The Fastest Gun Alive

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

1956 1h 29m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 67

DramaWestern

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Whenever it becomes known how good he is with guns, ex-gunman George and his wife Dora have to flee the town, in fear of all the gunmen who might want to challenge him. Unfortunately he again spills his secret when he's drunk. All citizens swear to keep his secret and support him to give up his guns forever -- but a boy tells the story to a gang of wanted criminals. Their leader threatens to burn down the whole town, if he doesn't duel him.

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

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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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Russell Rouse
Writers: Frank D. Gilroy, Russell Rouse, Frank D. Gilroy
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by George J. Folsey. 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 André Previn. 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 Ferris Webster 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

Glenn Ford and Jeanne Crain and Broderick Crawford carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049201 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Russell Rouse directs. George J. Folsey behind the camera. André Previn scores. Ferris Webster cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ferris Webster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Glenn Ford and Jeanne Crain and Broderick Crawford carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "WHAT HAPPENS in the next few minutes makes one of the most dramatic climaxes of any story you've ever seen!".
8IMDB entry: tt0049201 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: George J. Folsey
Original score: André Previn
Editing: Ferris Webster
Costume design: Walter Plunkett
Makeup / hair: William Tuttle
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)

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Russell Rouse

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-07-12
★ 7/10
You might have thought that after having to make a few moonlight flits with wife "Dora" (Jeanne Crain) after it was discovered he was a renowned gunslinger, "George" (Glenn Ford) might have learned to keep his trap shut. Sadly, though, the demon drink is not always his friend and when he blabs about his ertwhile skills with a six-gun, he attracts the unwanted attention of hard-man "Vinnie" (Broderick Crawford) who is determined that there is no man better than he with a gun. Teamed up with a trio of bank-robbing ne'er do wells, he arrives in their sleepy town of Cross Creek and gradually his interest in escaping the pursuing posse is supplanted by his determination to provoke the now unarmed "George" into a duel. As the tension mounts, we learn a little of just what convinced him to seek a more peaceable life with a wife who knows of his past, and who is wholly supportive of his new life and appreciative of it's difficulties in the face of a gossiping town and a shrewd and vengeful foe who knows exactly which buttons to push to antagnosie both the town and the couple. Though Ford takes top billing and acquits himself fine and Crain has more of a part to sink her teeth into too, it's really Crawford who impresses here with his almost megalomaniacal portrayal of a natural born killer and as the latter stages of this - once we have forgotten the images of Russ Tamblyn dancing on a pair of shovels - develop, the almost glisteningly sweaty tension increases towards a conclusion that isn't anywhere near the fait accompli that you might have expected at the outset. I always enjoy a good baddie in a western, and Crawford delivers strongly here.

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