dukeakasmudge There's not to much to say.Not a lot happens in Gun The Man Down & at times, it was boring.I mainly watched it because James Arness was in it but even with James Arness in it or not, I would've watched it anyway because the description sounded interesting.Maybe I'm just so use to him as Marshall Matt Dillon but I didn't buy James Arness as a bank robber looking to seek revenge on his partners who left him behind.I just didn't buy it at all.Before I watched the movie I read on IMDb that John Wayne's company Batjac Productions produced this movie so I was expecting something better or to at least like the movie but there was really nothing special about.It just felt like your normal, average, everyday Western.The main thing that stuck out about it for me was the shoot-out at the end.Not because it was good but because it was so dark out, you couldn't see a thing.I'd skip this Western if I were you.There's better Westerns out there you could be watching.If you're a James Arness fan then you might want to watch it but only then because you're a fan

classicsoncall The first thing to note here is that James Arness is a bad guy. I don't believe I've seen him in any other pre-Gunsmoke Westerns, so his casting as an outlaw was a bit of a surprise. His was the lead role though, quite likely a favor from half brother John Wayne and his filming company, Batjac Productions. I'd say it was a pretty good team up.The film opens with an 'Introducing Angie Dickinson' credit, so that was another cool eye opener. She had an ambiguous role here as saloon gal Janice, in a romance with Rem Anderson (Arness), but forced to leave with Rem's gang members Matt Rankin (Robert Wilke) and Ralph Farley (Don Megowan) after a successful bank robbery left Rem severely wounded and unable to ride. If anything, the sticking point I have with the story is why wouldn't Jan just up and leave the pair of outlaws at some point instead of taking up with Rankin.What's cool about this Western is the subtle psychological angle offered by Anderson's patient hunt for the guys who betrayed him, and Gunther Wells Sheriff Morton's (Emile Meyer) laid back approach to waiting him out before stepping in to prevent lawlessness in his town. Again though, it's never explained how Rem Anderson achieved his fast draw status in order to take out hired gunslinger Billy Deal (Micheal Emmett). That's probably why the showdown was dealt with off screen, with the sheriff cleverly treating the five thousand dollar bounty paid by Rankin as community property.The other remaining head scratcher for this viewer had to do with how Rankin decided to use his robbery proceeds to open the Red Dog Saloon not very far away from Palace City where the original hold up took place. Seems like the outlaws should have been fingered by this time. Either way, I couldn't figure out how Rankin kept the saloon profitable with no customers; there was never anyone else in the place besides himself, Farley and Jan.Well by the time it's over, Rem Anderson is just about a good guy, coming full circle in his quest for revenge. It was probably a good idea for the story that he didn't have to make a decision about taking back his former gal Janice. That was already decided for him when Rankin shot her in the back!!! What a low down, dirty dog.

ksneath This little B-Western with James Arness in one of his last non-Gunsmoke starring roles seems to have been heretofore almost forgotten, judging by the lack of ratings and reviews here. I recently happened upon it on Netflix and decided to give it a try. While perhaps not deserving of a spot among the great westerns, it surprised me because it was truly quite good and deserves more attention than it's received.The plot, in short, involves Arness as one of three men who decide to hold up a bank. Arness is injured in the robbery, and subsequently left behind by his compatriots and, reluctantly, by his girl as well (Angie Dickinson, looking radiant in her first billable role). After being caught, convicted, and serving time for his part in the hold-up, he goes seeking his "friends" and his girl, bent on revenge.The biggest thing that struck me about this little "BATJAC" western was the steady, deliberate pacing of the story and the focus on characters more so than on shoot-em-up, chase-em-down action. There's more tension than action (in fact, one could legitimately call it a suspense film), and I appreciated the refreshing change of pace from most B westerns (or westerns in general, for that matter). Besides, at a slim 74 minutes, it simply can't drag on forever.This is a very thoughtful western in many respects. Characters are given much more life than you might expect. In particular, we see some interesting interaction between Sheriff Morton (Emile Meyer) and his deputy (Harry Carey, Jr.). The sheriff, who obviously is well past his gunslinging years, handles violence in his town sagely, keeping a close watch on events, while not putting himself in a position where his age would certainly compromise his life or his ability to do his job.Again, it's not a perfect movie, but I was quite pleasantly surprised, and it's probably one of the best b-westerns I've seen. I recommend it.

ljlangham I remember this movie from long ago & have read comments on it & must agree it is boring & predictable, however i would watch it again because i am a fan of James Arness & like nearly all western movies. It is rather comical that they were so cheap on the making of the film & that John Wayne produced the movie is most remarkable. James Arness I think did his best work on Gunsmoke anyway, & he was not destined to became a major movie star. I think with Angie Dickinson & Wilkes the other co-star that the movie could have been much better & should have had lots more western action in it. But alas it will be just another B western movie. Thank you