moonspinner55 Review of Gunman's Walk

Gunman's Walk (1958)

Odd casting pays off, though script is on the outlandish side...

[6/10 · 14 October 2021]

Powerful rancher dotes on his eldest son while his younger boy fails to assert himself; all that changes, however, after the older kid is accused of murder. Columbia western photographed in CinemaScope is engrossing and surprisingly well-acted, if curiously cast. Tab Hunter may pass muster as Van Heflin's son, but he and James Darren are unlikely brothers. Nevertheless, all three actors are solid, even as Frank S. Nugent's screenplay gets more outlandish with each new turn, leading to a preposterous finale. While it is unique to see a father and son squaring off, the scene makes no sense in the context of this story (and neither does Heflin's dialogue at this point). Hunter is to be commended for taking on this unlikable role--that of a cocky, scurrilous bully with no conscience--and yet the character's behavior as written is unbelievable. Director Phil Karlson, shooting on both sets and on various Arizona locations, delivers a tough, mercurial picture, though it isn't one that leaves positive feelings behind. **1/2 from ****