Fury at Gunsight Pass

When bandits steal $35,000 from the bank and kill Charles Hanford, Richard Long's father, they claim Hanford was in on it with them. The town shuns Long. When the bandits escape and discover the money isn't were they hid it, they take the town hostage.

It's a fine B western directed by Fred F. Sear. At first it looked like a slightly souped-up V episode, but the large number of extras, effects, and tough script put an end to that impression.

Sears had begun in the theater. After the War, he started working at Columbia as an actor and dialogue director. He took up directing in 1949 and directed fifty movies. An fantastically fast worker, this is one of nine movies he directed in 1956. He is credited with five movies released in 1958, even though he had died the previous year at age 44!

It is clear that Sears made sci-fi horror films and that can be seen in a gun battle amid open coffins, and the body count is high. Richard Long and Neville Brand are excellent in their roles, on opposing sides in a long drawn out fight for some ' lost ' bank money. The ringleader of the gang that want the money is played by David Brian and he too gives a good performance. A woman is a catalyst in the film, but other than that there are few female actors in the story. It is the final twenty minutes or so of the film that its originality truly shows and no spoilers as to why that is. I urge viewers to be aware of this underrated Western, and it sometimes turns up on a UK television channel. I firmly believe that it should be given an outing on DVD.

A group of bank robbers ride into Gunsight Pass. The robbery goes awry, part of the gang is captured, but the money isn't recovered. The men of Gunsight Pass quickly become a mob, ready for a lynching. As the prisoners are being escorted out of town (to avoid the vigilantes), the rest of the gang (lead by Neville Brand) ambushes the posse, frees their cohorts and returns to town to locate the loot. With a windstorm raging, they announce they'll start shooting civilians - one every 30 minutes - till the money is handed over.

An action-packed western with an interesting plot. What's unique that there isn't a main hero - not unless you count Richard Long - and it's just the town folk vs bank robbers. It's a well-made b western with some good suspenseful touches. The finale in the wind storm is a nail biter.

David Brian and Neville Brand are appropriately shifty as double-crossing bank robbers. Percy Helton and Katharine Warren are impressive as the crooked undertaker and his wife. Morris Ankrum is terrific as the town doctor.

The last half or so of the film takes place in a sandstorm in a town, which makes it extra exciting. The plot is pretty riveting and kept me glued the whole time. Neville Brand and Richard Long are the standouts in the cast, not as stodgy in acting style as sometimes movies in the 50s and earlier were. Unexpectedly enjoyable shoot-em-up, well worth the watch if you're into that genre.

The most interesting in this western is that there is no real lead hero, as we can see in other movies of this kind. There are many characters and some subplots, thanks to an intelligent script. It seems that it's difficult to say who the good guys are in this film where honesty seems very rare. It reminds me some Universal western of this period, bringing unusual plots, agreeable for a change. And not always predictable miles ahead. Produced by Wallace Mac Donald and not Sam Katzman, maybe this explains that.