No Name on the Bullet (1959)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Howard Amacker (story)
Gene L. Coon (writer)

Release Date:

February 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Cool, cultured John Gant rides into Lordsburg. Gant is a professional killer, and although no one knows who he is there to kill...

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Blacksmith | Chess | Mob | Wheelchair

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11

8:15 AM

AMC

Cast

Audie Murphy	...	John Gant
Charles Drake	...	Dr. Luke Canfield
Joan Evans	...	Anne Benson
Virginia Grey	...	Roseanne Fraden
Warren Stevens	...	Lou Fraden
R.G. Armstrong	...	Asa Canfield
Willis Bouchey	...	Sheriff Buck Hastings
Edgar Stehli	...	Judge Benson
Simon Scott	...	Henry Reeger
Karl Swenson	...	Earl Stricker
Whit Bissell	...	Thad Pierce
Charles Watts	...	Sid, the bartender
John Alderson	...	Ben Chaffee
Jerry Paris	...	Deputy Sheriff Harold Miller
Russ Bender	...	Jim, Storekeeper

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #19176) | Norway:12 (1959) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Average & Median Shot Lengths = ~13.1 seconds.

Quotes:

Sheriff: Why didn't you kill me?
John Gant: I wasn't paid to.

Excellent showcase for Murphy

Audie Murphy had to endure a lot of unflattering remarks about his acting, much of which he took on the chin as he never thought highly of the profession in the first place or considered himself to be an actor. However, he often sold himself short and this movie is a case in point. Murphy brings his usual quiet authority to a role that goes against type - a refreshing change indeed! As a man whose reputation precedes him, John Gant, Audie's character, is cold and calculating, scary and intimidating without even trying. One wonders just how much of the real Audie Murphy was projected. This is one of the few roles that allowed him to shine, not as an exhibitionist (he was a modest man) but to show that he really could act when given quality material. Universal made a lot of money out of Audie's movies and in the process didn't encourage him to stretch his acting abilities with challenging roles but were content to have him churning out the staple sagebrushes. They missed out on an excellent opportunity and in the process, dealt Audie a not so good deal as his name became synonymous with 'routine' Westerns and poor acting. Check out this movie and see just how good Audie was and how much more he could have given.

Audie looking good!