Gunman's Walk

Gunman's Walk
	1958 theatrical poster
Directed by	Phil Karlson
Produced by	Fred Kohlmar
Screenplay by	Frank S. Nugent
Based on	story by Ric Hardman
Starring	Van Heflin; Tab Hunter
Music by	George Duning
Cinematography	Charles Lawton Jr.
Edited by	Jerome Thoms
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 cattle drive to Wyoming. The brothers meet Cecily "Clee" Chouard (Kathryn Grant), a beautiful half-French, half-Sioux woman, and when Ed makes unwanted advances toward her, Davy intervenes.

Clee's brother Paul (Bert Convy) is invited to join the cattle drive. Ed, obsessed with capturing a white mare, resents Paul's interference and pushes him off a cliff to his death. It is witnessed by two Indians, but when the case comes to court, Ed is released because Lee has bribed a man named Sieverts (Ray Teal) to lie that the death was an accident. Lee learns that Davy is in love with Clee and disowns him.

Sieverts is given 10 horses in exchange, but when he selects the white mare, Ed shoots him. Jailed once again, Ed shoots a deputy and escapes. Lee hunts down his own son and kills him, then leads Davy and Clee 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)

Production notes

Ric Hardman wrote the original script and it was adapted by Frank 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 Ric Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.<ref>"Quentin Tarantino introduces and discusses "Gunman's Walk"". You Tube. August 17, 2019.<ref>

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.

External links

Gunman's Walk on IMDb
Gunman's Walk at AllMovie
Gunman's Walk at the TCM Movie Database
Gunman's Walk at the American Film Institute Catalog
Review of film at Cinema Retro

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[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.