Une arme pour un lâche

Gun for a Coward is directed by Abner Biberman and written by R. Wright Campbell. It stars Fred MacMurray, Jeffrey Hunter, Janice Rule, Chill Wills, Dean Stockwell and Josephine Hutchinson. Out of Universal International Pictures, film is a CinemaScope production in Eastman Color, with photography by George Robinson and music by Joseph Gershenson.

Three brothers must contend with big personal differences whilst also trying to see off a band of cattle rustlers who are pillaging from their herd.

But you don't cover me with your shadow.

So many good things involved with this production it feels unfair to label it as dull, but dull is ultimately how it ends up being after film has run its course. The cast assembled is a strong one, the dialogue is sharp and well written, and the location photography out of Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is most pleasing. Prolific Western scorer Gershenson also produces a highly effective score, very reflective of the characters' stuttering emotions. But with a running time of almost 90 minutes the makers have over stretched the family feud premise by having too many periods of story inactivity. Biggest problem of all is that the coward of the title, Bless' (Hunter) back story is never fully formed, adding little snippets here and there doesn't do it justice. For instance: it's only late in the day that we find his reputation is tarnished outside of his family, the whole damn town are down on him. A better director than jobber for hire Biberman would surely have got more from this tortured character axis.

Stockwell and Hunter are not the best of actors all told, but they fit right into the roles of two brothers made of different stuff. Stockwell does a good turn as the young and fearless one, and Hunter as the middle brother of the three effectively conveys the psychological pangs that sting him during the plot. The elder brother is played by MacMurray, who offers up a weary surrogate father performance for this fatherless family. It's the death of the father that is the catalyst for Hunter's problems. While Hutchinson adds a bit of class as the fretful mother and Wills is always good value for money. Rule gets the short straw from the screenplay, in what is a critical (two fold) role, she isn't asked to do anything other than look pretty and say soothing words to tortured Bless. The action is competently constructed, though the art of throwing a convincing punch is sadly missing here. And the ending, whilst being predictable (no shades of the far superior Saddle the Wind here), has enough warmth about it for those not in need of blackness in their Western viewings.

By definition it is very much a B movie in the truest sense of the term, but there is good in the production, even if it is undone by slackness elsewhere. 5.5/10

More a domestic family drama than a Western, "Gun for a Coward" explores sibling rivalry among three cattle-rancher brothers. The three Keough brothers work the spread left by their deceased father, while jockeying for their widowed mother's affection and the love of a neighboring rancher's daughter. Directed by Abner Biberman, the film has little new, although an attractive cast offers passable entertainment.

In a rare Western role, Fred MacMurray is Will, the eldest son, who wrestles with his siblings for his mother's love, while procrastinating on intended marriage to Aud Niven, played by Janice Rule. The Keough matriarch, Josephine Hutchinson, is cold towards Will, but possessive and manipulative with blue-eyed Jeffrey Hunter, who is mom's favorite son, Bless. Gentle, peaceable Bless does his own wrestling to break free from his mother's grip and to salvage his reputation as a coward. Dean Stockwell as the youngest Keough, Hade, has little screen time as the rebellious little brother. Add Chill Wills to the mix as Loving, a wizened ranch hand with a long family association, and the six central performances hold the film together.

Beyond a few brawls, a shooting or two, and some bronco riding, "Gun for a Coward" is short on action and long on drama, with overtones of "East of Eden;" Janice Rule has the Julie Harris role, promised to Will, but drawn to Bless. Fred MacMurray in the James Dean part seeks his mother's approval, but she spurns him and dotes on Bless. Poor Hade, meanwhile, is neglected all around. Not a great film, nor a particularly bad one, just fodder for a lazy afternoon and rewarding for fans of Fred MacMurray and Jeffrey Hunter.

This saga of Western Gun-Justice stars after the death of a father and whose three sons go on to run the family ranch , as a very young brave cowboy (Dean Stockwell) , a peaceful quiet youngster called Bless (Jeffrey Hunter) who has aversion to violence and the eldest (Fred MacMurray) who is the strict boss of the strange family . Bess usuallly finds his eldest brother often doing his confrontation for him , as in duels as fighting , and he begins to earn a reputation as a coward . Their mummy (Josephine Hutchinson) dotes on the middle son , attempting to protect him from the world and get him to move back east with her , towards St. Louis , Missouri . Things go awry when some squatters occupy countryside farms . Then Bless is really considered as a coward for not joining in a foolhardy gunfight in which a member is murdered. Challenge one brother...you answer to all!.

Classic and traditional western deals with three motley brothers who run a prosperous ranch after the death of a rancher , but one of them is seen as a coward because of his reluctance to gunfight ; it is plenty of psychological motives , family conflicts , thrills , emotion and crossfire . It is a medium budget movie with a triangular love story , noisy action , shootouts , stampedes as well as fine players, nice production design and pleasing results. It is still a run-of-the-mill entry in Western genre . Fred McMurray is adequate as elder brother who unjustly censures his youngest brother , this is one of a clutch of acceptable horse operas he made in the forties , in the late 50s and the early sixties , such as ¨Texas Rangers¨, ¨The trail of the lonesome Pine¨, At gunpoint¨, and ¨Good day for a hanging¨. Although MacMurray also played other genres as drama , adventures , wartime , children films , such as : The happiest millionaire , The shaggy dog , Son of Flubber , The absent-minded profesor , The princess come across , The Caine mutiny , Dive bomber , Above suspicion , Murder he says , The miracle of the bells , Alice Adams , The apartment , and Noir film as the classy : Double indemnity . He is accompanied by Jeffrey Hunter who gives a decent acting as the peace-loving young whose dedication to the principles of peace and reason has earned him a reputation for cowardice .The movie contains a great support cast , plenty of familiar faces from vintage Westerns such as : Iron Eyes Cody ,John Larch , Kevin Corrigan , Bob Steele , Paul Birch , Chuck Hayward and all of them are outscored by a peach of acting from the veteran Chill Wills .

Atmospheric cinematography in glimmer Technicolor by George Robinson. Evocative and thrilling musical score from Irving Gertz , Henry Russell and Frank Skinner , though uncredited . Well produced by William Alland , the motion picture was professionally directed by Abner Biberman . He directed in sure visual style and he made all kinds of genres, especially Westerns , as in cinema as TV especially . As he directed some films such as : The Night Runner, Behind the High Wall , The Price of Fear , Running Wild , The Looters , The Golden Mistress and a lot of Television episodes from known series as The Virginian , Ironside , Hawaii 5.0 , Laredo , The fugitive, Gunsmoke , Zane Grey , Tightrope, Lloyd Bridges show , Imperium , The outer limits , 77 Sunset Strip and many others . Rating :5.5/10 , decent , acceptable and passable Western , as well as enough entertaining and interesting . Well worth seeing

This very enjoyable and rather surprising Universal western form 1957 has 5 terrific actors and a very good script. Even Fred MacMurray was good, but Chill Wills as the 'greek chorus' to Jeffrey Hunter's ethical dilemmas is an entertaining standout. However it is Jeffrey Hunter and Dean Stockwell's movie. Stockwell, just 20 and Hunter just 30 are magnetic in their conflicted brotherly dramas. A bit of pre-Psycho mother smothering sets the tone for some emotional blackmail by Mama who gratefully drops dead by reel 2. Then we get on with the girlfriend dilemma and the worry between two of brothers. It is all beautifully realized by Janice Rule, gorgeous and well cast as Audrey, the love interest that fractures brotherly love after the cattle stampede. I loved the music score and appreciated the production values. It is a good western, unusual and edited to just the right length.

Fred MacMurray starred in a number of interesting color westerns in the 1950's. In this film, 3 brothers come face to face with violence, cowardice and personality conflicts. MacMurray , with his laconic sense of irony, shines in this film.

Jeffrey Hunter has the key role of the the young brother. Hunter was a great actor, who is best remembered to day for his role in The Searchers. He performs well in this one and is a good match for this interesting role.

This movie is only slightly above average, being aided by two fine actors at the top of their game. Worth a look for that alone ........