Take an even cursory glance at the credits behind Fox’s 1950 The Gunfighter, and any cinephile worth their salt will know they’re in for a treat.
Directed by Henry King.
Mr. King began his career as an actor 107 years ago, and did a bit of directing in 1915. While most folks may not know his early credits, things get interesting in 1926 with The Winning of Barbara Worth, for Goldwyn, a Ronald Colman starrer, with a young actor named Cooper.
He became a staple at Fox – State Fair (1933), Ramona and Lloyds of London (1936), Seventh Heaven (1937), In Old Chicago and Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938). Stanley and Livingston, and Jesse James, in Technicolor (1939), Maryland and Chad Hanna, both in Technicolor (1940), A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941), The Black Swan, more Technicolor (1942), The Song of Bernadette (1943), Wilson, Technicolor (1944), A Bell for Adano (1945), Margie, Technicolor (1946), Captain from Castile, Technicolor (1947, Twelve O’Clock High, with Gregory Peck (1949), and The Gunfighter, Mr. Peck again, (1950).
Produced by Nunnally Johnson – best to look him up, if you don’t know his work.
Score composed by Alfred Newman.
Photographed by Arthur Miller. His career goes back even further an Mr. King – 1909.
Among the films that might come to mind – Bright Eyes (1934), The Little Princess, The Rains Came and Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), The Blue Bird, Johnny Apollo, and The Mark of Zorro (1940), Tobacco Road and How Green Was My Valley (1941), This Above All and The Ox-Bow Incident (1942), The Song of Bernadette (1943), Lifeboat and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Dragonwyck, Anna and the King of Siam, and The Razor’s Edge (1946), Gentlemen’s Agreement (1947), A Letter to Three Wives (1949), and Whirlpool and The Gunfighter in 1950.
Barbara McLean began working in a lab in New Jersey, and began cutting in 1929. Among her works, The House of Rothschild, Clive of India, Lloyds of London, Seventh Heaven, In Old Chicago, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Suez, Jesse James, Stanley and Livingston, The Rains Came, Maryland, Down Argentine Way, Chad Hanna, Tobacco Road, A Yank in the R.A.F., The Black Swan, Hello Frisco, Hello, The Song of Bernadette, Winged Victory, Wilson, A Bell for Adano, Three Little Girls in Blue, Margie, Nightmare Alley, Captain from Castile, Twelve O’Clock High, All About Eve…
and The Gunfighter.
That’s a long way ’round telling you that The Gunfighter, a little 85 minute, black & white western, used the A Team.
I’m thrilled to see it finally arrive in quality form, albeit from a duplicate negative, but the final result from Criterion is just fine. Rich deep blacks, organic grain. It’s all good.
I’ll use very few words here.
To my mind, it’s far more than one of the finest westerns ever produced. It’s one of the finest, beautifully honed films ever made.
For those who may have not have seen it, you’re in for a treat.
One of the most important releases of the year.
Image – 4.5
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Absolutely
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads
- Robert Harris
- Blu-ray and UHD
2- Robert Harris
- Blu-ray and UHD
2 3