The Gun Hawk

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.

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.

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.

This B Western is surprisingly not too bad. Some half way decent acting, a few laughs, a fair story plot, some action and of course the very beautiful Ruta Lee. This movie develops the characters pretty well and there is definitely some interest in how they interact and how things will work out in the end. Rory Calhoun is always likeable despite his only ordinary acting ability. He somewhat sleep walks through most scenes and is mostly devoid of emotion, yet somehow he manages to make his role interesting. . Rod Lauren steals the movie as a young, upstart with a good heart. In a somewhat weird scene, Lauren jokes about jumping out a window or shooting himself. Some 20 years later, he committed suicide after being a suspect in his wife's brutal murder. Not the greatest movie, but good for a stormy, rainy night or a boring Sunday afternoon.

THE GUN HAWK was advertised in theaters as a typical action packed shoot em up western, which must have disappointed the drive-in fans who were expecting that. What they saw instead was a thoughtful, superbly acted character study written by Jo Heims, who would later write PLAY MISTY FOR ME for Clint Eastwood. Rory Calhoun and Rod Cameron both prove they are excellent actors, bring nuanced performances to roles similar to those they had both played in countless B westerns. Rod Lauren, Ruta Lee, and Morgan Woodward provide excellent support. I think this movie got lost in the era between the 50's B westerns and the 60's spaghetti westerns, neither of which does it fit comfortably in, which is a shame. Highly recommended!