Gunsmoke (1953)

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writers:

Norman A. Fox (novel)
D.D. Beauchamp (screenplay)

Release Date:

March 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Hired Gunslinger In A Lawless Land!

Plot:

Kittridge is hired by the villans but turns to defend the rancher Saxon after learning the true situation...

Plot Keywords:

Cattle Drive | Land Grab | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Audie Murphy	...	Reb Kittridge
Susan Cabot	...	Rita Saxon
Paul Kelly	...	Dan Saxon
Charles Drake	...	Johnny Lake
Mary Castle	...	Cora Dufrayne
Jack Kelly	...	Curly Mather
Jesse White	...	Professor
Donald Randolph	...	Matt Telford
William Reynolds	...	Brazos
Chubby Johnson	...	Doc Farrell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philo McCullough	...	Abner Sneed (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

A Man's Country (USA) (alternative title)
Roughshod (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #16145) | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

During the cattle drive, Audie Murphy (Reb) has ridden up ahead, over a ridge, to scout the trail and sees a range fire burning towards the herd. As he races back down the hill to the other riders, his horse slips and almost falls down. He and the horse are able to recover and without missing a beat, Murphy says his lines to the others and the scene goes on.

Quotes:

[Curly and Reb have a final confrontation]
Reb Kittredge: Then get out of camp!
Curly Mather: I'll leave when I'm ready.
Reb Kittredge: You'll leave right now!
Curly Mather: I reckon that's a choice I'll make for myself.
Reb Kittredge: The only choice you've got is how you'll go -- either riding on a horse or feet first.
Curly Mather: You've been twirling a pretty big rope ever since you came here. Maybe it's time someone took the slack out of your rope.
Reb Kittredge: Anytime you're ready.

a well done sagebrush

A hired gun with principles - that is Audie's role in this affair. He is tough and will not be told what to do. He realises that the person who hired him is not only a crook but a bully determined to walk over everyone. Reb, Audie's character, refuses to be controlled and be at anyones beck and call, so decides to change sides. As usual there is the obligatory shapely woman(Susan Cabot, one of his regular leading ladies) who pretends to hate him at first but, well, you know what's going to happen. Audie puts in an assured performance here, still fairly early on in his movie career. I've read that he insisted on wearing clothes cowhands wore (including hat complete with sweat marks) in order to give realism and grit to his roles. I have to include the words I usually slip in somewhere when commenting on an Audie Murphy movie: Audie looked great!