Noose for a Gunman

Good suspenser with a few unexpected twists. So who'll win the showdown between toughies Case (Davis) and Link (Gordon) who really stack up strongly against one another. And what will happen when the Cantrell gang riides into town to rob big money from the bank, thanks to their nasty Avery informants. Worse, which direction will the Avery-dependent town go in, since he's their main cash source.

No doubt for an oater it's a more complicated plot than usual, what with all the shifting alliances and manuevering between rival gangs. Still, the screenplay makes the various twists and turns fairly credible.

And catch the great cast of familiar B-players, from deCorsia to Sande to MacLane and especially to the always impressive Leo Gordon. Then too, shouldn't forget Harry Carey Jr., unsurprisingly the oater's one resolute good guy. And that's while Jim Davis makes a compelling John Wayne type of grim determination.

Anyway, don't expect a lot of good scenery from the greater LA locations. Nonetheless, it's a better-than average western, with a blonde lady who even knows how to shoot and surprise front-row geezers like me. So catch up with the 1959 flick if you can. After all, good drama never dates regardless of pedigree.

When the film begins, Case Britton (Jim Davis) enters a town that clearly doesn't want him. In fact, there's a noose with his name on it! It seems that years before, he'd been involved in some sort of shootout and he was exiled forever. He's back because he knows that a gang is about to rob the bank but many of the townsfolk don't believe him and refuse his help. The man behind much of this is the local boss-man (Barton MacLane--playing a VERY typical sort of role for him). What's to happen when the gang arrives?

This material is pretty pedestrian and lots of westerns have been made with similar plot material. The evil boss is VERY common as is the town full of folks who refuse to stand up to the gang of outlaws--as are several other parts of the film. But, the film also has a couple things going for it--fine acting by Davis and a wonderful cliché-violating ending. See the film--see what I mean.

In 1955 'Top Gun', a black and white B western starring Sterling Hayden was relleased. This is practically the same - same story and in parts even the same dialogue. Steve Fisher is credited for the story for both films. The cast is different. Films are often remade, but generally this occurs with successful ones. It must be a rarity that a minor western such as this is copied so faithfully. Watch them both and see what you think.

Having years of being a supporting player as a good and bad guy in various westerns, here, Jim Davis is the lead playing someone in the middle as Case Britton, who left town after shooting a couple of men for gunning down his marshal brother and is now back to warn the current marshal about a robber named Jack Cantrell (Ted de Corsia) awaiting a stagecoach to pilfer. His reasons, however, are personal as there's a woman named Della Haines (Lyn Thomas), who he plans to marry, inside. I'll stop there and just say this was another thrilling oater of Davis' that I'm glad to have seeked out on Netflix streaming. Fine direction by Edward L. Cahn helped immensely as well as good supporting turns by, besides the above, Harry Carey, Jr., Barton MacLane, Walter Sande, and Leo Gordon, among others. So on that note, Noose for a Gunman comes recommended.

Though wanted for murder, gunslinger Case Britton returns home to Rock Valley when he learns that the stagecoach carrying his fiancée is being targeted by bandit Jack Cantrell in this suspenseful Western.

Jim Davis does well as a John Wayne type - from a distance I was fooled into thinking it's the Duke! He plays a gunslinger with a bad reputation and with the townfolk not wanting him around, and it doesn't matter if he warned the sheriff of impending danger in the form of Ted De Corsia, who plays heavies like it's going out of fashion.

Noose for a gunman is a good western, has a nice plot and some suspense. It's a remake of Top Gun and was later remade a The quick gun. I prefer Top gun and the quick gun as Noose for a gunMan can lack a bit of excitement when compared with those films. It has a very good showdown at the end.