At Gunpoint (1955)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Alfred L. Werker

Writer:

Daniel B. Ullman (story)

Release Date:

25 December 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

STARTLING as looking down the barrel of a loaded gun!

Plot:

The peace-loving owner of a general store, who became a town hero when he luckily killed the leader of a gang of bank robbers, is deserted by the townspeople who fear the threatened return of the vengeful bandits. |

Plot Keywords:

Showdown | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Fred MacMurray	...	Jack Wright
Dorothy Malone	...	Martha Wright
Walter Brennan	...	Doc Lacy
Tommy Rettig	...	Billy Wright
Skip Homeier	...	Bob Dennis
John Qualen	...	Livingstone
Whit Bissell	...	Clem Clark
Irving Bacon	...	Al Ferguson
Jack Lambert	...	Kirk
John Pickard	...	Alvin Dennis
James Griffith	...	The Stranger (Bob Alexander)
Harry Shannon	...	Marshal MacKay
Frank Ferguson	...	Marshal George Henderson
James O'Hara	...	Wally (as James Lilburn)
Harry Lauter	...	Federal Marshal

Also Known As:

Gunpoint! (UK)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #17641) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Bob Dennis is practicing aiming and firing his gun]
Alvin Dennis: You're sure itchin' to use that thing again, ain't ya?
Bob Dennis: Never hurts to be ready.
Alvin Dennis: You're always ready. Put it away.
Bob Dennis: You're nervous, huh?
Alvin Dennis: Yeah, well, I wouldn't be if it wasn't for you.

Good film - great cast - Avoid alternate version "Smokin'Barrel"

Acting and production (including music) are top notch. Screenplay is well written. Entire cast is made up of major stars and great charactor actors which made this an entirely worthwhile "Saturday Matinee" in its day. Although not noted, this is a color film of about 81 minutes in length. There is some on-screen shooting & deaths ... but no blood; it could easily have a "General Audience" rating.

This film was also distributed in the USA in 1992/1993 by "Dominican Releasing, Puerto Rico" as "SMOKIN' BARREL"; perhaps this was a pirated release as shamefully all titles and credits were cut out ... and replaced with the two-word opening "SMOKIN BARRELL" and two-word closing "THE END"; no other information. The quality of this tape, recorded in the EP mode, is extremely poor visually with blurred images in high contrast; it is almost unviewable (although the sound is acceptable). The tape's box has numerous errors in the credits ... crediting Vaughn Monroe & Billy Gray as being in the film (they were not) ... and leaving off one of the two main stars ... Fred MacMurray ... as well as child star Tommy Rettig. It also states the film is rated "R" (believe me, it is NOT an "R" film). Avoid "Smokin Barell" ... but definately see any other good quality legitimate versions of this film.