Die erste Kugel trifft

I am not a fan of Westerns in general. Many have the old predictable clichéd plots and are amazingly dull to me. That's why when I find a really unusual and well-made Western, I try to mention it on IMDb. Although this is not my favorite one (that would go to The Big Country), it is one of the better ones I've seen. So, what makes it so watchable? First, this is no macho shoot 'em up picture--there are lots of quiet moments as well. Secondly, the movie isn't easy to predict and the ending is AMAZING. Third, you can tell that the writers really tried hard to do something DIFFERENT.

By the way, if you like this movie about a fast gunslinger, I also highly recommend The Gunfighter (with Gregory Peck). They have a lot of similarities but are different enough that I recommend you see both.

"The Fastest Gun Alive" is not one of those that come easily to your mind when you think about westerns. No one could say this a classic or even a great movie in the genre.

However, if you analyze this film you can't find major flaws or weaknesses in it. In fact, "The Fast Gun Alive" has an original plot with more than one real good moments, an acceptable direction and development, interesting characters, a very good casting and a tense surprising and much original ending.

Glenn Ford is most convincing as the man of the title that has to face a dangerous situation that his own search for respect and insecurity brings against him. Broderick Crawford renders a real good performance as the gunfighter who has to constantly prove to himself that he is the best and second to no one. Jeanne Crain plays Ford's wife, the woman that suffers because of his husband's insatisfactions with his life. Noah Beery, Jr. and John Dennher credit the supporting cast as Crawford's sidekicks.

I have to say I found this film interesting and enjoyable; most recommendable for western fans.

Directed with poise and aplomb by Russell Rouse (an illustrious unknown to me), with very good B&W photography, and terrific performances by Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford and John Dehner, what I particularly like about this movie is its script (apart from a dancing number featuring Russ Tamblyn that has no connection whatsoever with anything else in the film).

THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE is built upon an unusual premise: Crawford wants at all costs to be the fastest gun alive, but Ford knows he is it - even though he has not killed a man yet.

The sequence in the church where people initially do not want Ford to go out and meet Crawford because they value his life, then want him to do it because Crawford orders the town's shops doused with kerosene, comes across as remarkably human and true.

There are sound moral values to this film, excellent cinematography, and believable characters. 8/10

Broderick Crawford is great as the criminal leader with a psychopathic ego who must continually show that he is the fastest gun around and Glenn Ford is super as the introverted shy storekeeper with a lightning fast draw. Supporting cast adds good depth and character. The blind man near the start of the movie who states that "no matter how fast you are there's always somebody faster" foretells the moral of the story. Highly recommend that this movie be seen by all fans of westerns.

Enjoyed this film mainly because I like Broderick Crawford, (Vinnie Harold) who was too old and too fat to be the fastest gun in this film and a great young star Glenn Ford, (George Temple) who had dark deep secrets to hid in the small town of Cross Creek. George Temple was married to Dora Temple, (Jeanne Crain) who had to suffer with her husband's past and they finally decided to locate in a new town to live in and they were store owners. However, George had a real bad habit of loving guns and also being an expert sharp shooter. Vinnie Harold went from town to town looking for the fastest gun and killed everyone that he came across who thought he could out draw him in a good old Western duel in the street of some town. Jeanne Crain gave a great supporting role and looked very young and pretty along with a very handsome looking Glenn Ford. This is a good classic 1956 black and white film, but is very entertaining.