Gunman's Walk (1958)

A powerful rancher always protects his wild adult son by paying for damages and bribing witnesses, until his crimes become too serious to rectify.

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Frank S. Nugent (screenplay) (as Frank Nugent), Ric Hardman (story)

Stars:

Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Kathryn Grant

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Heflin	...	Lee Hackett
Tab Hunter	...	Ed Hackett
Kathryn Grant	...	Clee Chouard
James Darren	...	Davy Hackett
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Deputy Sheriff Will Motely
Robert F. Simon	...	Sheriff Harry Brill
Edward Platt	...	Purcell Avery
Ray Teal	...	Jensen Sieverts
Paul Birch	...	Bob Selkirk
Michael Granger	...	Curly
Will Wright	...	Judge

Storyline

Widower Lee Hackett (Van Heflin), a cattle rancher who is a product of the old west, tries to bring up his two sons, Ed (Tab Hunter)and Davy (James Darren), in his image, but Ed is wild and unruly. The two brothers are both attracted to Clee Chourard ('Kathryn Grant(I)') but she prefers Davy. Ed's efforts to outshine his father and brother and everyone else leads him into a career of a gunfighter, and a confrontation with his father.

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Plot Keywords:

horseback chase | biracial | horseback riding | horse | sioux indian | 

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Taglines:

With the lynch-mob at his heels...will his own father shoot him down? (original poster)

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Slicks

Filming Locations:

Patagonia, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sorrel horse that Tab Hunter rides in most of the scenes was his own personal horse named Swizzle Stick ("Swiz").

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Goofs

When Lee Hackett leaves town, chasing after his jailbreak son, Ed, he is riding a "right-maned" horse. When he catches up with Ed, he is on a "left-maned" (different) horse.

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Quotes

Deputy Sheriff Will Motely: You're still trying to live in the past, and your boy is trying to do the same!

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Connections

Referenced in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

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Soundtracks

I'm A Runaway
by Fred Karger & Richard Quine
Sung by Tab Hunter (uncredited)

User Reviews

Another good Karlson film

Director Phil Karlson is known more for his tough, gritty, violent crime dramas ("99 River Street," "The Phenix City Story," among others) than horse operas, but this tight little western is reminiscent of the best of Karlson's urban thrillers. Tab Hunter is excellent as the spoiled, egomaniacal, homicidal son of a wealthy rancher, who believes that his family's riches and position are pretty much a blank check that enables him to do whatever he wants to whoever he wants, including murder, because he knows that his father's influence will get him out of trouble. Hunter's tightly wound, controlled performance is a real eye-opener for those who always thought of him as just another pretty boy teen idol who couldn't act (i.e., Ricky Nelson, Fabian, etc.). This is by far Hunter's best work. You can see his internal spring winding tighter and tighter as he pushes the envelope further and further until it's just a matter of time before he explodes. Van Heflin is solid as his father, who's too busy building and maintaining an empire and can't, or won't, see the evil that manifests itself in his son, and veteran character actor Robert F. Simon is very good as the town sheriff and Heflin's friend, who realizes that he's given Hunter one too many breaks and is torn between his obligations to his friend and his duty as a lawman. Mickey Shaughnessy, who often played oafish drunks, dimwitted gangsters or other types of comic relief, strikes just the right note as a sympathetic deputy who doesn't think that Hunter is really as bad as his reputation. Karlson directs with his usual energy, marked by his trademark quick, explosive bursts of action. An intriguing film, despite its potboiler title, and worth a look for Hunter's fine performance and Karlson's vigorous direction.