Heaven with a Gun (1969)

In a frontier town, gunslinger-turned-preacher Jim Killian is caught in the middle of a violent range war between cattlemen and sheep-men.

Director:

Lee H. Katzin

Writer:

Richard Carr

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones, Barbara Hershey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Ford	...	Jim Killian / Pastor Jim
Carolyn Jones	...	Madge McCloud
Barbara Hershey	...	Leloopa
John Anderson	...	Asa Beck
David Carradine	...	Coke Beck
J.D. Cannon	...	Mace
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Garvey
Harry Townes	...	Gus Sampson
William Bryant	...	Bart Paterson (as Bill Bryant)
Virginia Gregg	...	Mrs. Patterson
James Griffith	...	Abraham Murdock
Roger Perry	...	Ned Hunter
Claude Woolman	...	Gilcher
Ed Bakey	...	Scotty Andrews
Barbara Babcock	...	Mrs. Andrews

Storyline

In the small western town Vinegarroon the conflict between cattle and sheep breeders escalates. When a stranger appears in the town, the ranchers suspect he's a gun man, hired by the sheep breeders. But Jim Killian turns out to be a priest - a tough one however, who soon shall make unscrupulous rancher Esa Beck's life quite harder.

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Plot Keywords:

hopi indian | yuma arizona | arizona territory | arizona | yuma prison | 

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Taglines:

Jim Killian Killed Like an Artist. This is the Story of His Masterpiece

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heaven with a Gun

Filming Locations:

San Rafael Ranch State Park, Patagonia, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

King Brothers Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dalton Trumbo first contributed to this script in the early 1960s but asked for it to be removed from the credits once the blacklist had been lifted.

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Quotes

Jim Killian: Madge, is there a doctor in this town?
Madge McCloud: One of the best
Jim Killian: Fine, alright I'll repeat; I'm you're preacher. I will protect anyone who comes around this church. I'd try to understand that, if I were you
[exchange of gunfire]
Jim Killian: Well, you'd better get a doctor, Madge. And the rest of you, there'll be no killing around this church unless I do the killing. Amen.

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Connections

Referenced in Dad Made Dirty Movies (2011)

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Soundtracks

A Lonley Place
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Johnny Mandel

User Reviews

late 60's western

A late 60's western about ruthless cattle ranchers and their ranch hands who terrorize helpless sheep ranchers, with the action alternating between the range, the ranch, and the town, itself with a thriving saloon/brothel where a lot of the action is centered. Into this arrives an ex gunfighter turned preacher played by Glenn Ford who wants to bring peace. The script nearly does the film in, although the story and late 60's permissiveness keep one watching. As well, even though the screenplay verges on being ridiculous, the acting by Ford, John Anderson (as the ruthless big cattle rancher with a sadistic son played by David Carridine) and some other parts (J.D. Cannon chews some serious scenery as hired gun Mace) elevate the entertainment quotient, and the film's ending doesn't make one feel remorse about watching this.