The Gatling Gun (1971)

Touches You

To me, this movie is perfection.

Sorry, this movie sucks

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

"The Gatling Gun" was originally titled "King Gun" and shot in 1969, but not released till 1971. It's a cavalry vs. Indians Western focusing on the eponymous weapon with a great cast of familiars -- Guy Stockwell, Robert Fuller, Phil Harris, Woody Strode, Patrick Wayne, John Carradine, Pat Buttram and BarBara Luna (from Star Trek's "Mirror, Mirror") -- highlighted by curvy redhead Judy Jordan, to say the least.Critics write it off as "routine" and akin to a TV Western. True, it is Grade 'B' and comic-booky, so proceed with caution. BUT the notable cast clicks and the story delivers the goods, as far as Western (melo)drama & action goes. It's essentially a survival tale of a small group of soldiers and civilians who team-up to survive a desert trek threatened by Two-Knife (Carlos Rivas) and his rogue tribe. If you're a sucker for desert-survival tales (like me), such as "Sands of the Kalahari" (1965), "Flight of the Phoenix" (1965), "Escape from Zahrain" (1962) and "They Came to Cordura" (1959), you'll probably appreciate "The Gatling Gun," as long as you can forgive the TV budget (although it's not technically a TV movie and was dubiously released to theaters). It's not as good as the first three, but it's more entertaining than the last one. While "Cordura" is a more serious production with overall superior production values, it's also more hokey in a lame 50's Western sense.The trek through the desert features a lot of drama but the movie ends with a bang as the group squares-off against Two-Knife and his braves. Stockwell stands out as the alpha male Army Lieutenant who naturally attracts the babe (Jordan), whereas Fuller is effective as Private Sneed, done-in by his own lust for filthy lucre.The film runs 87 minutes and was shot at Eaves Movie Ranch and Ghost Ranch near Sante Fe, New Mexico. DIRECTOR: Robert Gordon. WRITERS: Mark Hanna & Joseph Van Winkle.GRADE: B-

The more desperate his fight on the desert's scorching lands , the more adored he was in her arms ¡ Tough men, during hard times, battle for the ultimate weapon , as Indians , cavalry and renegade troops fight over Gatlin gun . Doctor Gatling invented a war machine to beat all arrows, and guns . While pursuing a traitor Pvt Sneed (Robert Fuller , one of the members in ¨The return of Magnificent Seven¨) the Lt. Malcolm (Guy Stockwell , Dean Stockwell's brother and starring in ¨It's alive¨ and ¨Tobruk¨) helped by Runner the Scout (Woody Strode starring in Black Sergeant and other John Ford films , furthermore in various S.W as ¨Keoma¨) along with his patrol find some people , as Luke Boland (Phil Harris) and his family, including his son Jim (Patrick Wayne , John Wayne son) and his gorgeous daughter Martha Boland (Judy Jordan ), who are holed up in a house. The Bolands join up with Malcolm's team . Rifle-toting Malcolm eventually puts the bridle on tight and struggles to win his soldiers respect while warding off violent Indians who besiege the group . One of Luke's friends, Tin Pot (Pat Buttram ) fiddles with the machine gun and after that , he devises a replacement for the firing pin . Malcolm along with a group of soldiers have to defend themselves surrounded by Indians until arrival reinforcements while using the Gatling machine gun . The angry Apaches led by Two-knife (Carlos Rivas usual in Indian roles as Chingachgook in ¨Deerslayer¨) are out on a rampage of killing , seeking vengeance against the white intruders, and with the aim for eliminate them and take the Gatlin machine gun This is an average , conventional tale with action galore about a hard-bitten officer who goes to hell and back while assembling a detail of misfit cavalrymen to hold-off rampaging Indians and later on regaining the respect of his soldiers . Guy Stockwell and a top-notch secondary-star-cast as Robert Fuller , Barbara Luna , Patrick Wayne and John Carradine ; all of them shine lightly in this oater about a surrounded garrison . Director takes a regularly penned screenplay creating a cavalry-Indians tale that results to be ordinary , exploring the anguish of soldiers and including jarring burst of violence on its final when happens a massacre . It's the habitual theme about an unit stranded by enemies and their grueling efforts to break the siege, issue imitated many other times . This standard Western contains some nice moments though partially unsatisfying and disappointing for the reason of the low-budget and situations with no sense . Lousy cinematography in Techniscope by Jacques Marquette , Roger Corman's usual , it's urgent a fine remastering because the film copy is washed-out . Functional and atmospheric musical score by Paul Sawtell. The motion picture is middling directed by Robert Gordon . He's an expert on Western as Television series : ¨Bonanza¨, ¨Maverick¨, ¨Law of the Plainsmen¨, ¨The Texan¨, ¨Zane Grey¨ as cinema : ¨The rawhide trail¨, ¨Thunder and the pines¨, ¨Black eagle¨ and of course ¨The Gatlin Gun¨ or ¨King Gun¨, his last picture . Rating : 4,5 . Mediocre and forgettable movie .

There's a surprisingly familiar cast in this pretty standard "Cavalry vs Indians" flick, with its one primary distinction being the focus on the title weapon. Stockwell plays a lieutenant whose Gatling gun, intended to ward off rampaging Apaches, has been absconded with by reverend Carradine, his step-daughter Luna and renegade soldier Fuller. As he and his men are recovering the weapon, the Apaches, led by Rivas, force them all to take shelter in an abandoned ranch house where they come upon Harris, his grown children Wayne and Jordan and their pal Buttram. Buttram is enlisted to help work on the gun when it's discovered that a key part (the firing pin) is missing. When they realize that the ranch is under siege and that they will likely be massacred if they stay there indefinitely, they take off across the desert, being ever pursued by Rivas who wants the gun badly. There's nothing particularly new or eye-opening about this story or the film, but the cast of veteran film and TV performers is able to make the whole thing go down relatively easily. Stockwell gives a fairly non-dynamic performance, but looks good in his uniform britches and is able to convey the toughness that a man in his position would need to possess. Fuller, sadly, is rather wasted in the role of a scoundrel. He spends the bulk of the film tied up in one location or another. Luna is adequate in her role, sporting the requisite pile of hair that most western women, especially senoritas, were expected to wear in films of the era. Tall, imposing Strode lends a nice bit of presence as Stockwell's scout. Buttram, of "Green Acres" fame, manages to rein in his zanier side and provides gentle comic relief without being ridiculous about it. Harris attempts to give a heartfelt and solid performance, but is hampered by a tendency to let long pauses occur before he speaks, as if he forgets it's his turn or can't remember the line. Handsome Wayne has very little to do here but protect the ladies as the film is quite crowded. Rivas (known best for his brief turn in "The King & I") has a menacing look about him and is a decent threat. Jordan has a very preposterous role and plays it preposterously. She's a red-headed tomboy and a sure-shot who still finds time during Indian attacks and piles of dead cavalrymen to doll up in an elaborate hairdo and low cut (and anachronistic) gown to try to seduce Stockwell. Why would someone on the run from Indians, who has to walk in order to avoid weighing down the horse-drawn cart, even pack such an item of clothing? Only those interested in the use of the Gatling gun (even though it stays inactive for the bulk of the movie) or those who appreciate the varied cast will want to bother with this otherwise routine movie. At least it isn't too long and has a fair share of action, including a harrowing death by pyre. Incidentally, some DVD's of this film only run 86 minutes and the film's credits indicate right on screen that it is a 1971 film, not 1973 as it is listed here.

Disappointingly routine western. Not bad enough to be funny, not good enough to be enjoyable.The plot is a cliche: a bunch of bluejackets tries to protect a machinegun from an indian tribe in the desert. The indians are evil, the soldiers are (mostly) good and righteous, and the women are ornaments.2/10 because it's not overlong...