Gunfire (1950)

Director:

William Berke

Writer:

William Berke (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

12 August 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

OUTLAW GHOST OR DEAD RINGER? He dared face the James gang's vengeance!

Plot:

Tubercular Frank James has become a born again and retired from his career as an outlaw with his family but a look-a-like out;aw causes suspicion to fall back on him.

Plot Keywords:

Born Again | Sheriff | False Alibi | Family Feud | Mistaken Identity

Cast

Don 'Red' Barry	...	Frank James / Bat Fenton (as Don Barry)
Robert Lowery	...	Sheriff John Kelly
Wally Vernon	...	Clem
Pamela Blake	...	Cynthy
Claude Stroud	...	Joe Mundy
Leonard Penn	...	Dan Simons
Steve Pendleton	...	Charlie Ford (as Gaylord Pendleton)
Tommy Farrell	...	Lerner--Silver Wagon Driver
Dean Riesner	...	Outlaw Mack (as Dean Reisner)
Paul Jordan	...	Johnny James
Steve Conte	...	Matt Riley (as Steve Conti)
Roger Anderson	...	Bob Ford
Gilbert Fallman	...	Bank President (as Gil Fallman)
Kathleen Magginetti	...	Amy James
William Bailey	...	Second Sheriff (as Bill Bailey)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor Adamson	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Roy Bucko	...	Posse Member (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Victor Cox	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Hendricks	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Carol Henry	...	Barfly / Gang Member (uncredited)
Ray Jones	...	Gang Member / Townsman (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Man who Shoots Riley (uncredited)
Tom London	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Jack Montgomery	...	Posse Member (uncredited)
Lew Morphy	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Bill Nestell	...	Burly Barfly (uncredited)
Lee Roberts	...	Bartender in Barton (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Jan Sterling	...	Flo - Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	New Bartender in Creede (uncredited)
Barbara Woodell	...	Emily James (uncredited)

Directed by
William Berke

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Berke		written by
Victor West		screenplay (uncredited)

Produced by
William Berke	....	producer
Jack Leewood	....	associate executive producer
Murray Lerner	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Ernest Miller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Pierson

Art Direction by
Fred Preble

Makeup Department
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Betty Sinclair	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melville Shyer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry Eckles	....	sound engineer
Harry Smith	....	sound engineer

Stunts
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunt double: Leonard Penn (uncredited)
Carol Henry	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Archie R. Dalzell	....	camera operator (as Archie Dalzell)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alfred Berke	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Albert Glasser	....	musical director

Other crew
Mary Chaffee	....	script supervisor
Robert L. Lippert	....	presenter
Dean Riesner	....	dialogue coach (as Dean Reisner)

Production Companies

• Donald Barry Productions
• Robert L. Lippert Productions

Distributors

• Lippert Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Exclusive Films (1950) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kit Parker Films (2004) (USA) (all media) (copyright owner)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "Legendary Outlaws Vol. 2")

Other Companies

• Blair & Associates  dvd package design and summary
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound (as Glen Glenn Sound Company)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

59 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #14640)

Company:

Donald Barry Productions

Trivia:

The decades-old wanted poster of Frank James that is shown depicts Donald Barry with the same beard and outfit he is currently wearing.

Quotes:

New Bartender in Creede:[as Frank is walking away] You're Frank James, right?
Frank James:[Turning] That's right.
New Bartender in Creede:What do you want with Charlie?
Frank James:[Dtermined] I wanna kill'em.

Dual Role for Barry!

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Gunfire" is yet another film about the James Boys. This one takes place after Jesse's assassination and focuses on Frank. Producer/star Don Barry plays a dual role, that of Frank James and his look-a-like Bat Fenton. The film, which runs a scant 59 minutes, was produced by Barry's company for release by Lippert Pictures.

Mundy (Claude Stroud), a former member of the James gang, drops in on Frank James (Barry), who has "found the Lord" and is living in peace on a small ranch. Mundy is riding with an outlaw, Bat Fenton (Barry again) who resembles James except for James' beard.

The two outlaws decide to trade on the similarity of Fenton's appearance to that of Frank James, and commit a series of robberies and blame them on James. Frank meanwhile learns that the Ford Brothers are in town from Mundy and plans to go after them to avenge Jesse's death.

In town, Sheriff John Kelly guns down Bob Ford (Roger Anderson) just as Fenton and Mundy are riding in to meet up with other members of their gang. At Charley Ford's (Gaylord "Steve" Pendleton) cabin, Fenton persuades him to join the gang and set up Frank James before seeking his revenge on the sheriff.

The gang commits several holdups with Fenton making sure that he is recognized as Frank James. Sheriff Kelly believes in Frank however, and the two plot to trap the gang and expose the impostor. After learning the location of the gang from saloon owner Dan Simons, Frank and the sheriff form a posse and....................................

Don Barry had starred in the Republic serial "The Adventures of Red Ryder" (1940) based on the popular comic strip character. For the rest of his days at Republic, he was billed as Don "Red" Barry, a nickname that he was apparently not fond of. When he left Republic he dropped the "Red" and was thereafter billed as either Don Barry or Donald Barry. Following his last starring role in "Jesse James Women" (1954) he played various supporting roles, on both sides of the law right up to his death by suicide in 1980.

Robert Lowery had just finished starring as Batman in the Columbia serial "Batman and Robin". Initially a lead or second lead in "B" programmers, he too enjoyed a long career as a character actor.

Pamela Blake is the token heroine Cynthy and Wally Vernon provides the comic relief as the whiskey swilling Clem.

Barry's double performance showcased his talents as an actor for which he didn't get the credit he deserved.

Entertaining "B" western.