A Man Called Gannon

At least I'm pretty sure i was made for TV. I thought i was a fine, tightly directed little Western about a down-on-his-luck cowpoke who's lost his herd (or ranch; it's been awhile since I've seen it)and goes to work for a woman ranch owner. I wish I could find a copy of this movie somewhere. It's left a lasting impression. I liked it more than Man Without a Star, its nominal predecessor. Anthony Franciosa, an actor of limited range, is at his best here. Michael Sarrazin as the would-be gunslinger he takes under his wing also is fine. An episode of The Virginian TV series, perhaps one featuring the character Steve,was derived from Man Called Gannon/Man Without a Star.

This is a remake of "Man Without A Star", which packed a lot more star power, and a much better story. In fact, the biggest star in this version may be Western favorite John Anderson.

It is about a man (gee, could his name be Gannon?) who takes on a naive young man as his protégé. Unlike the original, both these guys are not credible characters. They have too much of the modern cinema touch in them, the desire to kill, kill, kill. They are more like a dork's comic book version of the original.

Neither character is likable, and the movie is much like a spaghetti western in that it tries to make you hate one less than another, which is how to choose who you like.

That sort of "director and writer" control freak format not only destroys the art and story of what they concoct, but it takes us out of the story, and makes us realize we're just watching. We're no longer into the story. Instead, we're just keenly aware of the presence of the director, writer, and others. They may as well just let the film crew walk around in the background. That would be less humiliating to them, as it would at least be honest.

A look at this film, and one wonders why the two leads don't just conquer the world in one day, since the movie makes them such supermen, and also makes them totally unidentifiable.

Every scene just fails compared to the original, which makes it even sadder, because the original wasn't a "great" movie, but compared to this, it looks like the Seven Samurai.

I won't say it's a bad western but what is useful to produce this remake? It looks like a tV western, especially if you see it in pan and f...scan. This is boring, cheesy, not crap but so useless. This is a bad late sixties - early seventies stuff. I expected some kind of gloomy, brutal, downbeat movie, not this kind at least. Cast seems OK but the characters bland, not convincing at all. I hardly fought against sleep till the end of this oater. The King Vidor's version also hardly interested me. OK, I admit that the relationship, the psycholigical link between Franciosa and Sarrazin can be a bit worth the view. But ONLY THIS. Not that bad ending too.

I suppose somewhere there's someone who could tell your fortune by the way the spaghetti lays on your plate. Personally, I'd rather just eat the stuff. This is a western about water rights, barbed wire, cowhands and people who want to be cowhands, and women who want to love them, use them, or leave them. It was made during the V. Nam War and some would read into it more than is there. It's a western; I've seen better, I've seen worse. This ones not bad. Tony Francioso (Gannon) is awakened by a telegraph crew running the wire through his camp, and rides off as the credits roll to Dave Gruisins score and a song I haven't been able to get out of my head in 45 yrs, "A Smile, a Memory, and One Spare Shirt." Francioso and Sarrazin play master and pupil, and this rehashed horse opera moves along with a cast of familiar faces who do a yeoman job of one more western. Having seen the original, "Man Without a Star", I think Kirk Douglas overplays the part and Tony gives a more suitable, understated performance. It will surprise some and disappoint others, depends on your tastes and if its raining or not. But if it comes up on the tube, its worth a look. Either it catches you or it doesn't. I found it oddly compelling. The tune has stayed in my head a long time.

a western. with the ambition to be more than one of ordinaries examples of genre. and this desire is far to be extravagant. because it propose a seductive story of lost, friendship, form of fatherhood and spirit of youth. and the great surprise remains Anthony Franciosa who has the best occasion to do a role in which the nuances are real important. Michael Sarrazin gives , more than a credible character, a lovely portrait of an age. it is a special story. about success and grow up, about love and seduction, about illusions and lost causes, about heroism and about ...women and the force who defines the words. short, more than a good western. because the classic story has deep roots. and an inspired director.