Il vendicatore dell'Arizona

This film begins with three cowboys by the names of "Remington 'Rem' Anderson" (James Arness), "Matt Rankin" (Robert J. Wilke) and "Ralph Farley" (Don Megowan) discussing plans on robbing a nearby bank. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse during their attempt when Rem is badly wounded and as a result when they get back to their hideout the other two men decide to take the money-along with Rem's girlfriend "Janice" (Angie Dickinson)-and ride off while leaving him behind. Not long after that a posse arrives which subsequently results in Rem being tried and sentenced to a year in prison. Needless to say, having a year to think about things, he is quite bitter when he gets out and makes it his mission in life to hunt down those who betrayed him if it's the last thing he does. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather odd film for James Arness in that he is better known for his iconic role as the marshal in the epic television series "Gunsmoke." Be that as it may, he put in a fine performance just the same and--while this might not be a great Western by any means--it still managed to pass the time and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Gun the Man Down is directed by Andrew McLaglen and adapted to screenplay by Burt Kennedy from a story written by Sam Freedle. It stars James Arness, Angie Dickinson, Emile Meyer, Robert J. Wilke, Harry Carey Jr, Don Megowan and Michael Emmet. Music is by Henry Vars and cinematography by William H. Clothier.

Three outlaws rob a bank and during the escape one of them, Rem Anderson (Arness), is badly wounded. His two partners kidnap his girlfriend, take his share of the loot and leave him to be captured by the closing in posse. After serving a year in jail, Rem gets out and has only one thing on his mind, to locate his double-crossing partners in crime and enact sweet revenge on them...

It's a notable Western for a number of reasons, it was Angie Dickinson's first credited starring role, it was the first film directed by Andrew McLaglen (son of Victor), and it was to be Arness' last credited feature film before embarking on a 27 year TV career.

In plot terms we are very much in familiar "B" Western territory, it's the story of a bad man who has good at his core but is driven on by a need for revenge. After the initial robbery and desertion of cohorts, we then follow Rem out of prison and onto a small tin-pot town where he knows those who done him wrong are situated. Pic then focuses on what Rem will do? Will he get revenge and end up back in jail? Will he make up with his one time love, Janice (Dickinson), who we find out is now the lover of his nemesis, Matt Rankin (Wilke)?

Into the mix comes a couple of strands that sees Rem having to justify his being in town to the local law enforcers (Meyer the sheriff - Carey Jr. the deputy) - so promptly not giving the law reason to lock him up, and of course to stay alive since some factions want him dead ASAP! These factors bring out a rich characterisation for Anderson, he has to use his wits as much as he does his pistol. The sheriff and deputy relationship is very warm, very father and son like, and their sensing of Rem being a good man behind his motives gives the simple story some sure footed foundations to work from.

Running a short 76 minutes, pic is very traditional Western fare, and it doesn't quite have enough good material to actually be this long in length - McLaglen working with tight budget pads out some scenes to reach the time slotted target. In fact, the budget restrictions are never more evident than in the town itself, which is strangely devoid of people, this even though the sheriff keeps telling us that Rankin's saloon has been a hive of undesirables! So, an allowance and understanding of the "B" Western drawbacks will definitely aid the likeminded adults viewing experience.

Though not high on action quotas, pic gets by on tense scenarios and character interactions, notably when Janice is involved. It's a nicely written character, with twin confliction of head and heart and suitors of varying degrees. She is also the centre piece for a dramatic turn of events that lifts this still further away from being a "run of the mill" cheapo Oater. There's some nice location photography on show (Woodland Hills - Calif), a couple of niftily shot scenes involving shadow play and one with Rem and a full length mirror, and the finale - like the cast performing for us - is very agreeable.

Not a must see movie of course, but for fans of the genre it holds enough about it to keep you entertained. 6/10

Great little low budget western that propelled Arness to the role of Matt Dillon. Just enough action, romance and good v evil. Like most 50s westerns, well worth the watch.

Three outlaw buddies rob a bank, but one of them is wounded. His two partners and his girlfriend take his share of the loot and run off, leaving him to be captured by the sheriff. Years later, after he gets out of prison, he goes in search of his double-crossing partners and his faithless girlfriend.

Although not widely known today, this is a great western and the precursor to "Gunsmoke" in many ways. But what really got me was how much it walks the line between a western and a gangster movie. While it is completely a western, there is a certain element that makes me think gangster: rather than ratting out his friends, a criminal is going to take care of them himself. That is very gangster.

Interestingly, the producer was John Wayne's brother. Wayne's involvement in westerns is widely known, but how many people know his brother was also involved in his own way?

This little B-Western with James Arness in one of his last non-Gunsmoke starring roles seems to have been heretofore almost forgotten, judging by the lack of ratings and reviews here. I recently happened upon it on Netflix and decided to give it a try. While perhaps not deserving of a spot among the great westerns, it surprised me because it was truly quite good and deserves more attention than it's received.

The plot, in short, involves Arness as one of three men who decide to hold up a bank. Arness is injured in the robbery, and subsequently left behind by his compatriots and, reluctantly, by his girl as well (Angie Dickinson, looking radiant in her first billable role). After being caught, convicted, and serving time for his part in the hold-up, he goes seeking his "friends" and his girl, bent on revenge.

The biggest thing that struck me about this little "BATJAC" western was the steady, deliberate pacing of the story and the focus on characters more so than on shoot-em-up, chase-em-down action. There's more tension than action (in fact, one could legitimately call it a suspense film), and I appreciated the refreshing change of pace from most B westerns (or westerns in general, for that matter). Besides, at a slim 74 minutes, it simply can't drag on forever.

This is a very thoughtful western in many respects. Characters are given much more life than you might expect. In particular, we see some interesting interaction between Sheriff Morton (Emile Meyer) and his deputy (Harry Carey, Jr.). The sheriff, who obviously is well past his gunslinging years, handles violence in his town sagely, keeping a close watch on events, while not putting himself in a position where his age would certainly compromise his life or his ability to do his job.

Again, it's not a perfect movie, but I was quite pleasantly surprised, and it's probably one of the best b-westerns I've seen. I recommend it.