Forty Guns (1957)

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller (written by)

Release Date:

September 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

An authoritarian rancher, Barbara Stanwyck, who rules an Arizona county with her private posse of hired guns...

Plot Keywords:

Arizona | Rancher | Gunfight | Murder | Funeral

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Jessica Drummond
Barry Sullivan	...	Griff Bonnell
Dean Jagger	...	Sheriff Ned Logan
John Ericson	...	Brockie Drummond
Gene Barry	...	Wes Bonnell
Robert Dix	...	Chico Bonnell
Jidge Carroll	...	Barney Cashman
Paul Dubov	...	Judge Macy
Gerald Milton	...	Shotgun Spanger
Ziva Rodann	...	Rio
Hank Worden	...	Marshal John Chisum
Neyle Morrow	...	Wiley
Chuck Roberson	...	Howard Swain
Chuck Hayward	...	Charlie Savage
Sandra Wirth	...	Chico's Girlfriend

Also Known As:

Samuel Fuller's Forty Guns (Australia)
Woman with a Whip (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Germany:16 | USA:Approved (certificate #18646) | Australia:PG | France:U (2002 re-release)

Company:

Globe Enterprises

Trivia:

Barbara Stanwyck's stunt woman refused to allow herself to be dragged along a street by a horse, saying that it was too dangerous. Without further ado Stanwyck did it by herself. She got some bruises and scrapes, but was okay. At that time Stanwyck was 49 years old.

Quotes:

Jessica Drummond: I'm not interested in *you*, Mr. Bonnell. It's your trademark.
[gestures at his gun, purring]
Jessica Drummond: May I feel it?
Griff Bonnell: Uh-uh.
Jessica Drummond: Just curious.
Griff Bonnell: It might go off in your face.
Jessica Drummond: I'll take a chance.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in À bout de souffle (1960)

Soundtrack:

High Ridin' Woman

Highly underrated

Sam Fuller's reworking of the Tombstone story, with the Earp family replaced by the Bonnells (Barry Sullivan, Gene Barry and Robert Dix) and the Clanton family replaced by cattle baroness Barbara Stanwyck, her wild younger brother, John Ericson, and forty loyal servants who together run the Arizona town. The Bonnells come to Tombstone to be federal marshals, to the chagrin of Stanwyck, who made the town and runs it under her own charm. Eventually Sullivan captivates her, but she still has to protect her law breaking brother and her other underlings. The film runs a brisk 79 minutes, but there's enough plot to fill an epic. Amazingly, Fuller never messes things up: not a moment is wasted, but the film never feels too fast or overstuffed. The director is at the top of his game here, and this is easily one of his best movies.