Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

A marshal tries to bring the son of an old friend, an autocratic cattle baron, to justice for his role in the rape and murder of the marshal's Native American wife.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Les Crutchfield (story "Showdown"), James Poe (screenplay)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

The wife of marshal Matt Morgan is raped and murdered. The killers leave behind a distinctive saddle, that Morgan recognises as belonging to his old friend Craig Belden, now cattle baron in the town of Gun Hill. Belden is sympathetic, until it transpires that one of the murderers is his own son Rick, whom he refuses to hand over. Morgan is determined to capture Rick and take him away by the 9.00 train; but he is trapped in the town alone, with Belden and all his men now looking to kill him.

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Plot Keywords:

monogrammed saddle | knocked out | 

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Taglines:

The mightiest double-barreled excitement to blaze across the screen !

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Sturges learned very late that the dialogues, which he found terrific, were actually written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo.

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Goofs

When Linda goes upstairs the second time with a rifle she doesn't ask for the key from her room. That should've been suspicious to the Belden's people sitting downstairs.

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Quotes

Marshal Matt Morgan: [after an ambush fails and Craig misses him with a bucket] I oughta kill you for that.
Craig Belden: Why don't you? Why don't you kill me?
Marshal Matt Morgan: You saved my life. I paid you back. But from here on in, they're all free shots.

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Connections

Referenced in Play It Again, Christos (2007)

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Soundtracks

Polly Wolly Doodle
(uncredited)
Attributed to Dan Emmett

User Reviews

An Underrated Classic

John Sturges a number of the best movies ever made - The Great Escape, The Gunfight at O.K. Corral, the Magnificent Seven, and here is a great movie he made that doesn't get mentioned with the all-time greats as it should.

Kirk Douglas is outstanding as the uncompromising sheriff on a mission of revenge when his Native American wife is killed by the spoiled son of a lifelong friend. Anthony Quinn is excellent as the hardbitten rancher who respects Douglas' character more than anybody (and whose life he saved in their youth), but who behaves one as a protective father, and two as a man who is rich and powerful, and used to getting what he wants. Carolyn Jones is also great as a woman caught in the middle of the two men.

No cop-outs, no easily resolutions. Just a great movie with a great cast.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1959 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Showdown at Gun Hill

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryna Productions, Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1