Gunsmoke
Hired Gunslinger In A Lawless Land!
Production
Kittridge is hired by the villans but turns to defend the rancher Saxon after learning the true situation. Kittrige wins Saxon's ranch with a cut of the cards but Saxon has other reasons for loosing the gamble. Telford and Lake try everything from bushwacking to setting a wildfire to stop the Saxon/Kittridge herd of cattle from reaching the railhead.
Cast
Audie Murphy
Reb Kittredge
Susan Cabot
Rita Saxon
Paul Kelly
Dan Saxon
Charles Drake
Johnny Lake
Mary Castle
Cora Dufrayne
Jack Kelly
Curly Mather
Jesse White
Professor
Donald Randolph
Matt Telford
William Reynolds
Brazos
Chubby Johnson
Doc Farrell
Denver Pyle
Greasy (uncredited)
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Reviews
John Chard
I never did like to shoot my friends.
Gunsmoke is directed by Nathan Juran and adapted to screenplay by D.D. Beauchamp from the novel Roughshod written by Norman A. Fox. It stars Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot and Paul Kelly. Music is supervised by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Charles P. Boyle.
A safe recommendation to Western fans who just want to be entertained by an Audie Murphy picture of no pretensions. Nicely filmed out of Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, it's an unassuming film that follows familiar B Western plotting. Bad guy has reform in him and finds it when he ends up fighting for the underdog and falling in love with the daughter of said underdog. Characters are well defined, pace is brisk and the action is well constructed by Juran (latterly 7th Voyage of Sinbad/Jack the Giant Killer). Enjoy the shoot-outs, the cattle drive, the wagon down the hill sequence (those stunt workers rock!), and get on board with the devilishly handsome Murphy and the heart achingly sexy Cabot (check out how she carries off a red number during one scene as she gets the boys all hot and bothered).
It's not original and it doesn't bring any psychological smarts to the narrative, but it plays the clichés well and all involved deliver a professional and good looking picture. 6.5/10
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