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 | damsel in distress | lordsburg | deception | ambush | 

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Taglines:

Everyone in Town Had a Guilty Secret That Marked Him for Death!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

R. G. Armstrong who plays Charles Drake's father was only 5 months older than him.

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Goofs

When Gant is playing chess, he castles. Castling involves moving the Rook and the King, but he moves the Rook and the Queen.

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Quotes

Roseanne Fraden: Sam must hate us even more than I thought. He's going to let us stay together.

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Connections

Referenced in The Hateful Eight (2015)

User Reviews

Everyone dies

Nowadays, finding a movie that's a Western is a work of art. Back in the 1950s it seems that every other movie was a Western and only the best have really stood the test of time. This film is original with an excellent plot brought to life with great location, splendidly explored characterisation and solid performances. As soon as Audie Murphy appears on screen, you know that he's no good as he scares the life out of 2 random strangers, just by asking them for directions. As he rides into the town, again, everyone stops and stares at him. It turns out that he's John Gant, contract killer whose M.O is to get his target into an argument. When the target pulls his gun, Gant shoots him in self-defence and can never be prosecuted. So who is Gant in town to kill? This is where the excellent characterisation comes in as you soon find yourself caring about individuals and their circumstances. What the director does well, is keep the audience guessing as to who Gant's target is. The natives become restless and start accusing each other of hiring Gant and many unnecessary squabbles, fights and even killings occur. Murphy maintains a laid back calmness throughout and is utterly believable in this role. I felt like I could see the inevitable conclusion coming a mile off, but was more than pleasantly surprised when this didn't happen. This is a cracking Western that works in just about every department and is surely one of Audie Murphy's best performances.

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