Death of a Gunfighter

"Marshall Patch... he lived by the law of the gun..."

1969 1h 34m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🍅

75%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 43🍅75%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★6.3IMDB · 1,916

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the turn-of-the century Texas town of Cottonwood Springs, marshal Frank Patch is an old-style lawman in a town determined to become modern. When he kills drunken Luke Mills in self-defense, the town leaders decide it's time for a change. That ask for Patch's resignation, but he refuses on the basis that the town, on hiring him, had promised him the job for as long as he wanted it. Afraid for the town's future and even more afraid of the fact that Marshal Patch knows all the town's dark secrets, the city fathers decide that old-style violence is the only way to rid themselves of the unwanted lawman.

“Marshall Patch... he lived by the law of the gun...”

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Cast

Richard Widmark
Marshal Frank Patch
Lena Horne
Claire Quintana
Carroll O'Connor
Lester Locke
David Opatoshu
Edward Rosenbloom
Kent Smith
Andrew Oxley
Jacqueline Scott
Laurie Mills
Morgan Woodward
Ivan Stanek
Larry Gates
Mayor Chester Sayre

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Totten
Writers: Joseph Calvelli
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

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Totten, shot by Andrew Jackson. 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 Oliver Nelson. 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 Robert F. Shugrue 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

Richard Widmark and Lena Horne and Carroll O'Connor carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Marshall Patch... he lived by the law of the gun...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0064217 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Totten directs. Andrew Jackson behind the camera. Oliver Nelson scores. Robert F. Shugrue cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Robert Totten, shot by Andrew Jackson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Oliver Nelson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Robert F. Shugrue shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Richard Widmark and Lena Horne and Carroll O'Connor carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Marshall Patch... he lived by the law of the gun...".
7IMDB entry: tt0064217 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.