Heaven with a Gun (1969)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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

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?

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.

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.