Return of the Gunfighter (1967)

Truly Dreadful Film

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Return of the Gunfighter is directed by James Neilson and adapted to screenplay by Robert Buckner from a story by Burt Kennedy. It stars Robert Taylor, Chad Everett, Ana Martín, Mort Mills, Lyle Bettger, John Davis Chandler and Michael Pate. Music is by Hans Salter and the Metrocolor cinematography is by Ellsworth Fredericks.Aging gunfighter Ben Wyatt (Taylor) receives a request to go aid an old friend who's in trouble. Upon arrival at the family ranch he finds that both his friend and his wife have been killed. Locating the surviving daughter, he teams up with hot headed drifter Lee Sutton (Everett) and sets about avenging the murder of his friend and the girls parents.By this time Robert Taylor was winding down his career and his life, 1967 would see him depart from the Western genre of film, how splendid to find he doesn't in the slightest disgrace himself here.His character is weather worn, a gunfighter tired of all the killing, of looking over his shoulder all the time. This proves to be perfect for Taylor, who gives the role a believable sense of pathos, the passing of time and that fate will not leave him alone hangs heavy. Breaking it down it's a straight forward narrative, where the one time bad guy is called on to use his deadly skills for some good, to rid the plains of some nasty sorts. The relationship with the young upstart (Everett the whitest teeth in the west) builds nicely, leading to a finale that attacks the emotions of the major players.There's a healthy quotient of action, decently staged by the tech crew, the Old Tuscon locations are nicely photographed, while support players impact with credit on the story. It's not all plain sailing, Salter's score is sometimes well in keeping with the era, but at other times it comes off like a Sccoby-Doo piece. Susension of disbelief is of course required, none more so than when Ana Martín goes about the town pretending to be a boy and everyone falls for it - she is simply too pretty to remotely pass as male, and the appearance of Butch and Sundance in the plot is most odd.Yet it's a lovely Oater this, feeling more like one from the 1950s than the tail end of the 60s. Highly recommended to Taylor fans and fans of traditional Western fare. 8/10

I like this movie, but I'm a Robert Taylor fan and this is a good solid role for him. If you don't like Robert Taylor, this is pretty cookie cutter.Here's what I liked:Nice job building the mystique about pistolero Ben Wyatt.Robert Taylor does his usual excellent work replaying the Jimmy Ringo character from the original "Gunfighter". I won't criticize this for "ripping off" the 1950 film, since they pay tribute to the original film in their title. I liked the main henchman Sundance, played by John David Chandler. He had a real Steve Buscemi kind of look to him. He was also one of the four weird Hammond brothers in "Ride the High Country". He was also the bounty hunter at the end of "The Outlaw Josey Wales" whom Josey tells, "Dyin' ain't much of a livin' boy", before shooting him down.Nice use of Mexico and Mexicans.Here's what I didn't like:Weak heavy.No comic reliefNothing new added to clichéd plot.Riddled with plot holes and implausibilities, not worth detailing.

I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get over seeing Chad Everett in this western film. Now I don't think he did a bad job, but seeing this handsome actor who is most closely associated with playing a TV doctor as a gunfighter took me by surprise--as I grew up watching him on "Medical Center".The film is one of Robert Taylor's last films. As he was older and more haggard, the writers did a good job in dealing with this instead of pretending he still was the man with matinée idol good looks. Here, he plays an aging gunfighter who is sick and tired of the violence--and he actually tried NOT to fight and would back down if possible. I liked this aspect of the film and it kept me watching--as well as my wife, who is NOT a fan of the genre.However, aside from both Taylor and Everitt doing a god job, the rest of the film is very, very standard. It's the usual big nasty guy with money versus the innocent farmers/ranchers. While I don't give the film super-high marks, it is well acted and interest interesting and a decent late appearance for Taylor.

Robert Taylor was always the perfect cowboy, and this role is probably one of the best roles he had in his later years. Ben Wyatt is an aged gunfighter who is just sick and tired of the death and destruction caused by a "reputation." Just out of prison he is called upon to help and old friend, and although he is reluctant, he agrees. Upon his arrival he finds that his friend is dead, the victim of a land grab. The only survivor is his daughter, Annissa. He sets out with the girl to get revenge for the deaths, and along the way meets Lee Sutton, (Chad Everett)a wounded gunslinger, and takes him along begrudgingly. The pursuit of the bad guys leads to the real killers, and ultimately he avenges the friends and helps the girl move on. Watching Taylor, his face lined and worn by age, is truly magnificent. Just the sight of him on a horse, his blue eyes still glowing beneath the Stetson, is worth the watching of a consummate professional. It is a shame that he did not live long enough to do more character roles like this one.