A moody western with a couple of neat twists.
The Production: 3.5/5
Russell Rouse’s psychological western The Fastest Gun Alive only runs 89 minutes, but it ambles along at such a measured pace that it seems a bit longer than that. In its story of a gunslinger haunted by his past and dreading to face the next rival for his title, it shares some of the same beats as Henry King’s The Gunfighter though that film is moodier and more haunting. Still, with a crackerjack supporting cast backing up its trio of stars and a couple of nifty twists along the way, The Fastest Gun Alive is worthy of one’s attention.
Former fast draw George Temple (Glenn Ford) has put his gun away for four years, but lately he’s been feeling the itch to take it down and gain some greater respect in the town of Cross Creek whose citizens often talk down to the genial shopkeeper and assume he’s too milquetoast to stand up for himself. His wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) has seen the telltale signs of unease before, and she fears the worst, fears that come true when legendary fast gun Vinnie Harold (Broderick Crawford) arrives in town after robbing the bank in Yellow Fork and hears about a remarkable shooting exhibition George had just put on after he’d gotten tipsy and revealed his carefully guarded secret. Harold, who greatly covets the title of the fastest draw, challenges the town sharpshooter and threatens to burn the town down if he doesn’t face him.
Writer-director Russell Rouse has collaborated on the script with Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Frank D. Gilroy based on Gilroy’s story “The Last Notch” (a great and most descriptive title as one will realize at film’s end), but sometimes the motivations are a little muddled. We assume George’s malaise is due to his withdrawal from regular gunplay, but once the first twist is revealed, we begin to rethink his entire psychological underpinnings, and they don’t ring true. The film begins and ends with showdowns: both involving villain Vinnie Harold, but the bank robbery that punctuates the middle of the film pulled off by Vinnie and his crew (John Dehner and Noah Beery Jr.) couldn’t have been staged more lackadaisically by director Rouse, nor is the chase by the posse or the thieves’ escape filmed with any kind of urgency, all places where tension could have been constructed and sustained to go along with the hero’s conundrum which also takes up a good chunk of the film’s middle section as the town takes a united oath to keep George’s secret. Also most curious is a five-minute break from the action with Russ Tamblyn (who’s otherwise completely wasted here) as a young town dweller dances a jig during a barn dance combining his unique blend of dance, tumbling, and acrobatics that’s a sight to see (choreographed by Alex Romero), at one point utilizing a pair of shovels in some unique choreography reminiscent of something Fred Astaire might have tried with the implements.
Most of Glenn Ford’s performance is a mass of tics, muttered lines, and controlled angst, a portrayal unlike any other in his long career. He handles the gunplay nicely (a couple of tricks he pulls off for the town are deftly staged to convey his special gifts) and establishes what suspense the film musters by his very conflicted manner as the final gunfight looms ever closer. As his wife, Jeanne Crain suffers her own angst for much of the movie though her love and loyalty are never in dispute. For most of the film, Broderick Crawford barks his lines in a most agitated, one-note fashion that’s almost laughable though he has some quieter and more nuanced scenes with one of the town’s children (Chris Olsen) as he learns from the kid of the town’s top draw. As Vinnie’s chief henchman, John Dehner gives one of the film’s most solid performances, a roughneck who knows he’s only second-best draw waiting his turn patiently and cunningly. Chief among the townsfolk are Leif Erickson as Lou Glover, seeming to be George’s best friend and the one most concerned about keeping his secret, Rhys Williams as the saloon owner and Virginia Gregg as his argumentative wife, Joseph Sweeney as the town’s gentle pastor, and Allyn Joslyn as the town’s most talkative citizen who is the first one to back down from a promise.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is faithfully executed in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. The image quality is first-rate, filled with details in close-up of the perspiration and dust-laden faces typical of the age. The grayscale offers most impressive black levels and no problems with scratches, splices, or debris marring image quality. The movie has been divided into 25 chapters.
Audio: 5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 sound mix offers an excellent audio experience. Dialogue has been well-recorded and has been mixed with André Previn’s effective score and the variously appropriate sound effects making for an appealing auditory experience. There are no problems with crackle, hiss, pops, or flutter on the soundtrack.
Special Features: 2/5
Blue Cat Blues (6:47, HD): Tom and Jerry Cinemascope cartoon
Downbeat Bear (6:26, HD): Tom and Jerry Cinemascope cartoon
Theatrical Trailer (3:00, HD)
Overall: 3.5/5
Glenn Ford had a significant hit with The Fastest Gun Alive, and the success of this and his other 1956 releases landed him at number five among the top ten box-office stars for the first time in his career. It’s an uneven but inevitably satisfying western and one fans of the genre will want to own with the best video and audio quality possible.
The Fastest Gun Alive [Blu-Ray]
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Matt has been reviewing films and television professionally since 1974 and has been a member of Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2007, his reviews now numbering close to three thousand. During those years, he has also been a junior and senior high school English teacher earning numerous entries into Who’s Who Among America’s Educators and spent many years treading the community theater boards as an actor in everything from Agatha Christie mysteries to Stephen Sondheim musicals.
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