The Gunfighter (1950)

Fantastic!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

What A WONDERFUL Movie ... Gregory Peck Is Excellent As Jimmy Ringo, Desperate To Find A Place Where He Can Live In Peace ... But Much Like Michael Corleone In Godfather 3, There Comes A Point Of No Return, A Point Where Reforming/Changing Is Too Little Too Late ... The Movie Has A Powerful "Film-Noir" Quality That I Have Never Seen In A Western ... A Bit Of A Thriller The Story Is Powerful, Well Paced And The Acting Is Displayed With A Reality That Empowers The Movie ... An Excellent Cast Including Karl Malden As The Bartender Who Is Old Friends With Jimmy ... A Must See Regardless Of What Genre You May Enjoy ...

When I started watching this one, the beginning seemed very much like the typical Western of the 19050's. It was in a bar and some young punk decided he wanted to take on Ringo, the man reputed to have the fastest gun. He takes him on, and he loses. Then Ringo has to take it on the run as 3 brothers wanted to avenge the death of their youngest, even though he had created his own demise. That is where this movie changes. Ringo (Gregory Peck) has a place to go and a purpose to go there. He sets the 3 brothers after him on foot and heads for that place. It is a town, where his wife and son live, only he does not know where in town they are, or their names. Peck is absolutely brilliant as Ringo, and his character raises this way above the usual Western. Ringo is a character who wants to escape his reputation, but he can't. It seems he has a lot of help with a top notch support cast. Millard Mitchell is great as his friend, the Sheriff of the town Ringo's wife live in. He does everything he can do to protect Ringo but urgently try to get him to leave his town.Karl Malden is brilliant as the saloon keeper who gives him shelter and food and tries to help him leave too. Henry King who directs this had recently finished 12 O'Clock High which was also great with Peck. This next movie may not be as famous as the former, but it is every bit as good. Helen Westcott is Ringo's wife, though her role becomes more profound in the later part of this one. For anyone who likes Peck, this is above the average western, way above. The ending is a bit predictable, yet it is done so well and with a couple of extra twists, that the viewer is totally pulled into the story long before it ends.

THE GUNFIGHTER is a mature and reflective western that manages to subvert genre expectations within the action context and trappings of its own genre. It stars the inimitable Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, a world-weary gunslinger whose biggest enemy is not one of the many villains after him but rather his own reputation. As such this is a film which explores the dark side of heroism and it feels very real and very gritty as a result.The film itself is quite low budget, shot in black and white and with a great deal of the running time taking place within a single bar-room location. Nonetheless suspense is inherent in the premise and in some ways I was reminded of DOG DAY AFTERNOON as the situation becomes a kind of insane circus. Peck is excellent, it does go without saying really, and well supported by the likes of Karl Malden. Those looking for crowd-pleasing action sequences should look elsewhere as this is all about consequence and real-life, not gung-ho fantasy. The ending is unexpected, but very good.

How did I miss this film for 65 years? I won't hesitate to say that this has to be one of the top ten Westerns of all time, and a notch above "High Noon".When I read the synopsis, I had my doubts. Another of the "renown gunfighter wants to quit, but young guns won't let him" genre. And while that basic story line was done to death, never this well! Is there a flaw in the film. Well, much has been made about Gregory Peck's mustache here...and it was a bit distracting, but apparently accurate to the period. So, no...no real flaws.Peck is brilliant, not overplaying role even a tad. Completely believable, which was helped by an excellent script.The supporting cast is interesting. I was not at all familiar with the female lead -- Helen Westcott -- as Peck's estranged wife. She does all right, but I can only assume the producers intentionally didn't choose a big name actress. Millard Mitchell is one of those classic Western actors; excellent here as the marshal and friend; a role seemingly made for his type. Karl Malden is here in the key role of the bartender, but it's not a very good role for such a fine professional actor. I'd almost forgotten there was a Skip Homeier, but seeing him here as the young punk made me remember him.This film is top notch. The pace is excellent, the detail impressive. This is a Western that counts! Highly recommended.