No Name on the Bullet (1959)

When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Gene L. Coon (screenplay), Howard Amacker (story)

Stars:

Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Joan Evans

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Audie Murphy	...	John Gant
Charles Drake	...	Luke Canfield
Joan Evans	...	Anne Benson
Virginia Grey	...	Roseanne Fraden
Warren Stevens	...	Lou Fraden
R.G. Armstrong	...	Asa Canfield
Willis Bouchey	...	Buck Hastings
Edgar Stehli	...	Judge Benson
Simon Scott	...	Reeger
Karl Swenson	...	Stricker
Whit Bissell	...	Pierce
Charles Watts	...	Sid
John Alderson	...	Chaffee
Jerry Paris	...	Harold Miller
Russ Bender	...	Storekeeper

Storyline

Cool, cultured John Gant rides into Lordsburg. Gant is a professional killer, and although no one knows who he is there to kill, they are all worried. Everyone has enemies, and maybe Gant is in town for them. While they wait for him to make his move, paranoia starts taking over...

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Plot Keywords:

arizona | wild west | gunfight | damsel in distress | lordsburg | 

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Taglines:

The strangest killer who ever stalked the West !

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stranger from Nowhere

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charles Drake made several movies with Murphy starting with "Gunsmoke" in 1953. They were also best friends in real life which probably accounts for Murphy getting Drake cast in almost all of his films. Drake is fondly remembered as Brandon in Murphy's "To Hell and Back" in 1955, and he is also featured in the 1950 film "Harvey" with James Stewart as asylum psychiatrist Dr. Sanderson.

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Quotes

John Gant: There are many of you! Yes, you could kill me. If you're willing enough. But it's only fair to tell you that I'll kill you, Stricker. And you, Dutch Henry. The physician. His father. And there might even be time for you, storekeeper. You surprise me, physician. I didn't expect to see you running with the pack. You've come against me once. Now I warn you: I'll stay here until I'm ready to leave. I use my gun for money, and I don't like to work for nothing. But you trouble me again, and I might ...

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Connections

Referenced in The Hateful Eight (2015)

User Reviews

One of the better Audiepix out there

Audie Murphy (as John Gant) plays it real smooth here. He manipulates the whole town 'leading citizens' into thinking which one is the one he's after (that he's been hired to kill), and leaves them all feeling quite guilty over their past misdeeds. So guilty that the town banker commits suicide, and a couple of others start shooting one another without Gant ever having to lift a finger.

This is one of the few times you'll see Murphy play a bad guy, although quite different from the unhinged character you'd later see him play in John Huston's THE UNFORGIVEN (1960). Nothing he did acting-wise, ever topped that one.

Universal has released the widescreen Technicolor DVD of this and it's the best way to see it. No speckling and only a couple of brief frame blemishes. Sound is excellent, although the only extra is a trailer.

Now if Universal will only see fit to release the following excellent Audiepix westerns on DVD, I'd be a happy man:

SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN (1960) w. Barry Sullivan; RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954) w. Dan Duryea; HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1960) w. Steven McNally; and RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL (1958) w. Walter Matthau

So if you all liked NO NAME ON THE BULLET, then I bet you'll probably like the four I listed up above. They're all solid oaters.

7 out of 10