A punta de pistola

My last Audie Murphy western. Yes readers, I've now seen every one that he made as well as a few non-oaters. Needless to say I have a real fondness for the actor, much as I have for Rory Calhoun and Randolph Scott. They were the heroes of my childhood back when they were on top and Gunpoint doesn't entirely disappoint although when it starts it looks like a budget TV western episode. When we get past the inside scenes and into wide open country it improves considerably. There follows a chase by Murphy and a ramshackle posse of villain Morgan Woodward who has stolen a saddlebag of cash from the town and Murphy is determined to catch him come hell or high water or in this case, high mountains. The chase scenes up the mountain are surprisingly well filmed and authentic. Adding to the fun are an able cast, Warren Stevens as a flashy saloon owner, The beautiful Joan Staley as his girlfriend and to add complications, previous love of old Audie, aging bumbling gang leader they come across, Edgar Buchanan and half wit Royal Dano so some familiar faces. Not a great Murphy western but OK and worth watching.

One of Audie Murphy's last westerns. It's the usual assembly-line job most of whose more spectacular moments are stock footage but it's all perfectly competent, well-acted and in Joan Staley has a robust leading lady who can convincingly ride a horse. (The women in westerns tend to be either schoolteachers or saloon girls; Miss Staley is the latter, and she's plainly ridden more than just horses in the past.)

As I said before I'm a great appreciator of Audie Murphy's B-Movie, even this one was one of the latest of his long career, is self-evident that Murphy already older and the film's quality is no longer were in the same level with the previous one, however this an interesting movie as well, He Plays a Sheriff Chad Lucas in charge to deliver a large amount of money carry by train to the Bank, he and his Deputy Cap (Denver Pyle) has been escorted by horses, meanwhile the Drago's gang already obstructed the railroad falling down the water reservoir, he gets up on a train's roof but he was hit by a bullet and felt down almost dying, then he settles a posse to chase Drago's gang who escape taking a his former fiancée Uvalde (Joan Staley) bringing together the newest Uvalde's lover Nate Harlan (Warren Stevens), in the way they fight with Indians until meeting a three horse's hunter leading by the fabulous Edgar Buchanan, what a character, this is the best part of the movie nearby a beauty waterfall's spot, also a little reference to Greek Nicos (Nick Demos) actually a colorful character who improve the movie widely , fine entertainment!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

I couldn't get past the opening of this movie. I understand that most Westerns, except Hondo, have their ridiculous parts. Guns being shot out of the hands of the bad guys by someone shooting from the hip is especially annoying. This movie took the Gold however in the first few minutes when a rider on horseback threw knives at the occupants of the locomotive's cab, killing them. At that point I said we are done here. I am almost positive that the knives were shown striking them in the front even though the rider was approaching from the rear. I find that when things start out bad in a movie that they don't usually get better.

The old sheriff has been killed during Morgan Woodward's raid and carrying off of lots of money in gold. His deputy, Audie Murphy is appointed sheriff. He takes off with a posse.... and everyone has an axe to grind.

It's Murphy's last western in his long deal with Universal, and the problem is that the 'shaky A' western he starred in had run its course. There was a new western in town, the Spaghetti Western, where there are no good guys; if you rooted for Clint Eastwood, it's because he got done dirt at the beginning of the movie, and Eli Wallach and Lee van Cleef are worse. Murphy's west was corrupt and violent, but Murphy himself was mostly clean, and he would restore order by the end of the movie, and get the girl, here ex-Playboy centerfold Joan Staley. So he goes and gets the job done, despite Warren Stevens and Edgar Buchanan and Denver Pyle, and hooray! But people didn't want that any more.

There's a certain tiredness to the movie, despite some nice camerawork by William Margulies.