Duel dans la Sierra

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

This movie features one of the smartest Western scripts from the time, with a terrific plot line, sharp dialogs, and believable characters. The ending, as has been commented upon, is indeed “short and not settled with firearms,” but there’s three excellent reasons it had to be that way, related to character, plot, and story arch, respectively. I don’t want to spoil any of it, but you’ll see when you see it. You could say, though, that the script’s a little bit too tight-knit/too smart toward the end and maneuvered itself into some predictability. But everything else makes up for it. Another thing I liked about this ’58 movie was that it pretty much managed to avoid stereotyping, endemic to so many Westerns set against the background of the Rio Grande neighborhood. So I guess 9 out of 10 stars would be a fair call.

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.

Gunfighter Miles is hired to go south of the border to find a dying man's missing brother. However, things are more complicated than they seem.

Generally underrated western, with good scenic Mexican locations, a non-clichéd plot, along with a few good twists and a colorful cast. Getting Roland, Greene and Franz was a real coup since each is a very distinctive presence. Mahoney certainly looks the part of a western hero, but is a rather bland actor, not to the extent of being a problem, however. Director Sherman makes creative and compelling use of the locations and I especially like the shack set against the cliff; it's like nothing else I've seen. Unlike many oaters set in Mexico, this one comes across as genuinely persuasive. Cristal's role (Maria), surprise, surprise, is little more than eye candy, but I don't blame Ellison (Mahoney) at fade-out. Anyway, don't let the first tame 20-minutes or so fool you, the twists and action pick up considerably.