Return of the Gunfighter

"The odds were six to one but against Ben Wyatt ... he still had the edge !"

1967 1h 38m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 69

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A gunfighter and a cowboy help a Mexican girl avenge the land-related murder of her parents.

“The odds were six to one but against Ben Wyatt ... he still had the edge !”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Robert Taylor
Ben Wyatt
Chad Everett
Lee Sutton
Ana Martín
Anisa Domingo
Mort Mills
Will Parker
Lyle Bettger
Clay Sutton
John Davis Chandler
Sundance
Michael Pate
Frank Boone
Barry Atwater
Fred Lomax

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Neilson
Writers: Burt Kennedy, Robert Buckner, Robert Buckner
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

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Neilson, shot by Ellsworth Fredericks. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Taylor and Chad Everett and Ana Martín carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The odds were six to one but against Ben Wyatt ... he still had the edge !".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0062194 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Neilson directs. Ellsworth Fredericks behind the camera. Hans J. Salter scores. Richard V. Heermance cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by James Neilson, shot by Ellsworth Fredericks. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Richard V. Heermance shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Robert Taylor and Chad Everett and Ana Martín carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The odds were six to one but against Ben Wyatt ... he still had the edge !".
7IMDB entry: tt0062194 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Original score: Hans J. Salter
Editing: Richard V. Heermance
Makeup / hair: Sydney Guilaroff
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Return of the Gunfighter (1967)

Also by

James Neilson

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-06-12
★ 8/10
I'm tired of death - It keeps on following me. 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. Suspension 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 from the tail end of the 60s. Highly recommended to Taylor fans and fans of traditional Western fare. 8/10

Production companies