The Gatling Gun

In many ways, this movie looks and feels much older than 1973, and I'm still not quite convinced that this is accurate. Yet, the social conscience of the 70's is there, if only in throw away lines and occasional, unexpected preachiness. The struggle for the WMD of the era, i.e. the Gatling Gun of the movie's title, involves a small band of US Cavalry, one "bad apple" (Robert Fuller playing effectively against type), and the Apaches, headed by the Spanish speaking chief "Two Knives." Thrown in the mix are the vixenish step-daughter of a self-righteous preacher (must have been a handful for that man of the cloth) and an All-American, sharp-shootin'"Annie Oakley Type" who in one brief scene appears in a dress and is described as "All Girl" (which she is!). Plus John Wayne's son, I think, and a couple of old codgers. Any and all of the characters vacillate here and there in their views on the treatment of the American Indian and their role in history but the Gatling Gun has the final word.

i don't watch many westerns,the few I've seen i actually enjoy.this was one of them.a Gatling gun is being sought by the apache,and the us calvary led by guy stock well must overcome all odds to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.talk about a stellar cast.when i found John Carridine was in this,i just had to watch. Carridine was one of the greatest actors that ever lived,he plays a preacher,also in the cast is Pat Butram(Mr Haney of green acres)woody strode,Barbara Luna and Patrick Wayne(son of John Wayne)its a wild wild western,a good cast and good story.8 out of 10.all in all a very well made western made by universal in 1973.

A familiar cast of western regulars make up the players in The Gatling Gun. Sad to say that a badly written and/or a badly edited story fill this plot with more holes than a Gatling Gun could give a wooden wall.

A couple of troopers plus Reverend John Carradine and his seductive stepchild Barbara Luna steal a Gatling Gun from the army to give to the Apaches. One of the troopers is killed, but the other, Robert Fuller, is captured along with Carradine and Luna and Captain Guy Stockwell is assigned to bring The Gatling Gun and his prisoners back.

But the Apache chief Carlos Rivas still wants that weapon and the rest of the film is concerned with his efforts to get it even though he doesn't know that it doesn't have a firing pin.

The players here speak their lines truly without conviction. They all know that when the film is done it will grace their Thanksgiving table that year.

I'm a die-hard Robert Fuller fan so having this DVD in my collection is great for me. Also the movie stars Pat Buttram and John Carradine, both of whom I have enjoyed their works for many years. If you really love all westerns and are into B movies then this is a movie for you. I think that the Indians got a raw deal in the movie all around. If I were the director I would have beefed the story up more. I also would have cast Fuller in the lead. And yes, I admit it I'm partial. I think that John Carradine played the part of the minister really well and of course Pat Buttram is always true to himself and always entertaining. The women in the movie alone would strike up a good debate about how women really were during that time period and how they are portrayed on the silver screen.

Disappointingly routine western. Not bad enough to be funny, not good enough to be enjoyable.

The plot is a cliche: a bunch of bluejackets tries to protect a machinegun from an indian tribe in the desert. The indians are evil, the soldiers are (mostly) good and righteous, and the women are ornaments.

2/10 because it's not overlong...