A Arma de um Bravo

Gunslinger Tom Early (Stewart Granger) returns to his hometown without much welcome. His beloved wife is dead and his abandoned son is angry with him. Most in town ostracizes him. Only Jo (Rhonda Fleming) shows him any acceptance. Cattle baron Grimsell and his thugs run roughshot over the the town and he's the only one who has the ability to fight back.

I really like the story of the returning gunslinger. The son is an issue. He's written all over the place and the acting is really broad. The melodrama gets a bit much. On the other hand, Rhonda Fleming is great. I also like the Priest character and his flaws. As for Tom Early himself, I like the idea of the character. I imagine Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven. Stewart Granger is not as hard as that, but he's good enough. The ending has some of that. I would like it to be harsher. All in all, the story is great western fare with a simple confrontation and some minor issues.

Gun Glory is directed by Roy Rowland and adapted to screenplay by William Ludwig from Philip Yordan's novel, Man of the West. It stars Stewart Granger, Rhonda Fleming, Chill Wills, James Gregory and Steve Rowland. Music is by Jeff Alexander - with the title song "The Ninety and the Nine" song by Burl Ives - and cinematography is by Harold J. Marzorati.

What we have here is a very familiar tale. Granger is gunslinger Tom Early, who returns to his home town after a number of years to find his wife has died and his son (Rowland) is unsurprisingly miffed at his father having abandoned them. The townsfolk, also, are not exactly enamoured to have him back either, but since they are in the grip of terror brought about by violent cattle baron Grimsell (Gregory), a chance for Early to make peace with all is in the offering.

Granger was winding down his contract with MGM and this could hardly be seen has a triumphant fanfare finale. Yet for committed Western film fans there's still plenty to enjoy. Handsome is a word that springs to mind, Granger and Fleming positively ooze sexual beauty, the Calif locations (Bronson Canyon - Whoosh!) are magnificently brought to life via CinemaScope (Metrocolor), while costuming and set designs are most appealing.

The script is weak, though, and familiarity of story demands that elsewhere the pic needs to cover the shortcomings. Action scenes are all too brief, but the stunt work on show is impressive and the construction of shoot-outs, and a rockslide sequence, certainly stirs the blood. Elsewhere, Jacques Aubuchon's lecherous windbag act gets tiresome pretty quickly, and the overt religion angles are heavy handed (even the musical score is full of biblical swirls) - the latter of which a shame because Chill Wills as The Preacher turns in the best perf in the pic.

Hardly a must see movie, then, but Oater fans, and fans of the stars, are not short changed (Gregory does good villainy as well). Even if ultimately it comes off as a "going through the motions" movie that's very pretty but of little substance. 6.5/10

Above Average 50's Western with a few Edgy Things that Elevate beyond the mundane. Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming are Attractive Stars and Competent Actors.

The Film was Shot in Cinemascope that adds to the Wide Open Landscape. The Colorful Setting is used to advantage and the Simple Story is Spiced with some Atypical Shacking Up and Lustful Scenes. That alone is against the grain of most Fifties Fodder and Preaching.

Although, it must be said there is a Heavy Amount of Preaching in the Screenplay. Chill Wills as a Bible Toting Preacher is a Major Character and the Dialog often reverts to Philosophy from the Pulpit. It almost becomes too much but not quite.

The Tension and Action are Amped Up in the Second Half as things become Violent and Explosive. The Solid Direction from Old Pro Rowland keeps things from becoming Clichéd and/or Standard Stuff.

Overall, a Well-Done Entry in the Abundance of 1950's Westerns and is, Unlike the Majority of Output in the Decade, well Worth a Watch.

GUN GLORY reminds me once again what a pleasure it is to watch Stewart Grainger and Rhonda Fleming. Grainger took a relaxed approach to his roles, much like Van Johnson but without as much smugness. Grainger plays a family man who has become a drifter, a gambler and a gunfighter. Coming home after learning the futility of "chasing rainbows," he returns to his ranch, only to discover his wife is dead and his son wants no part of him. He hires Rhonda Fleming to keep house for him, and she works to bring father and son together. Fleming is, without doubt, the most beautiful and shapely redhead to ever grace the movie screen (yes, including Maureen O'Hara). Here, once again, she proves she can act as well. It's a pity Hollywood didn't take her more seriously. All of the adults are top notch; however, the actor who play the son is only OK, and the actor who plays the young gunfighter is laughably bad. Top acting honor goes to Chill Wills as a wise, nonjudgemental reverand. Exquisitely photographed in Metrocolor and Cinemascope, GUN GLORY is always easy to watch. The story could have used a few more twists, and the climax seems a bit too easy. However, this is a movie that can, for the most part, be enoyed by the entire family.

In 1886, the gunman and gambler Tom Early (Stewart Granger) returns to his homeland to settle down but he is rejected by the crippled grocer Sam Winscott (Jacques Aubuchon) and also by his community. He rides to his farm, where he finds that his wife Alice has recently died and his resented son Tom Early Jr. (Steve Rowland), who does not accept the use of guns, is working alone. On the next morning, Tom rides to the town to buy supplies and sees Sam humiliating his employee Jo (Rhonda Fleming). Further, the cattle lord Grimsell (James Gregory) arrives in town with two gunfighters, Gunn (Arch Johnson) and Blondie, and tells to the Preacher (Chill Wills) that he will cross 20,000 head of cattle through their lands and their town. The Preacher tells that the lands belong to the locals but Grimsell is not interested in their rights. When Blondie sees Tom Early, he draws his gun trying to kill Tom, but he shoots first in self-defense and kills the gunman. Further, he invites Jo to work in his farm for his son and him. While the Preach wants to send an emissary to Laramie to bring documents and the law to his town, Grimsell summons more than thirty gunfighters to work for him. When the emissary is murdered by Gunn, the naive Preacher organizes a posse to unsuccessfully fight against Grimsell. The farmers are ambushed and attacked and the survivors return to the town. But Tom Early decides to provoke an stampeding and fight against Grimsell.

"Gun Glory" is an underrated western visibly inspired in the masterpiece "Shane" of four years before. I do not agree with most of the unfair IMDb reviews and I really liked this film. Stewart Granger is perfect in the role of a dangerous man that decides to settle down and is rejected most of the population including his estranged son. I am a big fan of the sweet and lovely red-haired actress Rhonda Fleming and once again she has a great performance. The twenty-five year old Steve Rowland is miscast in the role of Tom Early Jr. that is supposed to be younger. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil):"Arma de um Bravo" ("Weapon of a Brave")