Fugitivo

The Last of the Fast Guns is directed by George Sherman and written by David P. Harman. It stars Jock Mahoney, Gilbert Roland, Linda Cristal, Eduard Franz and Lorne Greene. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Alex Phillips.

Gunslinger Brad Ellison (Mahoney) is hired by a rich tycoon to find his long lost brother. The trail leads to Mexico where hostility and intrigue ensue.

There's nothing overtly fresh about this as per plotting, but it delivers good qualities via some interesting twists and turns. From the sombre beginning it's evident that the makers have contemplation in mind for the narrative drive. Ellison is the last of a dying breed, and he knows it, so should he achieve the task to hand, the $25,000 he will earn could shape his future. As he sets about his detective work, tests come and go, while he is befriended by Miles Lang (Roland) and finds himself flirting with Maria O'Reilly (Cristal). But is everything as it seems? Cast are made of stoic stock, though Cristal is purely eye candy token. Pic is very airy and the Mexican vistas, filmed in CinemaScope/Eastman Color, are gorgeous.

A good meaty Oater that's well mounted, so recommended for genre fans. 7/10

A gunfighter combs Mexico for the missing brother of an industrialist, and gets the usual discouragement and trouble in the form of flying lead!

Slightly unusual western that plods a little and can be talky, however there are some punchy dialogue, good location atmosphere and Gilbert Roland, who can make anything watchable- Jock Mahoney makes a good hero, straight to the point and staccato in delivery. Ok western, passes the time adequately, though there's a neat twist at the end.

This film essentially begins with a gunfighter by the name of "Brad Ellison" (Jock Mahoney) riding into a small town to face another gunslinger waiting for him there. Within less than a minute, gunshots ring out and Brad strolls into the local saloon for a drink. While there, he is told that a man is waiting for him upstairs in one of the rooms. Somewhat curious, he goes upstairs and meets a elderly businessman by the name of "John Forbes" (Carl Benton Reid) who tells him that he is dying and offers Brad $25,000 to go to Mexico and bring back his younger brother who has been living there for almost 10 years. He then goes on to explain that he doesn't know exactly where his brother lives in Mexico and the last two men he sent were killed in the process of looking for him. So, with only a unique silver dollar which might help to identify him, Brad sets off on his journey. To that effect, several days later he rides upon a ranch where he meets a wealthy American named "Michael O'Reilly" (Lorne Greene) who tries to dissuade him from continuing on his journey by telling him that the person he is looking for is dead. Unconvinced, Brad leaves the next morning but, in the process, convinces Michael's foreman, "Miles Lang" (Gilbert Roland) to help him out. What neither of them count on, however, is just how dangerous their search will turn out to be. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will say that this turned out to be a decent Western based largely on the performances of both Jock Mahoney and Gilbert Roland. It also features a couple of twists and turns at the end which benefits the movie as well. Be that as it may, I enjoyed this movie for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

This is a western but the plot could be that of a film noir ,a thriller: a wealthy man in a wheelchair hires a gunfighter to find back his brother and heir;he probably won't live that long and he does not want his fortune to fall into the hands of an unscrupulous associate.

The story is a quest and the identity of the brother which I will not reveal of course, for it's one of the few surprises of the film, is a bit unexpected ,but all in all,makes sense .The female star,Linda Cristal has not really many things to do (except for a bath in her birthday's suit ,but no close shots!);Lorne Greene as his dad has not much to do either.

Classic, archetypal hero. Plot twist at the end, which some anticipate and some don't. One of the fastest draws shown in any film. Ending a bit disappointing, as final confrontation is short and not settled with firearms. For fans of the genre, a must-see.