Shoot Out

I have recently watched this movie. I didn't expect so much according to previous readings about the movie. Right on the contrary, it is one of the best westerns I have ever seen. Evil is shown in a raw way. The acting is great, outstanding the acting of Robert F. Lyons as psycho villain. The whole sequence at the house of the alcoholic mother with a son is full of suspense and thrill. The movie is unpredictable, giving surprises about what will happen next; it deceived me twice at least. I recommend to watch it to anyone who loves good western and good movies in general. It shows a great deal of cruelty and fair revenge. Yet it is not perfect. Some characters, like Pepe, are too stupid or naive, somewhat overacted; I think that some more realism could've been given to this role. The sequence among the horses in the meadow is a real good moment, with excellent photograph and movement.

Ten years after Gregory Peck played America's ideal father in To Kill a Mockingbird, he thought it would be funny to take a role in which he inherits a little girl and doesn't know how to handle her. Well, I'm not sure if that's why he made Shoot Out, but it's pretty adorable to watch him as he adjusts with his new parenthood. The scenes he shares with Dawn Lyn are the best parts of the movie. He even affectionately calls her "Scout" during one scene—too cute!

Robert F. Lyons plays a despicable bad guy, and while I understand why he had to be written that way, whenever he was on the screen, I was actually physically uncomfortable until the scene changed. After a while, I stopped cringing, put my trust in Gregory Peck, the just-released convict who's out for revenge, and let the chips fall where they may. The bad guys won't really get him, will they?

You'll have to watch it to find out, and if you like westerns, I recommend you do. The father-daughter scenes are really cute, and there's a bit of romantic tension with Patricia Quinn to spice things up for Greg, who's a little worn around the edges but still looks good in a cowboy hat. And while there's a very evil villain, his scenes do keep you on the edge of your seat. I wasn't expecting to like Shoot Out as much as I did, so give it a try and see if you like it, too!

I watched this as part of a cheap DVD set I bought at the supermarket for $6.99. It also included an Audie Murphy film, a Dale Robertson film and a Guy Madison film. All were westerns from the late 40's to early 70's. I really liked Shoot Out. I think that comparing it to True Grit because of some commonalities of cast/crew/producer and ( vaguely) theme is unfair. The relationship between John Wayne and Kim Darby was very different than the growing affection and dependence between Dawn Lyn's delightful Decky and Peck's tough but tender Clay. The way Peck and Lyn become father and daughter whether they actually were or not is touching. I like the way the little girl is very self-sufficient at one moment and kind of lost the next. And she seemed like a kid in many ways too; not a miniature adult. In addition, Robert F. Lyons was terrific as the psycho villain. He was cocky, stupid, pathetic, cruel, greedy and just mean. The ending where the tables are turned on him is brilliant and inventive and probably not what viewers expected. I also like Peck's final line after the final " shoot out" - " Fetch the law" Funny and brilliant.

I admit that it's not the best western ever made, by a long shot, but it's worth watching just for the fine performance of Robert F. Lyons. He should have won an Oscar nomination for "Pendulum", and his performance here is almost as good. He made a chilling bad guy in both films.

Anyone ever notice that he wore the same shirt in this film that Roddy McDowall wore in "Five Card Stud" (which was made by Hathaway and Wallis)? Too bad they didn't have Lyons play the same role in that classic. McDowall did his best, but he couldn't match Lyons portraying a bad guy cowboy.....too British.

Say what you will. I like this one.

Shoot Out (1971)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Western from the same producer, screenwriter and director of True Grit has Gregory Peck being released from prison after seven years and heading off to kill the man who shot him in the back during a bank robbery. Before he can carry out his plan he has an unexpected gift of a six year old girl who starts to have an effect on the old cowboy. This isn't really a good film but it's a slight entertainment that features some good action and a fine performance from Peck. I wouldn't say this was an A+ Peck performance but he manages to keep the film moving even though the supporting cast doesn't offer him much. The little girl at times can be annoying but that happens sometimes. I think the biggest problem for the film is that we've seen this story countless times before and this one here doesn't offer anything new and even in the end the film goes off on different story lines than what he set out to be.