Invitation to a Gunfighter

"He Kills By Invitation"

1964 1h 32m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 61

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In New Mexico, a Confederate veteran returns home to find his fiancée married to a Union soldier, his Yankee neighbors rallied against him and his property sold by the local banker who then hires a gunman to kill him.

“He Kills By Invitation”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Yul Brynner
Jules Gaspard d'Estaing
Janice Rule
Ruth Adams
George Segal
Matt Weaver
Alfred Ryder
Doc Barker
Clifford David
Crane Adams
Mike Kellin
Blind Union Vet
Brad Dexter
Kenarsie
Pat Hingle
Sam Brewster

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Wilson
Writers: Richard Wilson, Hal Goodman, Larry Klein
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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Wilson, shot by Joseph MacDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert C. Jones 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

Yul Brynner and Janice Rule and George Segal carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He Kills By Invitation".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0058238 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 61 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Wilson directs. Joseph MacDonald behind the camera. Robert C. Jones cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
262 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Richard Wilson, shot by Joseph MacDonald. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Robert C. Jones shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Yul Brynner and Janice Rule and George Segal carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He Kills By Invitation".
7IMDB entry: tt0058238 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 61 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph MacDonald
Editing: Robert C. Jones
Production design: Robert Clatworthy
Costume design: Paula Giokaris
Makeup / hair: Daniel C. Striepeke
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,800,000
Box office: $3,100,000
Return: 172% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

Also by

Richard Wilson

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2017-05-04
★ 3/10
Thematically fine but executed with very little skill. Rebel soldier Matt Weaver returns to town after the Civil War, only to find that his home has been sold by unscrupulous town boss, Sam Brewster. Brewster, fearing for his safety, hires gunfighter Jules Gaspard d'Estaing to eradicate Weaver. But as d'Estaing's settles in to town it becomes clear to him just what a corrupt and morally bankrupt bunch the townsfolk are. It grieves me to mark a film like this, with so many good people involved with it, down so low. The thematic heart of this picture is fabulous, nothing none of us haven't seen before, but tales of hired gunmen straightening out dirty towns are always of interest if handled with care and a commitment to the moral essence. Invitation To A Gunfighter, in spite of starring Yul Brynner, George Segal, Brad Dexter, Pat Hingle and Strother Martin, and being directed by Orson Welles collaborator Richard Wilson, is ploddingly paced and acted like a low budget C movie. The score from David Raksin is intrusive and completely out of sync with the nature of the piece, whilst the back lot location is all too evident. The piece briefly picks up entering the final third, where thankfully Brynner is asked to earn his pay outside of walking around glumly, but it's a false dawn as the finale has all the excitement of a runny nose. I'm in the minority judging by the comments written for this film thus far, so maybe it caught me at a bad time, but the chances of me ever seeking this one out again are remote to say the least. 3/10

Production companies