Gun the Man Down

Great little low budget western that propelled Arness to the role of Matt Dillon. Just enough action, romance and good v evil. Like most 50s westerns, well worth the watch.

Okay in my book for a B western. One of my favorite actors. Later starring in Gunsmoke.

Three outlaw buddies rob a bank, but one of them is wounded. His two partners and his girlfriend take his share of the loot and run off, leaving him to be captured by the sheriff. Years later, after he gets out of prison, he goes in search of his double-crossing partners and his faithless girlfriend.

Although not widely known today, this is a great western and the precursor to "Gunsmoke" in many ways. But what really got me was how much it walks the line between a western and a gangster movie. While it is completely a western, there is a certain element that makes me think gangster: rather than ratting out his friends, a criminal is going to take care of them himself. That is very gangster.

Interestingly, the producer was John Wayne's brother. Wayne's involvement in westerns is widely known, but how many people know his brother was also involved in his own way?

(1956) Gun the Man Down WESTERN

Co-produced and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen that has Remington 'Rem' Anderson (James Arness) seeking for retribution to the two men of Matt Rankin (Robert J. Wilke) and Ralph Farley (Don Megowan) and the one woman Jan/ Janice (Angie Dickinson) who was supposed to be his love interest, for abandoning him after he was shot after a successful robbery of $40,000. After Rem spends a year in jail, he later finds out by former outlaw, Billy Deal they fled to a town called "Gunther Wells". And by the time he arrives, the first thing he does is he retrieves his horse, finding out at the same time, Matt Ranken had bought himself a saloon. One of the obstacles is the fact that a sheriff (Emile Meyer) and his deputy, Lee (Harry Carey Jr.) is there to enforce everything is kept on the and up and up.

No one else seems to like this film, but I sure do. Typical Burt Kennedy, good acting.