Gunman's Walk

Gunman's Walk
Gunman's Walk
	1958 theatrical poster
Directed by	Phil Karlson
Screenplay by	Frank S. Nugent
Based on	story by Ric Hardman
Produced by	Fred Kohlmar
Starring	Van Heflin; Tab Hunter
Cinematography	Charles Lawton Jr.
Edited by	Jerome Thoms
Music by	George Duning
Color process	Technicolor
Production; company	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 1958;
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Gunman's Walk is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Van Heflin and Tab Hunter.^[1]

Plot

Davy Hackett (James Darren) and his hot-tempered, arrogant older brother Ed (Tab Hunter) are about to assist their rancher father Lee (Van Heflin) on a horse roundup. The brothers meet Cecily "Clee" Chouard (Kathryn Grant), a beautiful half-French, half-Sioux woman; when Ed makes unwanted advances toward her, Davy, himself genuinely interested in her, apologizes for his brother's behavior.

Clee's brother Paul (Bert Convy) and two other Indians are invited to join the roundup. Ed particularly resents the hard-working, talented Paul. Ed is obsessed with capturing an elusive white mare, ostensibly for Davy, and cannot bear the fact that Paul decides to compete for the animal. During a wild chase after the horse, Ed rides the other man to his death off a cliff. This is witnessed by the two Indians and Ed is arrested. When the case comes to court, Ed is released when a man named Sieverts (Ray Teal) lies that he saw what happened: the cliff gave way and the death was an accident. Lee learns that Davy is in love with Clee and disowns him.

Sieverts claims he has lost a group of wild horses he had gathered; Lee allows him ten of his as a gesture of gratitude for his saving his son. When Sieverts selects the white mare Lee realizes that Sieverts is dishonest, but says nothing. Ed sees Sievert riding through town with the horses. When the man will not release the mare Ed shoots him. Jailed once again, he shoots a deputy and escapes. He is tracked down by Lee and their confrontation escalates to the point where Ed issues a challenge and prepares to draw on his father. Lee shoots and kills his son. Lee returns to town with the body and, having reflected on his own life, asks Davy and Clee to join him in taking Ed’s body back to the ranch.

Cast

Van Heflin as Lee Hackett
Tab Hunter as Ed Hackett
Kathryn Grant as Clee Chouard
James Darren as Davy Hackett
Mickey Shaughnessy as Deputy Sheriff Will Motely
Robert F. Simon as Sheriff Harry Brill
Edward Platt as Purcell Avery
Ray Teal as Jensen Sieverts
Paul Birch as Bob Selkirk, Lee's caretaker
Will Wright as Judge
Bert Convy as Paul Chouard (uncredited)
Chief Blue Eagle as Black Horse, Indian (uncredited)
Paul Bryar as Saloon bartender (uncredited)
Harry Antrim as Doctor (uncredited)
Everett Glass as Rev. Arthur Stotheby (uncredited)
Dorothy Adams as Martha Stotheby (uncredited)
Lloyd Cleveland Keith-Yankton Sioux as Indian in blue jacket (uncredited)

Production notes

Ric Hardman wrote the original script and it was adapted by Frank S. Nugent. Van Heflin signed to star in August 1957.^[2] Rudolph Mate was originally meant to be the director but he dropped out (he would be replaced by Phil Karlson). Tab Hunter was borrowed from Warner Bros.^[3]

Columbia contractee James Darren was assigned to a support role. Filming started in November 1957.^[4]^[5]

Director Phil Karlson says the film reduced Columbia studio head Harry Cohn to tears. "He had two sons and this was a story about a father and two sons. He identified completely."^[6]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times said it was "moviemaking at its best".^[7]

Legacy

Quentin Tarantino later said the film was an inspiration for Tanner, the fictitious movie starring Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.^[8] Delores Keith stated in 2023, that the Indian at the table in the courtroom is Lloyd Keith, her great uncle, brother of her grandfather Hobart E. Keith.

References

^ Gunman's Walk at AllMovie
^ GOYA'S LIFE STORY PLANNED AS FILM New York Times 15 Aug 1957: 18.
^ FILM WRITERS MAP TOLL-TV DEMANDS By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 27 Sep 1957: 16.
^ POITIER LEAVES MOVIE OF 'PORGY'By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 11 Nov 1957: 34.
^ James Darren Well on Way to Hitting Jackpot of Stardom Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1958: E1.
^ Todd McCarthy and Richard Thompson. “Phil Karlson: Interview, November 19, 1973” Kings of the Bs; Working Within the Hollywood System, eds. Todd McCarthy and Charles Flynn (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), pp. 327-345. Rpt. Cine Resort, Oct. 7 2014
^ Heflin and Hunter Winners in 'Walk': New Western Ranks With Best; Are Films Pampering Nazis? Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 24 July 1958: A5.
^ "Quentin Tarantino introduces and discusses "Gunman's Walk"". You Tube. August 17, 2019.

External links

Gunman's Walk at IMDb
Gunman's Walk at AllMovie
Gunman's Walk at the TCM Movie Database
Gunman's Walk at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Review of film at Cinema Retro

[AllRovi-1] Gunman's Walk at AllMovie

[2] GOYA'S LIFE STORY PLANNED AS FILM New York Times 15 Aug 1957: 18.

[3] FILM WRITERS MAP TOLL-TV DEMANDS By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 27 Sep 1957: 16.

[4] POITIER LEAVES MOVIE OF 'PORGY'By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 11 Nov 1957: 34.

[5] James Darren Well on Way to Hitting Jackpot of Stardom Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1958: E1.

[phil-6] Todd McCarthy and Richard Thompson. “Phil Karlson: Interview, November 19, 1973” Kings of the Bs; Working Within the Hollywood System, eds. Todd McCarthy and Charles Flynn (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), pp. 327-345. Rpt. Cine Resort, Oct. 7 2014

[7] Heflin and Hunter Winners in 'Walk': New Western Ranks With Best; Are Films Pampering Nazis? Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 24 July 1958: A5.

[8] "Quentin Tarantino introduces and discusses "Gunman's Walk"". You Tube. August 17, 2019.

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