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Broderick Crawford is great as the criminal leader with a psychopathic ego who must continually show that he is the fastest gun around and Glenn Ford is super as the introverted shy storekeeper with a lightning fast draw. Supporting cast adds good depth and character. The blind man near the start of the movie who states that "no matter how fast you are there's always somebody faster" foretells the moral of the story. Highly recommend that this movie be seen by all fans of westerns.

To his friends and neighbors George Temple (Glenn Ford) is a mild-mannered store keeper. But, unknown to all but his wife, George is obsessed with guns because in his youth he lacked the courage to go up against his lawman father's killer. Through years of secret practice George has become the fastest draw in the west, but he is still afraid of drawing against a man. When a ruthless gunman (Broderick Crawford) comes to town and threatens to burn it down Temple is forced to overcome his fears and try to stop him. This finely-crafted western deserves more recognition than it has received. If you like westerns, try to catch this one.

Glenn Ford plays a storekeeper whose friends and neighbors think of him as a wimp. Finally he has enough and decides to show them how good he is with a gun, which doesn't make wife Jeanne Crain too happy. Then gunslinger Broderick Crawford comes to town. He's obsessed with being the fastest gun alive. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking nobody says anything to Crawford about Ford's ability with a gun, he leaves town without incident, and the movie ends abruptly. Well, you're wrong.

This is a very good western that has what I feel to be Glenn Ford's finest acting work. His agitated and conflicted performance is unlike anything he had done up to that point. Crawford is a mixed bag here. His acting is spot-on but he seems physically wrong for the part. An overweight 45 year-old is hardly the image that springs to mind when one thinks of a headstrong gunslinger that needs badly to prove he's the best. Perhaps someone younger and leaner would have been better. John Dehner, who played one of Crawford's cohorts, would have probably been a better fit. Still, despite my problems with his casting, Crawford gives his all and does well. Jeanne Crain does fine also. Russ Tamblyn has a somewhat out of place dance number but it's still enjoyable to watch. Overall, it's a solid western. Not at the top of my list of favorites but a good one nonetheless. Ford's bravura performance alone would be worth recommending it.

In the small western town of Cross Creek, shy, antisocial shopkeeper Glenn Ford is hiding a secret past. Selling dresses and candy all day proves to be a bore, which leads Ford to some showing off in front of the saloon with gun feats that amaze the locals; unfortunately for Ford, lightning-fast gunslinger and bank robber Broderick Crawford (!) is just outside of town and soon learns of Ford's prowess. Quick, compact western is marvelously well-done, with beautiful cinematography by George Folsey and a tight script (by Frank D. Gilroy, based on his short story, and director Russell Rouse) underlined with a touch of sardonic humor. Crawford, looking like Fred Flintstone in a cowboy hat, is raffish and wily as the brutish villain, though fast-on-the-draw seems a bit of a stretch. Still, the movie is written in such a way that we don't want to quibble, and Ford's unhappy nervousness is something we can relate to (he has some charming moments as well, such as when he compliments wife Jeanne Crain on her earrings). Russ Tamblyn has a lively dancing sequence where he struts his stuff on shovels, and the finale--while probably not realistic--is certainly a crowd-pleaser. *** from ****

Enjoyed this film mainly because I like Broderick Crawford, (Vinnie Harold) who was too old and too fat to be the fastest gun in this film and a great young star Glenn Ford, (George Temple) who had dark deep secrets to hid in the small town of Cross Creek. George Temple was married to Dora Temple, (Jeanne Crain) who had to suffer with her husband's past and they finally decided to locate in a new town to live in and they were store owners. However, George had a real bad habit of loving guns and also being an expert sharp shooter. Vinnie Harold went from town to town looking for the fastest gun and killed everyone that he came across who thought he could out draw him in a good old Western duel in the street of some town. Jeanne Crain gave a great supporting role and looked very young and pretty along with a very handsome looking Glenn Ford. This is a good classic 1956 black and white film, but is very entertaining.