Gun Belt

Gun Belt is directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Jack Dewitt, Richard Schayer and Arthur Orloff. It stars George Montgomery, Tab Hunter, William Bishop, Douglas Kennedy, John Dehner, James Millican, Hugh Sanders, Jack Elam and Helen Westcott.

Remade as 5 Guns to Tombstone in 1960, Gun Belt is for sure the much stronger film. Plot treads familiar ground as reformed outlaw gets roped into bad ways again via a frame up by his brother, and to compound matters his nephew is involved in the mess that follows. It essentially uses characters from the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral period of the Tombstone Law Versus Outlaws scheme of history. The makers retain some names, slightly change others, and of course add their own line of history.

It's a good old fashioned "B" Western that boasts a roll call of genre performers, and it's this what keeps Gun Belt from falling below average. Montgomery fronts up as the main man, a likeable presence in the genre, it's entertaining watching him weave his way through double cross after double cross. All of which culminates in a showdown where rat like trickery and bluffs form the denouement.

Nicely filmed in Technicolor, it's not a half bad production. When the story comes out of the town the Chatsworth scenery is very nice. Action scenes are competently staged as befitting a good old pro like Nazarro, with a pat on the back to the stunt workers who add perkiness to proceedings. As for the musical score, it's standard fare from Gertz. The acting is a mixed bag, and some such as Elam barely get anything to say or do, and Westcott's stock love interest character is barely in it. Leaving us with a decent but not great Western, one for the undemanding after a brisk and tidy time filler. 6/10

Those of us who love B westerns constantly come up with undiscovered gems from the 1950s. This isn't one of them. Gun Belt may be the least impressive of any Wyatt Earp western ever made, though in fact he's seen only in a supporting role, with a bit of historicity in that he's portrayed as deputy to his brother Virgil, which was actually the case. Nothing else about the film 'gets it right,' though - George Montgomery plays Billy (not John or Jim) Ringo, with Tab Hunter as his younger brother, "Kid Ringo." For reasons I can't imagine, they changed the name of Ike Clanton to Ike Clinton! If there's one interesting thing here, it's that some oft overlooked characters - Turkey Creek Jack Johnson,Curly Bill Brocious, and Texas Jack Vermillion - are on hand, the terrific TOMBSTONE the only other film to give them decent screen time. You may recognize the female lead, Helen Westcott, from the similarly titled Ringo movie GUNFIGHTER - though that was one of the greatest of all westerns. This one has corny dialogue, unbelievable plotting, and weak acting, particularly by Hunter, who couldn't deliver a line competently if the survival of the world depended on it. Even the vistas don't look so bright. Here's one that even die-hard western buffs can skip.

Yet another George Montgomery oater to pass 90 minutes when not much else to do. I can never get very excited about George M as he lacked the X factor for me as a western hero but maybe female viewers liked his good looks. The only real spark in this action packed item is a brutal performance for it's time, from William Bishop, an actor who died from cancer at only 41 years old, a shame as he makes a terrific villain here. There's also a notable minor henchman in the gang played by the great Jack Elam in an early part. The plot involves various double crosses over a shipment of gold of half a million dollars, an amount that makes the crooks willing to kill anyone to get a share of it. Other cowboy actors of B pictures of time, Randolph Scott, Audie Murphy and Rory Calhoun for example had far more screen presence for me than Mr Montgomery but the colourful scenery and action help make up. It also has James Millican as the worst miscast Wyatt Earp I've yet seen . Ok for passing the time.

A former outlaw, Billy Ringo (George Montgomery) decides to hang up his guns, buy a ranch, wed Arlene Reach (Helen Westcott), and let his nephew Chip Ringo live with them, however that ideal state is tenuous at best when Chip's father Matt Ringo (John Dehner), fresh from escaping prison, arrives coaxing the two brothers to follow a life of crime - Billy is then framed into pulling a bank robbery with Matt and his gang.

After accidentally killing Matt, Billy pretends to side with the gang after informing Marshal Wyatt Earp of the gang's plan to rob a Wells Fargo express wagon. But Billy's main intention is to stop Chip from going down the outlaw trail.

Formulaic, yet watchable western with some finely drawn characters. The plot drives you in, it's brisk, and with some good action - like stagecoach robbery at the finale. The historically named characters weren't really needed, as it could've stood in his own legs with fresh characters, but the trend back then was to use historical characters. Guess it makes it fun.

Clintons? Hmmm. Ike Clinton. Wyatt Earp. Well they got that name right. Several Ringo brothers! Well it was supposed to be fiction. I suppose it was par for the course for the early 1950s. Aimed mainly at Saturday afternoon kids movies. So .... who cares about accuracy. I recommend a viewing of Tombstone or Wyatt Earp for a reasonable coverage of the Earp, Clanton, Ringo and Curly Bill etc events in Tombstone, AZ. OR the old 1950s TV series The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp. Not all of it historically accurate, but exponentially better. 🙂