The Gun Hawk

Two veterans of the B western movie genre Rory Calhoun and Rod Cameron team up for The Gun Hawk. Cameron plays an upright sheriff who saw some promise in Rory Calhoun and wanted to make him his deputy. But Calhoun preferred the dark side and became a notorious gunfighter.

Calhoun is back in Cameron's town for some personal business. But a gunfight that resulted in the accidental killing of his father sends Calhoun on a vengeance quest rather than let the sheriff handle it. He kills the two shooters and now has Cameron and his deputy Morgan Woodward after him. Cameron wounds him in the right arm, Calhoun's shooting arm.

But Calhoun has another scheme in mind. He's the kingpin in a town called Sanctuary, an outlaw town. Calhoun's also got his girl friend Ruta Lee there as well. He'll need her presence as his gun hand is out of commission.

Both Cameron and Calhoun are shown to good advantage, Calhoun having the more complex part in The Gun Hawk. Also look for a nice performance by Rod Lauren as a young kid who both Calhoun and Cameron are courting. Yet another young man of promise.

Definitely a must for fans of the B western.

Edward Ludwig was mainly known for his adventures yarns: CARIBBEAN, WAKE OF THE RED WITCH, JIVARO, SMUGGLER'S ISLAND, FLAME OF THE ISLANDS, though he also gave some other genres stuff, horror: BLACK SCORPION; crime. LAST GANGSTER; and war/ FIGHTING SEABEES; Also I admit a couple of westerns such as VANQUISHED and the one I am talking about now. This is a typical mid sixties western, not speaking of those starring the Duke, directed by the likes of Burt Kennedy or Andy McLaglen in the pure forties, fifties and Jack Ford tradition. No I speak of those westerns which were somewhere the transition between Ford and Peckinpah. Westerns with a bit of bittersweet taste and melancholy; for instance Dick Thorpe - also last stand, what a coincidence - THE LAST CHALLENGE - with of course nearly the same scheme as GUNHAWK, or those B westerns produced by Paramount pictures and AC Lyles, during also the early sixties, and starring old timers such as George Montgomery, Yvonne de Carlo, Richard Arlen. And don't forget last Spencer Gordon Bennet's film, - one of the most famous and prolific serial maker with Bill Witney, who, for his last feature, as like Thorpe and Ludwig, gave us two tremendous little films, BOUNTY KILLER, and REQUIEM FOR A GUNFIGHTER. In one of them, Dan Duryea gave one of his best performances ever as a pure anti hero, who announced the downbeat late sixties and early seventies. So GUNHAWK is for me a terrific piece of work, especially for the B genre. Which i have always loved.

A heavy, self important western (i.e. Trying too hard to "say something" significant about the human yadda yadda). Most of the oppressiveness comes from Jo Heims' too talky, too expositional and definitely too philosophical screenplay but Jimmie Haskell's score is not far behind and director Edward Ludwig, in his last film, is only too happy to attach himself to Heims/Haskell. As is Rory Calhoun, a poor man's Robert Taylor, Ruta Lee, a poor woman's Stella Stevens, and Rod Laurin, a very poor boy's James Dean. About the only person who manages to rise above the dreck is Rod Cameron, doing a more than passable aging lawman. Not Joel McRae in "Ride The High Country", which this film wishes it was, but close. Give it a C.

Gunslinger Blaine Madden (Rory Calhoun) dispenses his own brand of justice when he attempts to defend his drunk father against two villains. Later on, Madden is seriously injured by the tough sheriff Ben Corey (Rod Cameron), but he gets away to an outlaw haven and he prepares what can be his last stand along with his pupil ( Rod Lauren). He was as feared as Jack Slade and Wyatt Earp !

An uneven but agreeable enough Western with noisy action, go riding, shootouts and human drama. Stars Rory Calhoun as a wounded bandit who escapes and seeks shelter at a peculiar village where he's loved. Rory Calhoun, not the sort one usually associates with nice performance, but here he gives a fine acting of almost Brando-like as the outlaw. While Ruta Lee is her distressed girl in love, Rod Lauren is the young man whom he is determined to steer clear of the outlaw trail. The veteran and Western expert Rod Cameron is an elderly sheriff who really doesn't want to confront Calhoun, but due to his justice badge has to do it. Other secondaries worthwhile to mention are the following: Robert J Wilke, John Litel, Rodolfo Hoyos, Gregg Barton and Morgan Woodward. The highlight of the movie is its final in which the dialogue and tense situation rises to greatness by Western standards in the closing stages.

The motion picture was professionally though unevenly directed by Edward Ludwig in his final movie. The film is acceptable and passable, and even at times quite splendid. Rusian-born Edward Ludwig came to the USA as a child and was educated in Canada and entered the film business as an actor in silent movies , then became a scenarist and screenwriter and in the early 1930s turned to directing. Although most films were routine second features, he showed a flair for adventure and action pictures , a good example of which is a John Wayne war epic he made for Republic Production, "The Fighting seabees" (1944), one of Wayne' s better and most successful films he made for Republic. Filmmaker Ludwig had a long career about 50 years and spanned over 100 shorts, TV episodes from notorious series as "Bonanza", "The restless gun", "Cheyenne" and directing John Wayne in various movies as "Fighting Seabees", "Wake the Red Witch" and " Big Jim McLain". "Gun Hawk" rating: 6/10 . Better than average Western.

Under a B western outward appearance this rare movie shows some interesting qualities. You would think of a B western if you consider the cast (Rory Calhoun, Rod Cameron, Ruta Lee) but that is not totally exact. This Gun Hawk ("El gavilán pistolero" in Spain) has got influence of many good genre works (the topic of a gunslinger who wants retire himself is a classical). The inexorable fate plays his cards never mind the human desire does. The movie es correctly made, the color photography with bright painted rooms, like in a theatrical decor, announcing the upcoming death, an the credit ballad music inspired at the cowboys song telling a story (Marcucci and Faith "A Searcher for Love") are excellent too. It has got some comedy notes, a bite out of the blue. I will said at last the village, Sanctuary, keeps similitude with a Spanish place, Guadalest, near Alicante at Mediterranean sea.