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A Gunfight is directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Harold Jack Bloom. It stars Kirk Douglas, Johnny Cash, Jane Alexander, Karen Black and Raf Vallone. Music is by Laurence Rosenthal and cinematography by David Walsh.

Will Tenneray (Douglas) and Abe Cross (Cash) are two ageing gunfighters who after meeting each other in town hit it of straight away and actually like and respect each other. However, with both men in need of money and the whole town intrigued as to who would win in a gunfight between them, Tenneray hits upon the idea of the two of them having the gunfight and selling tickets to the event, with the winner receiving the ticket proceeds…

It was the first mainstream American film to be financed by American Indians—the Jicarilla Apaches—but this in now way was a propaganda move since the narrative has nothing to do with Native Americans. It's a most unusual Western in a lot of ways, off beat and deliberately played for fun at times, yet it pulses with dark thematics involving the human condition. Stripped bare is the fickle value of celebrity status, deftly cloaked with the ignorant blood-lust of a paying public.

Director Johnson keeps the pacing smooth as we get to know both men and watch their relationship unfold. All the while we are getting a grasp on the townsfolk in general, while the two ladies of the men's world are impacting greatly due to the sensitive screenplay. All roads lead to the ironic venue of a bullfighting arena across the border, where a full house of paying patrons come to see one of the men die. Whoever that is doesn't really matter, the caustic insertion of a dream sequence at film's end leaves us in no doubt that the winner really hasn't won at all.

With great performances from Douglas and Alexander, and good ones from Cash and Black, film also holds up well on the acting front. But the real stars here are Johnson and Bloom, for they have produced a clever picture that doesn't over reach itself by trying to be cerebral. It deserves to be better known and appraised. 7.5/10

When an outcast gunfighter (a recently deceased Johnny Cash) with battered hat and black dressed goes to a Western small town called Rio Bajo , he meets an old time gunslinger named Tenneray (Kirk Douglas) stranded in the location along with his wife (Jane Alexander) and son (Eric Douglas) . Today he's a big guy with an enjoyable family . Meanwhile the drifter named Will falls in love with a Saloon girl (Karen Black) , the girl who could give the big guy a hard time . The two gunmen get a friendship ; Tenneray says him that he earns in a month it that he spent in one day and which killed the famous gunfighter Ringo . The 'Rio Bajo' folks expect a gun-down and they'd never forget the day the confrontation between Cross and Will . Before they paid to see a man murder a bull , nowadays they pay to see killing men . Needing money , both arrange a showdown for paid entrance and the winner take all . They're got to face a gunfight once more to live up to their legend once more to win just once more time and more money . The excitement starts at the duel when the hands point straight up . They've nothing like'em together in a duel but in the heat and hate of the small town nothing can tear'em apart . Thus, a bull square will become the scenario of the most spectacular duel ever attempted . Who will survive and what will be left of them? .

The picture concerns upon a gun-battle pits two individualist characters . It's a serious , mature Hollywood Western with particular character studio about an aging gunslinger looking for peace and quiet , but also money and unable to avoid his reputation and the duel-challenges it invites against the baby-faced gun-fisted kid (Keith Carradine). So many good actors , such excellent actors as Raf Vallone , Robert J. Wilke , Keith Carradine , Dana Elcar among them , consent to appear in what amount small roles , besides make their film debut Johnny Cash and Eric Douglas (Kirk's true son and recently deceased for drug abuse). The lion's share of the acting meat deservedly goes to Johnny Cash in spite of his first film . There is , in addition , Johnny Cash's catchy theme and equally an impressive roaring climax with an amazing final showdown . It's a better than average Western although a little slow moving . The motion picture was well directed by Lamont Johnson (Little Annie and Little Britches and Mackenzie break) . If you're a Western fan you can't go far wrong with this .

"A Gunfight" is a pretty good movie. But it's important that folks know that it's all myth...the myth of the old west. So much of what you see in westerns is fake....created by Hollywood to sell tickets. So, while you'll see folks gunning down each other in duels on main street at high noon, this isn't real. I checked....and in the entire history of the old west, only two gunfights like this ever occurred...and they went down very differently in real life. In one case, it took four shots for one gunman to kill the other...and seeing folks doing trick shooting and rapid-firing and the like just didn't occur. When someone did shoot another person, it was usually with a rifle or shotgun and often they shot their victim in the back! No, the notion of the noble quick-shooter is something you just didn't see in the west....although this is the plot to "A Gunfight"!

When the story begins, Abe Cross (Johnny Cash) wanders into a town. He's broke, his horse is dying and he has a reputation as a fast shot which precedes him. Also in this same town is a resident, Will Tenneray (Kirk Douglas)...also thought to be a fast shot. But the pair don't hate each other and neither is in the mood for a fight and instead they share a few drinks and become friendly. During this time, Abe jokes that if they DID have a gunfight, folks would buy tickets to watch! Later, Will approaches Abe...and says selling tickets would be a great idea. Both are poor and the winner (i.e., the survivor) would be able to start a new life. Soon the town is abuzz with folks wanting to bet on the outcome. What's next?

Again, it's pure fiction. But it's well made pure fiction. Johnny Cash is very good and Kirk Douglas is what you'd expect. The film is also technically well made and interesting. My only complaint is that the ending is confusing.

So my suggestion is to watch it (it's currently on YouTube)...but don't believe this really is like the west because it isn't. In fact, I used to be an American history teacher and my students were very disappointed to hear that so many of their assumptions about the west are Hollywood creations.

By the way, oddly enough the Jacarilla Apache tribe was the major financer of the film. Perhaps they just liked the notion of some cowboys shooting each other or they thought it would be a good investment for the tribe.

I think one should watch A Gunfight after seeing Gregory Peck's classic film The Gunfighter. It gives you definitely an alternative vision.

Imagine Peck's character of Jim Ringo not being killed by back-shooting Skip Homeier, but actually settling down with his wife and son. That's essentially what you've got in Kirk Douglas's character of Will Tenneray who finds retired life not what it's cracked up to be.

The days of the wild west are over and Douglas now makes a living appearing at the local saloon and encouraging folks to spend there. He's like some prominent sports figure who is a greeter out in Las Vegas and if you're a big enough spender you might get to play golf or party with him. But it's one dull life even with wife Jane Alexander and young son Eric Douglas.

Along comes Johnny Cash playing another gunfighter relic whose horse gets bit by a rattler. Now he's stuck in this New Mexico border town and with two legends of the west in this place, the gossip commences.

Cash is similarly bored by his existence and the two of them, both cash poor decide on a duel to the death with admission charged at a bullfight arena across the border in Mexico. Literally winner take all. These guys must have felt like gladiators.

A Gunfight is certainly an interesting spin on some of the western nostrums that prevailed in Hollywood. Douglas and Cash are perfectly cast in the leads and get good support from the rest of the players. For myself I enjoyed Robert J. Wilke who for once is on the right side of the law playing the town marshal. Keith Carradine has a good role as a young punk who wants to take on the winner and Karen Black is fine as a saloon girl who Cash spends some time with.

I also never expected to find Raf Vallone in a western. But the Italian actor plays a Mexican store keeper who had been keeping discreet company with Alexander while Douglas was roaming the west. Certainly different from faithful Helen Westcott who raised her son and taught school while Gregory Peck was raising hell.

Who wins, you have to see for yourself. But in the end did it really matter as the film brings you an interesting conclusion.

As one of Cash's most ardent music fans, I have unfortunately almost always been disappointed with his performances on the silver screen. His films are usually poorly written, shot, edited (which you can almost always blame the director.) This one, I was almost thrown out of my chair. Though Cash was not a disciplined actor he had his charisma, and the director, for all his faults recognized this and seemed less inclined to dictate him and just let The Man say his lines the way Cash himself would say them. Though this film is not for everyone, those who appreciate westerns and those especially inclined towards the late, great Man In Black will appreciate it. If given the choice, I recommend the 1989 re-release on VHS titled "Dueling Guns."

The quiet loner who emanates raw danger by mere presence has never been portrayed as well until JC takes the role of Abe Cross. Cashs performance alone merits a 'must see' rating for this movie. Kirk Douglas is a natural pick for the role of a flashy, boastful, gunslinger who feels trapped by his retirement as saloon owner and family man in a small town. Will Tenneray(Douglas) yearns for the glory of his past as a feared and known name amongst gunfighters of the West. Abe Cross, his deeds and past are shrouded by a persona that shuns gossip and towns while Will Tennerays' exploits are well known and self-promoted. When Cross rides into town and has a drink in Tennerays' saloon, the tension is immediate and keeps climbing as every townsman whisper their expectations each time the two meet. The inevitable confrontation is a twist on the usual 'meet you at noon duel' that sets this Western apart.

I think I just enjoy this movie because of the actors. The story isn't the best and if you're looking for great art, go elsewhere. But, if you're a fan of Douglas and Cash and would like to see a few other notables on screen, sit back and enjoy the flick with a few beers.

See it - As the title suggests, this western is about a gunfight - but not just any gunfight. Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash (that's right, as in "Walk the Line" Johnny Cash) play two retired gunmen who agree to duel to the death in front of a sold-out crowd for money. The film is similar in concept to "The Quick and the Dead," and the viewer must wait until the climactic ending to see who lives and who dies. But perhaps the main question is whether this is a western or a character study. I would lean more toward character study. The movie is a bit slow and the ending is a bit abrupt, but seeing Johnny Cash as a gunslinger is well worth the watch.

Saw this,many,many years ago at the movies and it stayed on my mind. Having gone back to watch it again, more than once in the last couple of years,it seems even better than I remember. I have to confess to being a lifelong fan of Johnny Cash,although never convinced as to his acting skills.Still,he does convince here as Abe Cross and the whole story comes across well. True,not that much action but some Westerns don't need it. I do doubt,however,the information on IMDb that it was filmed in Spain. The Bullring is NOT the Madrid Bullring,as listed,I know that for a fact.Does anyone out there know where it was filmed? Best performance by JC on the screen?I think so. Kirk Douglas is great too and the questions raised about growing old,loneliness,love,money and how an "Outsider" faces up to it all,are explored well. A strange western but a minor masterpiece,a B movie(I love 'em!)in some ways but one that stays with you. A must see for all JC fans,of course. T

After mining for gold for over six months in Mexico, a gunslinger by the name of "Abe Cross" (Johnny Cash) decides to ride across the border and redeem what few nuggets he has found for American dollars. Although he hadn't planned on staying very long, when his horse is bitten by a rattlesnake right outside of town, he decides to stay until it can be treated and healed. Being a small town, it isn't long until the news is spread that a famous gunslinger has just arrived. What creates an even larger sensation is that another famous gunslinger by the name of "Will Tenneray" (Kirk Douglas) has recently taken up residence in this same town and--before you know it--the townsfolk are making bets on who will prevail against the other in a gunfight. At first, neither one has any interest in a shootout, however, when they come to realize how much money the winner could collect, they both begin to have second thoughts--and that's when things become even more intense between them and everyone else in town. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this turned out to be a surprisingly good Western which showcases the conflicting interests and desires between not only the two gunfighters but also everyone in this small town as well. I especially liked the ending which presented a potential alternative version had the outcome been different. Be that as it may, I enjoyed this film and I have rated it accordingly.

London's Time Out Film Guide describes this western from '70-71 as a 'self-conscious western'. Indeed, it is engaging if not compelling and lacks the surreal feel and flair of the Spaghetti genre. Two broke ageing gunslingers, Will Tenneray (Kirk Douglas) and Abe Cross (Johnny Cash) decide to engage in a shoot-out in a winner-takes-all scenario although there is no hatred between the two of them. Some of the traditional plain-spoken phrases and syntax are very interesting - they reveals the sense of 'the Dollar is King' in an American/western context and the barren beige-coloured scrublands of Santa Fe are evocative. The opening score is sung by Cash while Douglas's young blond son, Eric plays his son 'Bud'. There is a squeamish scene showing the killing and slaughter of a black bull during and after a bull-fight. The shoot-out was filmed in a Madrid bull-ring although other scenes were shot in Sante Fe in New Mexico. Douglas would show more flair in his two subsequent films, 'The Light at the Edge of the World' (1971), an adventure film also filmed in Spain and the Euro heist movie, 'The Master Touch' (1972). Producer, Harold Jack Bloom went on to produce the detective series, 'Heck Ramsey'.

An odd little psychological western funded by an Apache Indian tribe (despite their oddly being no Native American's here at all) has Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash as two broke aging gunfighters who manage to plan a grand duel of sorts for money. It's mostly a character study of these two and how their lives and the lives of their loved ones will be affected on which one dies. However, as the weird dream sequence and ending also suggests there's no bright future for the winner either. Good watch.

The movie does well, but not for his direction, script, photography or even wardrobe, which are acceptable. The line that separates this movie from the classic battered western movie is its peculiar choice of actors.

Starring Johnny Cash and Kirk Duglas, the plot is based on the expectation of the town folk for knowing who of the two is the best gunman, when Abe Cross arrives at the town where Will Tenneray is trying to set a quiet life for himself.

All in all, it's one of those acceptable movies, except in this case there are two iconic American characters.

Quite sure an obscure and hard to find Kirk Douglas movie, it was an independent production which had introducing the famous singer Johnny Cash that just sings a song on opening credits, the whole picture was shot in New Mexico, aside the Bull Arena at Madrid in Spain and some few sequences only.

The plot is quite far-fetched about two notorious gunfighters practically already retired, when Cash just arrives in a small town borderline of Mexico, where Kirk Douglas lives an ordinary life there, henceforth the townspeople start pushing an upcoming duel between them, however Douglas convinces Cash to do it in a crowd arena at Mexico territory aiming for gets the high amount of money from tickets and profitable bets, where the winner takes all.

As an independent offering outlined on Mexican background as those bloody and outdated bullfighting attached on many cruel scenes as someone deboning a death bull in the street, to worsen the producers implied a dual outcome, it should explain why this odd picture has been forgotten by large majority.

Apart that the casting is really great as the gorgeous wife Jane Alexander, Karen Black as saloon girl, the Sheriff Robert J. Wilke, the unknown challenger gunfighter Keith Carradine and finally the Italian Raf Vallone as powerful businessman, it sounds like a semi-spaghetti-American western.

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First watch: 1988 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.5.

The old shooting times are over, the gunfighters are just a live legend - perhaps only a curiosity - for borrachos and mean people. Unable to fit into the new times, all they can do is killing each other, to feed their own legend or to be buried with it. In this complex, sober, highly undervalued movie, Douglas (the real one, not Michael) and Cash accomplish with their destiny, it does not matter who will be the winner, who will be the loser: both are doomed and they know it. But they are not the worst in town: this role is left to the bloodthirsty people who do not even have the guts to run personally the risk but enjoy the killing. Too late they realize what they have caused and supported, ant silence fall on them. But the'll forget, and next time it will happen again.

Kirk Douglas surprised us in 1975 with his terrific POSSE as a director and actor too. And what a character he had in this western !!! But that's another comment. This one is purely an authentic western from the early seventies, or even typical of the late sixties; I mean the end of the Old West. Death of legends, of myths. In a way it may announce THE SHOOTIST in the plot, one - or two - famous gunfighter arrives in a peaceful town and because of his fame, you can easily guess what will happen. It is also a study of common folks behavior. Good little surprise from this holy decade for me: the glorious seventies. Melancholia and despair period.... Looks like a ZANE GREY THEATER episode;