Man or Gun

Man or Gun is an interesting film, which is unusual as most 1950s B Westerns are definitely not very interesting, most being retreads of earlier, better films. However, in this film there is inventive camera work with interesting angles and crane shots, an intelligent plot, a good use of music, sound and silence, and decent acting. It is all the more the unusual as being well directed by a man whose career was comprised of 9 films all directed in a single 5 year period (1956-1961), Albert Gannaway. While not a great film, it is a good one.

The plot involves Fran Dare (Audrey Totter), a saloon owner, and her partner manipulating a fast drawing stranger (Macdonald Carey) with a gun that holds a growing superstitious significance to those around him. He is used to wrest control of the town from the Corleys and to extract some measure of revenge for Fran, whose father had been killed by the Corleys. The town's aged sherriff spends his time in his office, playing checkers, trying to avoid trouble, and swearing that since he had been in office there had been "no killings, only legal shootouts".

Both Audrey Totter and Macdonald Carey had long careers, both appearing in over 50 films and in various televisions series.

The film has more the feel of the great physcological westerns of the 1950s than your standard Randolph Scott oater.

The final 20 minutes of the movie include an inventive gunfight at a farmhouse and a well done climax.

Despite my love for Westerns, this one was tough to enjoy. The pacing is extremely slow, the characters are not well crafted, and the dialogue is frequently ridiculous. Example: the rich old rancher who rules the town mutters `profound' dialog to himself such as, `All I know is . . . when your dead, your dead for a looooong time'.

Most of the music is produced by a sleepy harmonica, a mournful violin, and a tinkling harp -- except for the title theme, which is a plodding song with dreadful lyrics and no discernible melody, performed by an untalented baritone.

McDonald Carey does a competent acting job amidst some serious scenery chewing. Even Warren Stevens (Doc from `Forbidden Planet') is swimming upstream in this one. His dialogue is dreadfully melodramatic, and his fight scene with Carey is badly staged, clumsily edited, and unintentionally funny.

The most implausible part of the story is the characters' belief that Carey's gun is `magic'. The bad guy (Stevens) is obsessed with getting it because he thinks it'll make him a perfect shot. This misplaced supernatural element, plus the somber mood of the film, the black & white photography, and the strange, almost ghostly music during the climactic gunfight makes the film play like a `Twilight Zone' episode.

I really enjoyed this movie it seemed to have a different flavor than most of the B westerns of that day. Pretty good acting and unusual plot. The only thing I can't understand is why did they call the gun a Colt Wesson 44. Did Colt and Wesson ever collaborate and make a .44 caliber hand gun? I've searched Google until my fingers are sore:-) I can find no references to a Colt Wesson .44. So I'm wondering why was there none made or was it such a rare gun that the complete Google catalog has no info on it? That didn't ruin the movie for me at all and then they mentioned a 7 shot revolver when Pinch was to be hired and the man (can't remember his name) but he was the partner in the saloon any way he said make sure and use a 7 shot pistol 1 more than the 44. I didn't know there were any 7 shot guns back then either. Anyone have any info on these 2 questions?

Seems like it should've been made in the late '60s, early '70s. In another country. The laughable dialog, we don't care. How so many people throw their lives away without hesitation, I'm sure it's happened.

Probably one of the most original ideas for a b-western I have ever come across. Despite having all the other trappings of a b-movie, (the female saloon keeper romantic lead, the bad rich guy and his gang, the philosophical drifter etc) the basic idea, the focus on the gun of a famous (now deceased) killer and whether or not it gives its owner supernatural speed on the draw makes for an unexpected psychological thriller.

Don't misunderstand me, this is not a great movie, its nowhere near as well realised as it should be and a terrific idea is poorly served. Still, if ever a movie deserved to be revisited, this is it. Here's hoping Tarantino or someone comes across it one of these days.