Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

A marshal tries to bring the son of an old friend, an autocratic cattle baron, to justice for the rape and murder of his wife.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Les Crutchfield (story), James Poe (screenplay)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Marshal Matt Morgan
Anthony Quinn	...	Craig Belden
Carolyn Jones	...	Linda
Earl Holliman	...	Rick Belden
Brad Dexter	...	Beero
Brian G. Hutton	...	Lee Smithers (as Brian Hutton)
Ziva Rodann	...	Catherine Morgan
Bing Russell	...	Skag
Val Avery	...	Steve, Horseshoe Bartender'
Walter Sande	...	Sheriff Bartlett

Storyline

The wife of marshal Matt Morgan is raped and murdered. The killers leave behind a distinctive saddle, that Morgan recognises as belonging to his old friend Craig Belden, now cattle baron in the town of Gun Hill. Belden is sympathetic, until it transpires that one of the murderers is his own son Rick, whom he refuses to hand over. Morgan is determined to capture Rick and take him away by the 9.00 train; but he is trapped in the town alone, with Belden and all his men now looking to kill him.

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Plot Keywords:

marshal | old friends | rape | train | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1959 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Last Train from Harper's Junction

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryna Productions, Hal Wallis Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kirk Douglas 's salary was $325,000 against ten percent of the gross.

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Goofs

The train that Morgan takes to Gun Hill is seen to go round the same corner twice, once at night and once during the day.

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Quotes

Craig Belden: Suppose I could locate them for you?
Marshal Matt Morgan: I'd take them both back to Pawley. They'll stand trial for rape and murder.

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Connections

Referenced in Living Steam: Virginia and Truckee Then and Now at the Nevada State Railroad Museum (2008)

User Reviews

Rock solid classic Western.

This movie took me by surprise as one of the more effective revenge capers I've seen in quite awhile. It's really much more than a simple revenge movie, but it opens with an offense so outrageous, one could never rest without seeing the scoundrel put to justice. That seems like a very unlikely prospect for most of the film's running length.

The central theme is the classic Western notion of one man representing pure good stubbornly standing fast against overwhelming odds. Last Train combines the brainy suspense of 3:10 to Yuma and the provocative paranoia of High Noon, with a healthy serving of melodrama.

Kirk Douglas may not be as prominent as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood but his work here equals their best. He is extremely grim and convincing as the mightily offended protagonist. Anthony Quinn maintains his usual formidable presence as the heavyweight opponent.

If you're exploring the great Westerns or just looking for a good suspense thriller, this one is excellent.