The Gunfighter

"His only friend was his gun... His only refuge - a woman's heart!"

1950 1h 25m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 217

Western

Synopsis

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The fastest gun in the West tries to escape his reputation.

“His only friend was his gun... His only refuge - a woman's heart!”

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Cast

Gregory Peck
Jimmy Ringo
Helen Westcott
Peggy Walsh
Millard Mitchell
Marshal Mark Strett
Jean Parker
Molly
Karl Malden
Mac
Skip Homeier
Hunt Bromley
Anthony Ross
Deputy Charlie Norris
Verna Felton
Mrs. August Pennyfeather

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henry King
Writers: William Bowers, William Sellers, William Bowers
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Henry King, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barbara McLean shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott and Millard Mitchell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "His only friend was his gun... His only refuge - a woman's heart!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042531 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henry King directs. Arthur C. Miller behind the camera. Alfred Newman scores. Barbara McLean cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Henry King, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Barbara McLean shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott and Millard Mitchell carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "His only friend was his gun... His only refuge - a woman's heart!".
8IMDB entry: tt0042531 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur C. Miller
Original score: Alfred Newman
Editing: Barbara McLean
Costume design: Travilla
Makeup / hair: Ben Nye
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Gunfighter (1950)

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Henry King

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-02-02
★ 7/10
Dramatic B&W Western starring Gregory Peck in the titular role Released in 1950, “The Gunfighter” stars Gregory Peck as a middle-aged quick-draw gunfighter who rides into a Southwestern town where his fame excites the populace and attracts young bucks wanting to make a name. Millard Mitchell plays the sheriff, an old friend, while Helen Westcott appears as his former babe. Karl Malden plays the bartender while Jean Parker is on hand as a saloon singer. The movie starts great with a saloon confrontation and a chase in the desert wilderness. Too bad the B&W photography renders the awesome locations flat. From there the story turns dramatic and it’s done well as we get to learn about the gunfighter through his conversations with peoples he’s known. There are a couple of hokey elements but, for the most part, this is a potent Western drama. I didn’t like the ending though; I think it was a cop-out and something better could’ve been scripted. For one thing, a certain character wasn’t a criminal (that is, if the dialogue is to be believed); he only shot others in self-defense, about 15 people, which is even illustrated in the opening scenes. The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes and was shot in California and Arizona. GRADE: B
CinemaSerf2023-11-22
★ 7/10
A moustachioed Gregory Peck is the renowned, but now reformed, gunslinger "Ringo" who rides into his hometown hoping to meet up with his old flame "Peggy" (Helen Westcott) and his young son - whom he has yet to actually meet! The locals are less than enthusiastic at his arrival - especially the prudish elder women, but then neither is "Peggy" nor the fair-minded sheriff (Milllard Mitchell). Indeed, once news of his arrival spreads he becomes a magnet for people keen to have a pop at this legend. The most irritating of them proves to be "Bromley" (Skip Homeier) and with tensions rising we wonder just how long "Ringo" can use his wits instead of his guns. Karl Malden is quite good as the barman who shares quite a bit of the accruing danger and as Henry King keeps us interested for just shy of ninety minutes, we are taken on a trip that gradually and effectively builds the sense of imminent peril. Peck is on good form and Homeier also rather good as the youth with the scent of blood and fame in his nostrils. It's quite sparingly scripted; well scored by Alfred Newman and paced slowly but deliberately as we think we know what's bound to happen - but will it?