A serious-mature , humourless Hollywood Western with thought-provoking character studio about an aging pistolero searching for peace and quiet but unable to avoid his reputation and the duel-challenges it invites . As Ringo (Gregory Peck in a character originally sought by John Wayne) attempting and inevitably failing run away from his past . In the Southwest of the 1880 , the difference between death and glory was often but a fraction of a second . This was the speed that made champions of Wyatt Earp , Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hickok . But the fastest man with a gun who ever lived , by many contemporary accounts , was a long , lean , Texan named Ringo. A man pursued by nasty gunfighters sneering ¨He doesn't look so tough to me¨. Riding into the small town where the spouse and child he abandoned are living incognito , he insists on waiting in the saloon in the hope that she will agree to see him . Meanwhile, indignant rustling from the good ladies of the town serve notice that an outlaw is unwelcome and with assorted grudge-bearers already assembling , along with the aforesaid fast-draw gunslingers , there is clearly no future for Ringo . His only friends were his guns and his refuge was a woman's heart , Peggy Walsh (Helen Westcott).
Very good and pleasant classic Western with magnificent direction and flawlessly acted by Gregory Peck who steals the show as a peaceful gunfighter who learns that he has become no better than those he hunted . A Hollywood production full of interesting characters , shootouts and intense drama . It gives a profound observance of the unities , as clock-watching as obsessively as ¨High Noon¨, it is an altogether tougher , bleaker film and a groundbreaker in its day . Peck is nice as a man just about over the hill, haunted by the dead weight of his reputation , holding a fear of loneliness , the certainly of dying at the hands of some fast-draw punks . Studio executives at 20th Century Fox are said to have blamed the film's indifference box-office on the fact that Peck wore moustache . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Gregory Peck against proud contenders , as two gun-happy cutthroats : Richard Jaeckel and Skip Homeier . It carries an enjoyable feeling of authenticity for a Western of this period and there are nice supporting characters from Millard Mitchell , Jean Parker , Karl Malden , Skip Homeier , Ellen Corby , Richard Jaeckel , among others . In the film premiere didn't attain success , nowadays is well valued and I think it turns out to be a good classic Western. The picture is fleshed out with a marvelous cast as Gregory Peck who is excellent as a good father turned gunfighter . Helen Wescott gives a good performance as Ringo's former wife , she does a well measured portrayal of a woman who still loves her previous sweetheart and who promises to leave with him which ultimately can never be . Nice too is Skip Homeier as the brash young gun , and Millard Mitchell as the amiable Sheriff . Richard Jaeckel , at a brief acting , as a cruelly baddie role , an angry young is also terrific . Stylishly written by prestigious by André De Toth , William Sellers and uncredited : Roger Corman , Nunnally Johnson , the screenplay was based on an original story by William Bowers . The movie was directed with a positive flair by Henry King . There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Lyle Wheeler , Thomas Little and Walter Scott in charge of Art Direction and Set Direction respectively . Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors, adequate interiors , saloon and fine sets . The musician Alfred Newman composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of agreeable sounds, and a haunting musical leitmotif . Sharply photographed with striking cinematography by Arthur Miller in black and white with negative well processed .
This one is a dark downbeat story of a gunfighter perfectly performed by Gregory Peck told with genuine realism and honesty , being one of Henry King's best films . Henry King 's direction is well crafted , here he's more thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward a deep seriousness , and a fateful sense of fate , it is a movie that has the genuine dimension of a Greek tragedy . Henry King was an expert on compelling Adventure/Western genre . Henry King directed other classic Western as ¨ Jesse James(1939)¨and ¨The Bravados (1958)¨ with Peck again . Koster was specialist on Adventure genre as proved in ¨Untamed , Captain King , Captain of Castilla , Black Swan , Stanley and Livingstone ¨and many others . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching .
Very good and pleasant classic Western with magnificent direction and flawlessly acted by Gregory Peck who steals the show as a peaceful gunfighter who learns that he has become no better than those he hunted . A Hollywood production full of interesting characters , shootouts and intense drama . It gives a profound observance of the unities , as clock-watching as obsessively as ¨High Noon¨, it is an altogether tougher , bleaker film and a groundbreaker in its day . Peck is nice as a man just about over the hill, haunted by the dead weight of his reputation , holding a fear of loneliness , the certainly of dying at the hands of some fast-draw punks . Studio executives at 20th Century Fox are said to have blamed the film's indifference box-office on the fact that Peck wore moustache . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Gregory Peck against proud contenders , as two gun-happy cutthroats : Richard Jaeckel and Skip Homeier . It carries an enjoyable feeling of authenticity for a Western of this period and there are nice supporting characters from Millard Mitchell , Jean Parker , Karl Malden , Skip Homeier , Ellen Corby , Richard Jaeckel , among others . In the film premiere didn't attain success , nowadays is well valued and I think it turns out to be a good classic Western. The picture is fleshed out with a marvelous cast as Gregory Peck who is excellent as a good father turned gunfighter . Helen Wescott gives a good performance as Ringo's former wife , she does a well measured portrayal of a woman who still loves her previous sweetheart and who promises to leave with him which ultimately can never be . Nice too is Skip Homeier as the brash young gun , and Millard Mitchell as the amiable Sheriff . Richard Jaeckel , at a brief acting , as a cruelly baddie role , an angry young is also terrific . Stylishly written by prestigious by André De Toth , William Sellers and uncredited : Roger Corman , Nunnally Johnson , the screenplay was based on an original story by William Bowers . The movie was directed with a positive flair by Henry King . There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Lyle Wheeler , Thomas Little and Walter Scott in charge of Art Direction and Set Direction respectively . Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors, adequate interiors , saloon and fine sets . The musician Alfred Newman composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of agreeable sounds, and a haunting musical leitmotif . Sharply photographed with striking cinematography by Arthur Miller in black and white with negative well processed .
This one is a dark downbeat story of a gunfighter perfectly performed by Gregory Peck told with genuine realism and honesty , being one of Henry King's best films . Henry King 's direction is well crafted , here he's more thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward a deep seriousness , and a fateful sense of fate , it is a movie that has the genuine dimension of a Greek tragedy . Henry King was an expert on compelling Adventure/Western genre . Henry King directed other classic Western as ¨ Jesse James(1939)¨and ¨The Bravados (1958)¨ with Peck again . Koster was specialist on Adventure genre as proved in ¨Untamed , Captain King , Captain of Castilla , Black Swan , Stanley and Livingstone ¨and many others . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching .