fights , shootouts and struggles between gunslingers and sheepmen . In a Western little cattle-town , a pattern of the other celebrated cow towns of the Old west called Vinegarroon , there emerges problems as the facing off between cattle and sheep breeders escalates . The reason seems to be a troublesome stock : a herd of sheep . There appears a fast-draw stranger who behaves impulsively , he is Glenn Ford as the brave gunslinger/Pastor called Killian who results to be a priest - a two-fisted one however, who soon shall make at whatever means to keep peace and order against the unscrupulous rancher Esa Beck (John Anderson) and his treacherous villain son (David Carradine) . Later on , Jim Killian builds a church , captioning the following : ¨Mission Church of the Good Sheperd , J. Killian Pastor¨ . Meantime , Killian is fighting to stifle the conflicts between Sheepmen , homesteaders and cattlemen who hire a gunfighter (J.D. Cannon) , a former colleague from Yuma Territorial Prison . While , the astonished inhabitants decide to run him out at all costs . Glenn Ford finally cleans up an uncontrollably lawless Western town. ¨He is a new kind of gunfighter! . ¨Jim Killian Killed Like an Artist¨. ¨This is the Story of His Masterpiece¨. ¨Draw fast when you call him the Sheepman¡ ¨ .
This acceptable , meaty Western contains interesting plot , intrigue , thrills , shootouts , range war , bigotry , and results to be quite entertaining . Passable Western balances action , suspense and drama . It's a classical recounting about an ex-gunman/priest, a peace-loving who is really an expert shooter and surrounded by cowards and frightening people . This is a lively , beautifully shot , well paced and hugely agreeable western . The highlights of the film are the climatic showdowns , the surprise at church and , of course, the final confrontation . The traditional story and exciting screenplay was well written by Richard Carr , though clichés run through-out . Dalton Trumbo first contributed to this plot in the early 1960s but asked for it to be removed from the credits once the blacklist had been lifted . The enjoyable tale is enhanced for interesting moments developed among main characters and especially on the relationship between Glenn Ford and Barbara Hershey playing a naive Navajo Indian . Magnificently performed by Glenn Ford as the gunslinger-turned-preacher Jim Killian who is caught in the middle of a violent range war between cattlemen and sheep-men . He is an awesome expert in the art of conjuring sensational acting , here he gives a top-drawing performance in this atypical but thought-provoking western with a lot of reflection , distinguished moments and dramatical attitudes , in addition a multitude of entertaining situations . Top-notch plethora of secondary actors playing vicious , sadistic sociopaths as the heinous gunfighter David Carradine -who hangs cruelly an Indian- , J .D. Cannon as a ruthless pistolero , John Anderson as the evil landowner , as well as other good guys and friendly women as James Griffith as an upright Mormon , Noah Beery Jr. , Carolyn Jones , Harry Townes , Virginia Gregg , Barbara Babcock , Angelique Pettyjohn , among others .
It contains an evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp . As well as lively and moving musical score by Johnny Mandel , including some catching songs . The motion picture was professionally directed by Lee H Katzin . Filmmaker Lee H. Katzin started directing features in the late 1960s. Turning to made-for-television movies, he directed a lot of episodes of popular TV series as Jim West , The Young Riders , Renegade ,The Yellow Rose , Miami Vice , Mannix , The felony squad , Hondo , The Rat Patrol and several others . He became one of the busiest directors in that genre, churning out a slew of mostly routine fodder, including television rendition from cinematic hits as Dirty mission II and Dirty Dozen III . Every so often, however, one would rise above the rest: Along Came a Spider (1970) is a tense, gritty murder mystery, and a nice Western : The Quest (1976) . His two most famous credits directing in the cinema were, in fact, films where he replaced a previous director - Bernard Girard on "Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?" and John Sturges on "Le Mans". Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable Western . Well worth watching .
This acceptable , meaty Western contains interesting plot , intrigue , thrills , shootouts , range war , bigotry , and results to be quite entertaining . Passable Western balances action , suspense and drama . It's a classical recounting about an ex-gunman/priest, a peace-loving who is really an expert shooter and surrounded by cowards and frightening people . This is a lively , beautifully shot , well paced and hugely agreeable western . The highlights of the film are the climatic showdowns , the surprise at church and , of course, the final confrontation . The traditional story and exciting screenplay was well written by Richard Carr , though clichés run through-out . Dalton Trumbo first contributed to this plot in the early 1960s but asked for it to be removed from the credits once the blacklist had been lifted . The enjoyable tale is enhanced for interesting moments developed among main characters and especially on the relationship between Glenn Ford and Barbara Hershey playing a naive Navajo Indian . Magnificently performed by Glenn Ford as the gunslinger-turned-preacher Jim Killian who is caught in the middle of a violent range war between cattlemen and sheep-men . He is an awesome expert in the art of conjuring sensational acting , here he gives a top-drawing performance in this atypical but thought-provoking western with a lot of reflection , distinguished moments and dramatical attitudes , in addition a multitude of entertaining situations . Top-notch plethora of secondary actors playing vicious , sadistic sociopaths as the heinous gunfighter David Carradine -who hangs cruelly an Indian- , J .D. Cannon as a ruthless pistolero , John Anderson as the evil landowner , as well as other good guys and friendly women as James Griffith as an upright Mormon , Noah Beery Jr. , Carolyn Jones , Harry Townes , Virginia Gregg , Barbara Babcock , Angelique Pettyjohn , among others .
It contains an evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp . As well as lively and moving musical score by Johnny Mandel , including some catching songs . The motion picture was professionally directed by Lee H Katzin . Filmmaker Lee H. Katzin started directing features in the late 1960s. Turning to made-for-television movies, he directed a lot of episodes of popular TV series as Jim West , The Young Riders , Renegade ,The Yellow Rose , Miami Vice , Mannix , The felony squad , Hondo , The Rat Patrol and several others . He became one of the busiest directors in that genre, churning out a slew of mostly routine fodder, including television rendition from cinematic hits as Dirty mission II and Dirty Dozen III . Every so often, however, one would rise above the rest: Along Came a Spider (1970) is a tense, gritty murder mystery, and a nice Western : The Quest (1976) . His two most famous credits directing in the cinema were, in fact, films where he replaced a previous director - Bernard Girard on "Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?" and John Sturges on "Le Mans". Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable Western . Well worth watching .
"There'll be no killin' around this church unless I do the killin'.... Amen".
classicsoncall11 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
After watching quite a few Westerns with the cattle vs. sheep rancher theme, this is the first time I've ever seen one in which an attempt was made to get the two factions together by demonstrating that both animals could live together side by side. I wonder why no one else ever got that idea, until Glenn Ford came around as preacher/gunman Jim Killian. Pastor Jim plays it fairly straight down the middle for the picture's entire run, cleverly inviting the opposing forces to join his congregation while they try to settle their differences.
I have to give some casting credit here to the roles of John Anderson and David Carradine as father and son, positioned as the main heavies to oppose Pastor Killian. The younger Beck had almost as good a resemblance to his movie father as he did to his real dad, John Carradine. It makes me curious now if the Carradines in question ever did portray themselves as father and son.
There's also decent support work here with Noah Beery Jr. as a Beck henchman, and Carolyn Jones and Barbara Hershey in somewhat adversarial roles for the affection of the good pastor. It's not played that apparently, and Killian seems to be above it all, but the picture could easily have gone in either direction. I'm always impressed with the expressiveness of Indian names; Hershey's character was a Hopi Indian named Leloopa - 'Life From Faraway Star' - very mysterious and romantic.
Hey, how about that scene where Pastor Jim blasts Beck henchman Mace (J.D. Cannon) in that under the table gunfight. It had all the earmarks of Greedo vs Han Solo, but done eight years earlier. Can you imagine that?
I have to give some casting credit here to the roles of John Anderson and David Carradine as father and son, positioned as the main heavies to oppose Pastor Killian. The younger Beck had almost as good a resemblance to his movie father as he did to his real dad, John Carradine. It makes me curious now if the Carradines in question ever did portray themselves as father and son.
There's also decent support work here with Noah Beery Jr. as a Beck henchman, and Carolyn Jones and Barbara Hershey in somewhat adversarial roles for the affection of the good pastor. It's not played that apparently, and Killian seems to be above it all, but the picture could easily have gone in either direction. I'm always impressed with the expressiveness of Indian names; Hershey's character was a Hopi Indian named Leloopa - 'Life From Faraway Star' - very mysterious and romantic.
Hey, how about that scene where Pastor Jim blasts Beck henchman Mace (J.D. Cannon) in that under the table gunfight. It had all the earmarks of Greedo vs Han Solo, but done eight years earlier. Can you imagine that?
This Is A "Must-see" Movie
noel-925 April 2011
I became a movie buff at age 13, (now 63), and would have crawled to the local theater over broken glass, to see any cowboy movie showing, if I had to. By the time I was 16 years of age, I was a devout Randolph Scott, Audie Murphy fan, but when I saw "Heaven With A Gun", Glenn Ford instantly became my number 1 cowboy hero, and me old mates Randolph and Audie had to take a back seat. For me, due to the humble, yet determined character Glenn Ford played so beautifully, this movie offered some great moralistic encouragement, and at the same time, stimulated an enthusiasm to believe in myself against all odds and "stick to my guns", as the expression goes. You will relate to this expression if you watch the movie. If anybody knows where I can buy this difficult-to-purchase movie, please let me know. (noel@youngnoel.com). I would do absolutely anything to add this movie to my collection. If you want to be truly entertained, this is a "Must-see" movie.
Solid enough, but could have used some fleshing out
Bob-4513 February 2009
After a solid first hour, "Heaven With a Gun" thins out and becomes slightly more than routine. The movie could have used less sadism and sensationalism; while a topless Angelique Pettijohn is appreciated, gratuitous nudity tends to put off the very audience attracted to this kind of western. Carolyn Jones is nearly wasted, and I really wanted to know more about her prior relationship with Ford. Barbara Hershey does a fine job as the half-breed Hopi whom Ford protects. Ford and Hershey's relationship could have also used a little more sexual tension; and Hershey, to her credit, seemed ready to provide it.
Production values are good, if not spectacular, and director Lee Katzin, while no Sergio Leone, keeps things moving nicely.
"Heaven With a Gun" is a cut above most of Glenn Ford's later western. Too bad MGM didn't put a little more into the story and running time.
I give "Heaven With a Gun" a weak "7".
Production values are good, if not spectacular, and director Lee Katzin, while no Sergio Leone, keeps things moving nicely.
"Heaven With a Gun" is a cut above most of Glenn Ford's later western. Too bad MGM didn't put a little more into the story and running time.
I give "Heaven With a Gun" a weak "7".
You gotta doctor in this town? Go get him!
hitchcockthelegend9 August 2015
Heaven with a Gun is directed by Lee Katzin and written by Richard Carr. it stars Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones, Barbara Hershey, John Anderson, David Carradine, J.D. Cannon and Noah Beery Jr. Music is by Johnny Mandel and the Metrocolor/Panavision cinematography is by Fred Koenekamp.
This is a good ole late 1960s Oater, not one to rush out and see immediately, or quickly part with your cash to buy or rent - or go out and steal. But it has Glenn Ford, who maybe in the twilight of his career, but still a bad mutha with gun, shovel and a pulpit! Yep, the punching preacher indeed.
Lambs to the slaughter.
It's the town of Vinegarroon and a war is raging between cattle and sheep breeders. Into this walks Jim Killian (Ford), a famed gunfighter who has come to build a church and preach the bible. However, Pastor Jim is not afraid to use his guns in the name of the Lord!
The God Squad.
It is what it is in that respect, the cheeky kicker here is that Killian is unorthodox in his methods, anyone wanting to come to church will be guaranteed safety, important since Killian is trying to convince the cattle and sheep barons that they can co-exist, that the animals (all God's creatures of course) can do it, and thus so can the humans. Naturally some are more keen to give it a try than others - cue intimidation and bloodshed, Killian clearly has his work cut out here...
The musical score is a touch out of place, one big turn of events feels completely unnecessary, while the delectable Hershey works hard but never comes close to convincing as a girl of Indian blood. Converseley the Arizona locales are nicely prominent, while Anderson does his stuff, Carradine fits well as a dastard hot-head and Beery Junior is a reassuring presence. As is Ford, a Western actor that fans can rely on, to feel safe around, it is he that keeps this on the good side of good. 7/10
This is a good ole late 1960s Oater, not one to rush out and see immediately, or quickly part with your cash to buy or rent - or go out and steal. But it has Glenn Ford, who maybe in the twilight of his career, but still a bad mutha with gun, shovel and a pulpit! Yep, the punching preacher indeed.
Lambs to the slaughter.
It's the town of Vinegarroon and a war is raging between cattle and sheep breeders. Into this walks Jim Killian (Ford), a famed gunfighter who has come to build a church and preach the bible. However, Pastor Jim is not afraid to use his guns in the name of the Lord!
The God Squad.
It is what it is in that respect, the cheeky kicker here is that Killian is unorthodox in his methods, anyone wanting to come to church will be guaranteed safety, important since Killian is trying to convince the cattle and sheep barons that they can co-exist, that the animals (all God's creatures of course) can do it, and thus so can the humans. Naturally some are more keen to give it a try than others - cue intimidation and bloodshed, Killian clearly has his work cut out here...
The musical score is a touch out of place, one big turn of events feels completely unnecessary, while the delectable Hershey works hard but never comes close to convincing as a girl of Indian blood. Converseley the Arizona locales are nicely prominent, while Anderson does his stuff, Carradine fits well as a dastard hot-head and Beery Junior is a reassuring presence. As is Ford, a Western actor that fans can rely on, to feel safe around, it is he that keeps this on the good side of good. 7/10
Once more a clash of Cattle ranchs vs shepherds at Ford's way!!!
elo-equipamentos9 May 2018
It's looks like a deja vu on Ford's way, likes in "The Sheepman" he has to handling this matter again, this turn he is a sort of gunfighter and pastor, trying to make peace among them, the old stars like Ford and Jones appear newcomers as David Carradine & Barbara Hershey promissing actors to next generation, meanwhile we have the fine John Anderson as angry rancher and Noah Beery Jr. who seem to be enough mind to realise such killing, apart that the saloon's girls garnish the picture with some rare nude scenes in werstern in this period, really the time is changing!!
Resume:
First watch: 1981 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7
Resume:
First watch: 1981 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7
People Power!
kenandraf22 September 2001
Fair western drama/action movie about 19th century western feud between cattle ranchers and shepherds gone astray.Good acting by lead actors and Hershey is as sexy as ever.This movie would have been much better with a better lead actor besides Glenn Ford and the directing,screenplay and cinematography was only average.Too bad because the story and script was good and deserved a much better production effort.......
Jaded Oater
whitec-329 September 2010
Solid acting (Noah Beery Jr, John Anderson, Glenn Ford, Barbara Hershey, and David Carradine) is compromised by formulaic direction and a script that zig-zags, forgets, remembers, and improvises, but the action occasionally rises, and the preacher-gunman conflict keeps things on track just enough to keep one watching till the end.
From the distance of 2010, 60s cultural interest is raised by the film's brief, gratuitous, and confusing nudity, as well as Barbara Hershey's hippie depiction of a half-Hopi girl, but the biggest surprise may be that this otherwise predictable western was produced as late as 1969. Except for those 60s flashes, I could imagine my parents and their siblings enjoying something similar in 1955, while I would have wished for a hero less earnest and boring than Ford.
Among the film's skewed lines, the oddest may be that the sheep-herder side of the range war is first identified with American Indians but is then shifted to a polygamous Mormon. I'd like to go back to 1969 and be 18 again, but no wonder I felt confused.
From the distance of 2010, 60s cultural interest is raised by the film's brief, gratuitous, and confusing nudity, as well as Barbara Hershey's hippie depiction of a half-Hopi girl, but the biggest surprise may be that this otherwise predictable western was produced as late as 1969. Except for those 60s flashes, I could imagine my parents and their siblings enjoying something similar in 1955, while I would have wished for a hero less earnest and boring than Ford.
Among the film's skewed lines, the oddest may be that the sheep-herder side of the range war is first identified with American Indians but is then shifted to a polygamous Mormon. I'd like to go back to 1969 and be 18 again, but no wonder I felt confused.
Life in the Wild West between Christianity, saloon-life and gun-violence
Wuchakk4 December 2022
A seasoned gunslinger comes to a town in the Southwest (Glenn Ford) where he finds himself aiding sheepherders against proud cattlemen (John Anderson, David Carradine, Noah Beery Jr., etc.). Yet his real intention is to start a church (!). Carolyn Jones is on hand as a saloon operator.
"Heaven with a Gun" (1969) was originally announced in the mid-50s as a vehicle starring Gregory Peck. A dozen years later it was finally shot with Ford as the lead and the addition of some fashionable elements inspired by the late 60s, like Barbara Hershey as the hippie-like half-breed, including a scene where she sits naked outside the preacher's house amazed by the starry panorama.
The obvious comparison would be "Pale Rider" (1985), but Ford's pastor is thoroughly mundane compared to Eastwood's 'preacher,' lacking the vague supernatural angle of that later flick.
The script commendably shows a real West of working cattlemen and respectfully fleshes them out in the second half, but the sympathetic commentaries regarding the mogul's son (Carradine) by his father (Anderson) and the ramrod (Beery Jr.) are wasted since it had been established by that point that Coke is a detestable piece of you-know-what. Then again, what happens to him is fitting.
Angelique Pettyjohn is a highlight on the feminine front as prostitute Emily; she was 25 during shooting and never looked better. You might remember her from her most popular role as Shahna in the Star Trek episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion" where she wore a futuristic tinfoil bikini. Here she has a surprising nude scene that's more artful than offensive (but be warned if nudity offends you).
The biggest problem with the film is the shallow tip of the hat to pacifism under the guise of being biblical when it's actually hypocritical. To explain, the protagonist gives up his firearms at the end to nobly confront the situation in a nonviolent manner, but the situation is resolved by another man with a gun. I suppose such doublespeak could be defended on the grounds that the wise MIDDLE GROUND between absolute pacifism and rash violence is the way to go. In other words, speak softly and strive for peace, but carry a big stick for when you might need it.
As for absolute pacifism being biblical, it's not; LIMITED pacifism is. Sure, the Lord told Peter in Gethsemane "Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword," but his initial instruction was for Peter to "put the sword back in its place," NOT throw it away (Matthew 26:52). There's a difference between living by the sword and utilizing it when necessary, which explains why some of the disciples carried swords during their ministerial travels in the first place (fully known by Christ).
A good example of limited pacifism is when the returning Hebrews restored the walls of Jerusalem, they posted armed guards for protection from deadly enemies (Nehemiah 4:7-9). Simply put, in a wicked world arms are sometimes necessary, such as any potentially life-threatening situation.
There's enough good in "Heaven with a Gun" to make it worth checking out, but the storytelling is a little tedious even though spliced with interesting bits. It needed a rewrite to flush out its potential.
The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was mostly shot in Arizona, including Old Tucson.
GRADE: B-/C+
"Heaven with a Gun" (1969) was originally announced in the mid-50s as a vehicle starring Gregory Peck. A dozen years later it was finally shot with Ford as the lead and the addition of some fashionable elements inspired by the late 60s, like Barbara Hershey as the hippie-like half-breed, including a scene where she sits naked outside the preacher's house amazed by the starry panorama.
The obvious comparison would be "Pale Rider" (1985), but Ford's pastor is thoroughly mundane compared to Eastwood's 'preacher,' lacking the vague supernatural angle of that later flick.
The script commendably shows a real West of working cattlemen and respectfully fleshes them out in the second half, but the sympathetic commentaries regarding the mogul's son (Carradine) by his father (Anderson) and the ramrod (Beery Jr.) are wasted since it had been established by that point that Coke is a detestable piece of you-know-what. Then again, what happens to him is fitting.
Angelique Pettyjohn is a highlight on the feminine front as prostitute Emily; she was 25 during shooting and never looked better. You might remember her from her most popular role as Shahna in the Star Trek episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion" where she wore a futuristic tinfoil bikini. Here she has a surprising nude scene that's more artful than offensive (but be warned if nudity offends you).
The biggest problem with the film is the shallow tip of the hat to pacifism under the guise of being biblical when it's actually hypocritical. To explain, the protagonist gives up his firearms at the end to nobly confront the situation in a nonviolent manner, but the situation is resolved by another man with a gun. I suppose such doublespeak could be defended on the grounds that the wise MIDDLE GROUND between absolute pacifism and rash violence is the way to go. In other words, speak softly and strive for peace, but carry a big stick for when you might need it.
As for absolute pacifism being biblical, it's not; LIMITED pacifism is. Sure, the Lord told Peter in Gethsemane "Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword," but his initial instruction was for Peter to "put the sword back in its place," NOT throw it away (Matthew 26:52). There's a difference between living by the sword and utilizing it when necessary, which explains why some of the disciples carried swords during their ministerial travels in the first place (fully known by Christ).
A good example of limited pacifism is when the returning Hebrews restored the walls of Jerusalem, they posted armed guards for protection from deadly enemies (Nehemiah 4:7-9). Simply put, in a wicked world arms are sometimes necessary, such as any potentially life-threatening situation.
There's enough good in "Heaven with a Gun" to make it worth checking out, but the storytelling is a little tedious even though spliced with interesting bits. It needed a rewrite to flush out its potential.
The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was mostly shot in Arizona, including Old Tucson.
GRADE: B-/C+
Early Barbara Hershey
moonspinner5513 October 2002
Passable western looks like movie-backlot goods, but does feature a very fine performance by young Barbara Hershey (in only her second picture), and also by Hershey's future-squeeze David Carradine, in this melodramatic story of a new preacher in a tumbleweed town who is eventually forced into taking on the bad guys. Glenn Ford has the lead and he's solid as usual (Ford never really disappoints, but rarely did he try anything new; even as the heavy in "3:10 To Yuma" he was in fine form and yet unsurprising). Admirers of Hershey should take a look, she's really terrific. ** from ****
Excellent western--fine acting performances
razorbak-419 June 2008
Glenn Ford turns in a fine performance, contrary to what some have said. Who better to portray a reluctant hero, a reformed gunfighter/preacher? Clint Eastwood--John Wayne? Don't be ridiculous. Ford is perfect for the part, just as Clint was perfect for the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry, and the Duke was perfect for the lead role in The Cowboys and True Grit. If you don't like Glenn Ford, fine. But don't belittle his acting. I'm a fan of Eastwood and Wayne, but Ford is a better actor than either. David Carradine turns in a top notch acting job also as a villain/foil to Ford as hero. True Western fans will appreciate this film.
Preacher/Gunfighter
bkoganbing1 November 2014
Known gunfighter Glenn Ford arrives in the town of Vinegarroon a name made famous as the seat of Judge Roy Bean's court. But here the local power is the local Ponderosa owner John Anderson and his punk of a son David Carradine. Some sheepman have been intruding on government range and Anderson isn't having any.
When Ford comes to town he takes a lease on an old barn and then reveals he's now a minister as well, but ready to back his sermons with gunfire if necessary. He tries to bring peace to the cattlemen and the sheepmen. His main allies though are the women of the locale.
Two women prominently figure in this film. One is Carolyn Jones who runs the local watering hole. In keeping with the times the film is quite specific about what the women are there for. Jones and Ford have history. Looking to make some history with Ford is Barbara Hershey who is a young Indian girl he rescues. Also in keeping with the abolition of the Code is one brutal rape scene involving her and her real life husband David Carradine.
Despite the sexual frankness Heaven With A Gun has an old fashioned look to it. It's not in the same league as some of Ford's earlier westerns like 3:10 To Yuma, Jubal, or The Violent Men. But his fans should be pleased.
The climax is borrowed some from Destry Rides Again and some from Duel In The Sun.
When Ford comes to town he takes a lease on an old barn and then reveals he's now a minister as well, but ready to back his sermons with gunfire if necessary. He tries to bring peace to the cattlemen and the sheepmen. His main allies though are the women of the locale.
Two women prominently figure in this film. One is Carolyn Jones who runs the local watering hole. In keeping with the times the film is quite specific about what the women are there for. Jones and Ford have history. Looking to make some history with Ford is Barbara Hershey who is a young Indian girl he rescues. Also in keeping with the abolition of the Code is one brutal rape scene involving her and her real life husband David Carradine.
Despite the sexual frankness Heaven With A Gun has an old fashioned look to it. It's not in the same league as some of Ford's earlier westerns like 3:10 To Yuma, Jubal, or The Violent Men. But his fans should be pleased.
The climax is borrowed some from Destry Rides Again and some from Duel In The Sun.
Somebody make it stop!...
AlsExGal8 August 2009
... I thought as I waited for 6AM to come so I could record a documentary on Bette Davis that is not on DVD yet. Having a bad habit of falling asleep in the middle of a movie in the wee hours, I dared not change the channel at 4AM lest I fall asleep and wind up recording "Fox and Friends" instead of the documentary for which I had set my DVR timer.
Thus began the 100 minute or so ordeal of watching this film. It would almost be worth buying the DVD - if it existed with commentary - to see how a film with such excellent actors and acting could so misfire in the plot department. You get down to the seventh bill before you even get to Noah Beery Jr. with the players in the upper bills including the excellent Glenn Ford, David Carradine, Carolyn Jones, and John Anderson, all turning in solid performances while spouting gibberish - endless gibberish - with literally no action. Meanwhile Barbara Hershey seems to be doing a screen test for a bit part in "Billy Jack" and somehow wandered on to the wrong set.
It is supposed to be the time-honored western tale of cattlemen versus sheepherders, but everyone just stands around, talking. The hippie spirit of "Easy Rider" got injected into this one, but "Born to be Wild" just sounds silly on horseback.
Thus began the 100 minute or so ordeal of watching this film. It would almost be worth buying the DVD - if it existed with commentary - to see how a film with such excellent actors and acting could so misfire in the plot department. You get down to the seventh bill before you even get to Noah Beery Jr. with the players in the upper bills including the excellent Glenn Ford, David Carradine, Carolyn Jones, and John Anderson, all turning in solid performances while spouting gibberish - endless gibberish - with literally no action. Meanwhile Barbara Hershey seems to be doing a screen test for a bit part in "Billy Jack" and somehow wandered on to the wrong set.
It is supposed to be the time-honored western tale of cattlemen versus sheepherders, but everyone just stands around, talking. The hippie spirit of "Easy Rider" got injected into this one, but "Born to be Wild" just sounds silly on horseback.
Glen Ford, Gunslingin' Preacher
krdement24 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Slightly better than formulaic script never really explores the moral tension inherent in the central character: a gunslingin' preacher played by Glen Ford with his usual professionalism. The moral/spiritual dilemma is pretty well ignored until Carolyn Jones directly confronts Ford and compels him to make a choice: gunslinger or preacher.
The acting is always good. I like Glen Ford and Carolyn Jones. This is actually one of David Carradine's better performances. He is a very good sadistic old-west punk. Barbara Hershey is easy to look at. I guess she turns in a fair performance as a half-breed speaking stereotypical pidgin English.
The most interesting scene is the gunfight in the saloon between a nasty hired gun and Ford while they are SEATED opposite one another at a poker table. The movie earned more originality points for that twist than for the paradoxical plot revolving around the gunslingin' preacher character.
The acting is always good. I like Glen Ford and Carolyn Jones. This is actually one of David Carradine's better performances. He is a very good sadistic old-west punk. Barbara Hershey is easy to look at. I guess she turns in a fair performance as a half-breed speaking stereotypical pidgin English.
The most interesting scene is the gunfight in the saloon between a nasty hired gun and Ford while they are SEATED opposite one another at a poker table. The movie earned more originality points for that twist than for the paradoxical plot revolving around the gunslingin' preacher character.
A Sixties Western
disinterested_spectator26 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
In many ways, this movie is mediocre and formulaic. There is a conflict between cattlemen and sheepherders. As usual, the sheepherders are good and the cattlemen are bad. Enter Jim Killian (Glenn Ford), the gunfighter who wants to hang up his gun and become a pastor, but not before he uses his gun one last one last time. Finally, there are some whores with a heart of gold, headed by Madge (Carolyn Jones).
At the same time, the formula has been modified to suit the late 1960s. To begin with, there are a couple of Native Americans that are also sheepherders, consisting of a father and daughter. The father is hanged by a couple of the cattlemen, one of which is Coke (David Carradine), leaving Leloopa (Barbara Hershey) orphaned. When Killian walks into the small house he just bought, he finds Leloopa inside, cooking some baby rattlesnake. Because Killian cut her father down and buried him, she says that she now belongs to Killian, otherwise Hopi law says her father's soul will wander forever. Killian is forced to relent. The fact that they will be living together in a one-room house creates a little taboo tension: They are not married, she is a minor, they are of different races, and we are not sure whether she thinks of herself as a daughter to Killian or as his wife, giving us a tinge of incest. However, Killian leaves at night to sleep somewhere else, presumably at the hotel.
Leloopa mentions that her mother was white, a captive whom her father married. In the old days, her mother would have been raped, but movies were trying to portray Native Americans in a more favorable light by this time. Because of this trend of treating Native Americans in the movies in this way, it shocks us a little when Killian tells her she is going to have to take a bath, and she has no idea what a bath is. Leloopa says it was her mother who taught her English, but her mother apparently didn't bother to teach Leloopa about bathing, so I guess her mother went completely native. But why, we ask ourselves, would a movie made as late as 1969 suggest that Hopi Indians are a bunch of dirty, smelly savages?
The answer is that the movie wants to titillate us some more. You see, when Barbara Hershey is in a movie, it is usually just a matter of time before she gets naked. In fact, when Killian tells Leloopa that in order to bathe, you first have to take your clothes off, we are not surprised when she starts undressing right in front of him. He stops her, however, and leaves the house so she can have some privacy.
Later in the movie she manages to get raped. Coke starts making advances to her in the street. Instead of remaining in the street where there are plenty of people around, she gets the bright idea of running into a barn, which means that Coke can rape her in private. We figure, "All right, this is where we get to see Barbara Hershey naked." But she is only partially undraped as she leaves the barn.
Killian beats up Coke. Finally, that night, when he gets home, Barbara Hershey is sitting outside completely naked, although we only get to see enough of her body to give the movie an M rating ("M" for mature, a designation eventually replaced by PG). She says she knows he is trying to find her another place to stay. After he puts her to bed, she asks if he will stay with her, which was probably the real reason she got naked and not all that Hopi nonsense she was spouting. But he leaves.
After Killian kills Mace (J.D. Cannon), the gunslinger that had been hired by chief cattleman Asa Beck (John Anderson), Madge convinces him that if he really wants to hang up his guns and become a pastor, he must stop killing. That makes sense. But what to do about all those evil cattlemen threatening to wipe out all the sheepherders? Here we see another influence of the 1960s. Killian gathers together all the townspeople, including the wives and children of the cattlemen, and they all go to the lake where there was to be a showdown, placing themselves in what would have been the middle of a battle between cattlemen and sheepherders. It is suggestive of the civil disobedience, civil rights marches, and nonviolent resistance so characteristic of the 1950s and 1960s.
Finally, it becomes clear that Killian is going to allow Leloopa to stay with him, presumably as husband and wife, though that is not explicitly stated. This too is a change from the old days. Normally, Leloopa would have been off limits for Killian, not so much because they were of different races, but because she had been raped. Miscegenation was something of a taboo in the old movies, but it did happen from time to time, as in "Broken Arrow" (1950). But a raped woman was damaged goods, and the movies usually figured out some way to keep the protagonist from marrying her, as in "Man of the West" (1958), assuming she was even allowed to be alive by the end of the movie. The idea of a raped woman marrying a man and living happily ever after was just too offensive in the old days. Maybe it still is. But this movie doesn't see it as a problem.
At the same time, the formula has been modified to suit the late 1960s. To begin with, there are a couple of Native Americans that are also sheepherders, consisting of a father and daughter. The father is hanged by a couple of the cattlemen, one of which is Coke (David Carradine), leaving Leloopa (Barbara Hershey) orphaned. When Killian walks into the small house he just bought, he finds Leloopa inside, cooking some baby rattlesnake. Because Killian cut her father down and buried him, she says that she now belongs to Killian, otherwise Hopi law says her father's soul will wander forever. Killian is forced to relent. The fact that they will be living together in a one-room house creates a little taboo tension: They are not married, she is a minor, they are of different races, and we are not sure whether she thinks of herself as a daughter to Killian or as his wife, giving us a tinge of incest. However, Killian leaves at night to sleep somewhere else, presumably at the hotel.
Leloopa mentions that her mother was white, a captive whom her father married. In the old days, her mother would have been raped, but movies were trying to portray Native Americans in a more favorable light by this time. Because of this trend of treating Native Americans in the movies in this way, it shocks us a little when Killian tells her she is going to have to take a bath, and she has no idea what a bath is. Leloopa says it was her mother who taught her English, but her mother apparently didn't bother to teach Leloopa about bathing, so I guess her mother went completely native. But why, we ask ourselves, would a movie made as late as 1969 suggest that Hopi Indians are a bunch of dirty, smelly savages?
The answer is that the movie wants to titillate us some more. You see, when Barbara Hershey is in a movie, it is usually just a matter of time before she gets naked. In fact, when Killian tells Leloopa that in order to bathe, you first have to take your clothes off, we are not surprised when she starts undressing right in front of him. He stops her, however, and leaves the house so she can have some privacy.
Later in the movie she manages to get raped. Coke starts making advances to her in the street. Instead of remaining in the street where there are plenty of people around, she gets the bright idea of running into a barn, which means that Coke can rape her in private. We figure, "All right, this is where we get to see Barbara Hershey naked." But she is only partially undraped as she leaves the barn.
Killian beats up Coke. Finally, that night, when he gets home, Barbara Hershey is sitting outside completely naked, although we only get to see enough of her body to give the movie an M rating ("M" for mature, a designation eventually replaced by PG). She says she knows he is trying to find her another place to stay. After he puts her to bed, she asks if he will stay with her, which was probably the real reason she got naked and not all that Hopi nonsense she was spouting. But he leaves.
After Killian kills Mace (J.D. Cannon), the gunslinger that had been hired by chief cattleman Asa Beck (John Anderson), Madge convinces him that if he really wants to hang up his guns and become a pastor, he must stop killing. That makes sense. But what to do about all those evil cattlemen threatening to wipe out all the sheepherders? Here we see another influence of the 1960s. Killian gathers together all the townspeople, including the wives and children of the cattlemen, and they all go to the lake where there was to be a showdown, placing themselves in what would have been the middle of a battle between cattlemen and sheepherders. It is suggestive of the civil disobedience, civil rights marches, and nonviolent resistance so characteristic of the 1950s and 1960s.
Finally, it becomes clear that Killian is going to allow Leloopa to stay with him, presumably as husband and wife, though that is not explicitly stated. This too is a change from the old days. Normally, Leloopa would have been off limits for Killian, not so much because they were of different races, but because she had been raped. Miscegenation was something of a taboo in the old movies, but it did happen from time to time, as in "Broken Arrow" (1950). But a raped woman was damaged goods, and the movies usually figured out some way to keep the protagonist from marrying her, as in "Man of the West" (1958), assuming she was even allowed to be alive by the end of the movie. The idea of a raped woman marrying a man and living happily ever after was just too offensive in the old days. Maybe it still is. But this movie doesn't see it as a problem.
Let's look at the time frame of the movie
debemser2 January 2021
What you have here is a western made late in the period of Westerns. For us of that era, we see the similar. Beery, Anderson, Griffith, Bryant are western mainstays. Especially Anderson. They came from the late 30s. We KNOW they're acting level. They don't even need scripts. In this movie they are bringing the next generation up, like David Carradine who is not his father John, but does ok. These actors and actresses, especially Carolyn, a favorite from the noirs are known characters. Even Glenn still wears his brown corduroy jacket that he wore in Evil Gun on 1958. And he wears on Cades County etc. Its his character. The acting in these artists is always good. Its THEM. What is bad is the late 1960s silent directing coming into the 70s where blood and gore gets more prevalent, like in Gene Hackman. Thats when westerns became awful. This Glenn Ford movie is one of the last of the era. I could see it over and over. Oh and the plot, it is one of seven pulled for a western story, dealing with land rights. It looks to me some commentels are judging by today's movies for comparison. Like even mentioning Eastwood..come on. This story isn't in Eastwood's generation. But if you want to see Clint in Sheep watch the Rawhide episode where he becomes a sheep man.
A step below Glenn Ford's other Westerrns
jordondave-2808525 October 2023
(1969) Heaven With A Gun
WESTERN
Glenn Ford plays as a professional gunfighter, Jim Killian stopping by to a town with no sheriff, or judge for that matter, intending to open a church and to be a pastor. Forced by the hand to settle a dispute between sheep and cattle men, leading to some unfortunate circumstances.
I like Glen Ford Westerns but this film does not do anything for me. It is another one those films where the good guy does not do anything until it is too late, causing deaths of some characters I cared about. The movie also stars a rather young David Carradine and Barbara Hershey as the lonely Native American, Leloopa.
Glenn Ford plays as a professional gunfighter, Jim Killian stopping by to a town with no sheriff, or judge for that matter, intending to open a church and to be a pastor. Forced by the hand to settle a dispute between sheep and cattle men, leading to some unfortunate circumstances.
I like Glen Ford Westerns but this film does not do anything for me. It is another one those films where the good guy does not do anything until it is too late, causing deaths of some characters I cared about. The movie also stars a rather young David Carradine and Barbara Hershey as the lonely Native American, Leloopa.
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