Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Les Crutchfield (story)
James Poe (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 November 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Western

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Old Friends | Rape | Train | Murder

Awards:

1 nomination

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Alden	...	Craig's Man (uncredited)
John Anderson	...	Salesman in Horseshoe (uncredited)
Emile Avery	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Michael Bachus	...	Townsmen (uncredited)
Kenneth Becker	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Small Man in Horseshoe (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Frank Carter	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Luke (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Vera Denham	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer	...	Deputy Andy (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Craig's Man Waiting in Horseshoe (uncredited)
Ty Hardin	...	Cowboy Loafer (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Rusty Havens	...	Boy (uncredited)
Dick Haynes	...	Townsmen (uncredited)
Lars Henderson	...	Petey Morgan (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Man in Harper House Lobby (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ricky Kelman	...	Boy (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Departing Train Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Saloon Patron (uncredited)
Kim Leslie	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Baron James Lichter	...	(uncredited)
Jack Lomas	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Mara Lynn	...	Minnie (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Drummer on Train (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Storekeeper (uncredited)
Raymond A. McWalters	...	Wounded Gunman (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Harper House Clerk (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Alan Roberts	...	Boy (uncredited)
Mark Roberts	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Tony Russel	...	Pinto (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	...	Craig's Man (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Saloon Dealer (uncredited)
Court Shepard	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Keno (uncredited)
Dante Charles Stradella	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Gun Hill Bouncer (uncredited)
Julius Tannen	...	Horseshoe Cleaning Man (uncredited)
Harriette Tarler	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Sid Tomack	...	Roomer (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Robin Warga	...	Boy (uncredited)
Henry Wills	...	Jake (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Les Crutchfield		(story "Showdown")
James Poe		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul Nathan	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)

Casting by
Edward R. Morse		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair styles supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Hedy Mjorud	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Harry Ray	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Richard Blaydon	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director (as D. Michael Moore)
Lloyd Allen	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Ralph Axness	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Daniel McCauley	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Romaine Birkmeyer	....	prop buyer (uncredited)
Cline Jones	....	prop buyer (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Robert McCrellis	....	props (uncredited)
Dwight Thompson	....	props (uncredited)
Dee Turner	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound recordist (as Winston Leverett)
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
R.D. Cook	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Nick Gerolimates	....	sound cableman (uncredited)
Hayden Hohstadt	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Bud Parman	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Eric Alden	....	stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson	....	stunt double: Ziva Rodann (uncredited)
Fred Carson	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Ann Duncan	....	stunt double: Lars Henderson, Jr. (uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Erwin Neal	....	stunt double: Brian Hutton (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Guy Bennett	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mal Bulloch	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Howard Cashion	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
William Collins	....	grip (uncredited)
Ed Crowder	....	grip (uncredited)
Pat Drew	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Frank Dugas	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bud Fraker	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cecil Gardiner	....	grip (uncredited)
Archie Gardner	....	grip (uncredited)
James Grant	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
James Hawley	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Warren Hoag	....	best boy (uncredited)
W. Wallace Kelley	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rollie Lilly	....	grip (uncredited)
Kyme Meade	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Terry Meade	....	loader (uncredited)
Lorne Netten	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dave Perry	....	electrician (uncredited)
Joe Schuster	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dominic Seminerio	....	grip (uncredited)
Walter Sullivan	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Paul Uhl	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Edward Wahrman	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Herb Welts	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
William Cowitt	....	casting (uncredited)
Bill Greenwald	....	casting (uncredited)
Alice Moriarty	....	casting secretary (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	costumes: men (uncredited)
Bud Clark	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Grace Harris	....	costumes: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Manuel Emanuel	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Michael Heindorf	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Al Latta	....	transportation (uncredited)
L.D. McKnight	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Bill Gray	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Bill Hurley	....	livestock (uncredited)
Bob Miles	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Richard Rabis	....	craft service (uncredited)
Pedro Regaldo	....	staff (uncredited)
Jack Saper	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Art Sarno	....	publicist (uncredited)
Manuel Vasquez	....	staff (uncredited)
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bryna Productions
• Hal Wallis Productions
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Films de España (1960) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Kinosto (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Films (1960) (Finland) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Nelonen (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordic Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Starmaker Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• VTC-Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Viacom (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"One Angry Day" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:PG-12 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Bryna Productions

Trivia:

Anthony Quinn was only thirteen years older than Earl Holliman, who plays his son.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Linda changes clothes, a white strap suddenly appears then disappears on her left shoulder.

Quotes:

Marshal Matt Morgan:Isn't there anybody in this town that's not afraid of Craig Belden?
Steve, Horseshoe Bartender':Sure! Graveyard's full of them!

Movie Connections:

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

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.