The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Russell Rouse

Writers:

Frank D. Gilroy (screenplay) and
Russell Rouse (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

WHAT HAPPENS in the next few minutes makes one of the most dramatic climaxes of any story you've ever seen!

Plot:

Whenever it becomes known how good he is with guns, ex-gunman George and his wife Dora have to flee the town...

Plot Keywords:

Posse | Psychological Drama | General Store | Murder | 1880s

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	George Temple / George Kelby, Jr.
Jeanne Crain	...	Dora Temple
Broderick Crawford	...	Vinnie Harold
Russ Tamblyn	...	Eric Doolittle
Allyn Joslyn	...	Harvey Maxwell
Leif Erickson	...	Lou Glover
John Dehner	...	Taylor Swope
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Dink Wells (as Noah Beery)
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Kevin McGovern
Rhys Williams	...	Brian Tibbs
Virginia Gregg	...	Rose Tibbs
Chubby Johnson	...	Frank Stringer
John Doucette	...	Ben Buddy
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Lars Toomey
Christopher Olsen	...	Bobby Tibbs (as Chris Olsen)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate #17971) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Factual errors: Broderick Crawford "fans" his pistol, which is impossible to do with a double-action gun.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vinnie Harold: I'm lookin' for Fallon.

Amusingly cast, first-rate western...

In the small western town of Cross Creek, shy, antisocial shopkeeper Glenn Ford is hiding a secret past. Selling dresses and candy all day proves to be a bore, which leads Ford to some showing off in front of the saloon with gun feats that amaze the locals; unfortunately for Ford, lightning-fast gunslinger and bank robber Broderick Crawford (!) is just outside of town and soon learns of Ford's prowess. Quick, compact western is marvelously well-done, with beautiful cinematography by George Folsey and a tight script (by Frank D. Gilroy, based on his short story, and director Russell Rouse) underlined with a touch of sardonic humor. Crawford, looking like Fred Flintstone in a cowboy hat, is raffish and wily as the brutish villain, though fast-on-the-draw seems a bit of a stretch. Still, the movie is written in such a way that we don't want to quibble, and Ford's unhappy nervousness is something we can relate to (he has some charming moments as well, such as when he compliments wife Jeanne Crain on her earrings). Russ Tamblyn has a lively dancing sequence where he struts his stuff on shovels, and the finale--while probably not realistic--is certainly a crowd-pleaser. *** from ****