Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) A Spray of Bullets (1955) User Reviews

Well done myth.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 26 September 2014]

Dick Powell stars in this episode of "Four Star Playhouse". He plays Will, a lawman who is legendary with his gun in the old west. He's killed a lot of guys in shootouts and when he appears in town, the assumption is that he's there to shoot someone. However, this is not why he's here--Will is going blind and he's here to see an eye doctor. The problem is that a local jerk learns about Will's vision and assumes he's an easy mark--and a way to make a reputation for himself by killing him. In addition, Will's old girlfriend, Lucy, lives in this town--and she'd love to marry him if he'd just hang up his guns once and for all. But, with the guy gunning for him, what is Will to do?

This is an extremely well acted and well written show--particularly the ending. However, it's also pretty much myth, as such shootouts on Main Street are the stuff of TV and movies, not real life. Folks rarely killed each other in the bad old west--and when they did, it was usually a shot in the back or something equally less gentlemanly. So, while the show perpetuates historical myths, it IS entertaining and well done.

Excellent

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 10 July 2016]

FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE "A Spray of Bullets" 1955

Dick Powell headlines this episode of the top flight anthology series, FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE. This series ran for 130 episodes between 1952 and 1956. Each week, one of either, Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, David Niven or Ida Lupino would be the lead in the episode. This one is episode is the 5th episode of season 4.

In this episode, a western, Dick Powell rides into a small town and ties up his horse. A local, Raymond Hatton, recognizes him as a fast with the gun Lawman. Hatton figures there is going to be trouble in town, as just a few hours earlier Robert J. Wilke had ridden into town. Wilke is also a fast gun, but he is anything but a law abiding type.

The town Sheriff, Art Space is soon a calling. It turns out that Sheriff Space and Powell are friends. They had worked together years before. Powell and Space's daughter, Jean Howell had been an item for a while. Powell tells Space that he is no longer a Lawman. He is just in town on a personal matter. He did not even know that Space and Howell where in town. He also adds that he wants nothing to do with gunman Wilke.

We now find out that Powell is in town to see an eye doctor. His sight is going and everything over 20 yards away is a blur. This is why he quit being a lawman. Now Powell and Wilke bump into each other. Wilke asks Powell to have a drink with him. Powell says maybe later. Wilke wonders why the man is in town.

Local, Raymond Hatton, tells Wilke that he saw Powell pay a visit to the eye doctor. This of course gets Wilke to thinking. While Wilke is pondering this bit of info, Powell is paying his former girl, Howell a visit. He tells the pretty Howell that he is there to get a set of glasses. He wants nothing to do with gun play anymore. He is willing to settle down.

Needless to say this plan goes south in a hurry. Gunman Wilke decides to call Powell out for a draw down. He figures that killing Powell will help his reputation has a top drawer gun hand. Wilke intends to keep a fair distance between himself and Powell. Guns are pulled and Powell, the quicker of the two, fans his gun and sprays lead towards the blur. The smoke clears and Wilke is face down in the dust, gun beside him. It looks like Powell lucked out. He walks off arm and arm with Howell.

There are shades of Liberty Valance here as the viewer finds out that maybe someone else had fired the killing shot.

This is a top notch episode all around. The always villainous Robert Wilke, as usual, is in great form as the gunman. Long-time actor Raymond Hatton started out in 1912, and was on screen till 1967 with over 500 film and television credits to his name.

Loved that surprise ending!

[lor_ · 27 April 2024]

Dick Powell takes on the role of a retired sheriff having to face off against a gunslinger out to make his reputation in this fine Western-themed segment of "Four Star Playhouse".

His character is named Will Sonnett, and screenwriter Richard Carr would take this character and adapt it for the warmly remembered TV series "The Guns of Will Sonnett" starring Walter Brennan a decade later.

Resembling a Gary Cooper persona, Powell's taciturn, underplayed role is resolute, but suspense and some fear sets in when it's revealed that his eyesight is failing -everything's a blur after 20 yards away. The gunman, well cast for veteran character actor Robert J. Wilke, gets wind of this and it looks like the deck is stacked against Will.

Into the equation is his girlfriend, to whom he pledges he'll find another line of work, rather than returning to the life of a peace officer wearing corrective lenses. The final showdown is suspensefully directed by Roy Kellino, and that final twist at fadeout earns Richard Carr plaudits in my book!

Is this the real meaning of blind man's bluff?

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 2 March 2016]

Dick Powell is long past his crooner days, moving into television as one of the first veteran movie stars to do so. Content with directing the occasional movie, by this time, he was done acting in them, but he was not ready to give up acting altogether. The Four Star Playhouse was a great exercise for actors like Powell to keep busy, and now he's appearing in one of T.V.'s favorite genres: the western.

Powell is going down "High Noon" territory in this tale of a former sheriff who returns to town to reconcile with his wife and confront one of his worst enemies. But he has another battle, and that is more prominent than his worried wife or his worst enemy. The show-down between Powell and his enemy is fraught with tension as Powell's health begins to take its toll. It's pretty predictable how this will conclude, but for a B grade TV western, its pretty well done.