Spikeopath
Gun Glory is directed by Roy Rowland and adapted to screenplay by William Ludwig from Philip Yordan's novel, Man of the West. It stars Stewart Granger, Rhonda Fleming, Chill Wills, James Gregory and Steve Rowland. Music is by Jeff Alexander - with the title song "The Ninety and the Nine" song by Burl Ives - and cinematography is by Harold J. Marzorati.What we have here is a very familiar tale. Granger is gunslinger Tom Early, who returns to his home town after a number of years to find his wife has died and his son (Rowland) is unsurprisingly miffed at his father having abandoned them. The townsfolk, also, are not exactly enamoured to have him back either, but since they are in the grip of terror brought about by violent cattle baron Grimsell (Gregory), a chance for Early to make peace with all is in the offering.Granger was winding down his contract with MGM and this could hardly be seen has a triumphant fanfare finale. Yet for committed Western film fans there's still plenty to enjoy. Handsome is a word that springs to mind, Granger and Fleming positively ooze sexual beauty, the Calif locations (Bronson Canyon - Whoosh!) are magnificently brought to life via CinemaScope (Metrocolor), while costuming and set designs are most appealing.The script is weak, though, and familiarity of story demands that elsewhere the pic needs to cover the shortcomings. Action scenes are all too brief, but the stunt work on show is impressive and the construction of shoot-outs, and a rockslide sequence, certainly stirs the blood. Elsewhere, Jacques Aubuchon's lecherous windbag act gets tiresome pretty quickly, and the overt religion angles are heavy handed (even the musical score is full of biblical swirls) - the latter of which a shame because Chill Wills as The Preacher turns in the best perf in the pic.Hardly a must see movie, then, but Oater fans, and fans of the stars, are not short changed (Gregory does good villainy as well). Even if ultimately it comes off as a "going through the motions" movie that's very pretty but of little substance. 6.5/10
Uriah43
After leaving his wife and son to begin a quest for fame and fortune a gunman by the name of "Tom Early" (Stewart Granger) finally returns home to discover that his son no longer respects him and his wife has passed away and been buried. Although he tells his son that he wants to change his ways when he rides into town he has to shoot and kill another man in self-defense which convinces everyone that he is still the same. Additionally, when he hires a pretty, young woman named "Jo" (Rhonda Fleming) to help out at his ranch it creates gossip and even more trouble among the townspeople as well. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a decent western movie by and large. It had a decent cast and both Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming performed in their usual professional manner. Likewise, Rhonda Fleming was also quite attractive. Having said that I must admit that the plot was rather predictable and some of the scenes could have used a bit more passion or excitement in some parts. Even so I suppose it was enjoyable enough for the time spent and I rate it as about average.
RanchoTuVu
The story of peace-loving farmers and townspeople fighting for land, water, law and order, and the respect and ultimate subjugation of the long entrenched cattle interests and their hired guns had been worked over better in earlier (Shane) and probably later films as well. There's some good action scenes and the general layout of the story, excluding a disappointing ending, is well executed. Law and order and religion have established roots in the town, but the old order of cattle drives, cowboys, and gunslingers is still around as well. The clash of the two occurs in a nicely staged ambush scene where the townsmen ride right into a trap. Granger, an ex-gunfighter, plays the guy who is shunned by the very townspeople who need his expertise with a gun.
bkoganbing
Stewart Granger as gunfighter Tom Early rides back into his home town tired of life on the trail. He'd like to settle down with his wife and kid. A lot like Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter. But his wife is dead and his kid is sullen and resentful.There's a cattle baron played by James Gregory who's looking to drive a herd through the valley where Granger's and other ranches are. If he needs to Granger is more than willing to lend his gun in defense of the valley like Alan Ladd. But the others want to try it peaceful.Granger and his kid played by Steve Rowland also have Rhonda Fleming living with them now as a housekeeper. Another reviewer likened that to Rachel and the Stranger, but in that one Loretta Young was forced by convention to marry Bill Holden.So we've got parts of three previous films and I probably could think of more. Yet it's three good films and while this one isn't great, it's enjoyable.One theme that was thrown in there for reasons I don't understand. At one point Steve Rowland, feeling his teenage oats, tries to take advantage of Rhonda Fleming. She stops his advances and there's no more made of it. I'm not sure why that was included in the film, since there was no confrontation with the father over Fleming.Two other key roles are Arch Johnson as Gregory's hired gun who's on his own mission against Granger. And Chill Wills plays the town preacher. The town is too small to have any kind of organized governing body, so the preacher is the unofficial town political as well as moral leader. Theocracy in the old west.Chill Wills also sings in this film. During a scene at his unfinished church he leads the congregation in When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. Chill Wills was a singer in fact before he became a character actor. His screen debut was in Bing Crosby's first Anything Goes as part of the Avalon Boys Trio. Not a great western, but a mix of a few films to create a good afternoon's entertainment.
AD
