User Reviews

I found every moment of this movie gripping. Now, I am a fan of the Western genre, but this one is one of my favorites along with The Oxbow Incident and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The "tough-guy who can not get away from his past/reputation" is a classic and Gregory Peck's performance has the perfect air of menace and weariness for the role. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys thoughtful and dramatic movies.

THE GUNFIGHTER is the seventh western movie I've watched in the last couple of weeks in my quest to catch up with a bunch of films I've never seen that I recorded from TV. And I've made sure I've posted a review as I viewed each for the first time.

THE GUNFIGHTER is another superb western from a director not normally associated with the genre. Falling squarely between the 1940s and 1950s, I was at first uncertain at to which camp this film fell into. It has all the incidents you'd expect in a 1940s oater, but overlaid with the kind of psychology and sensibilities you'd expect in a 1950s western. In the end, I decided this is a film about contrasts.

The first contrast you notice is the visual one. The movie is shot in black and white and it seems that those were the only two tones available to director Henry King. The exteriors are bright, bleached out and hard on the eyes. The interiors are dark, cool and gloomy. There doesn't seem to be much shades of grey going on (of course, I could have been watching a bad print, but work with me, here ...)

This visual contrast is echoed by the contrasts between the characters. The first of these we see is the contrast between Peck's Jimmy Ringo and the dumb kid who challenges him in the first bar. Ringo tries to talk him round, the kid won't have it and goes for his gun. But Ringo - of course - is faster. Darwinism at work ...

The next telling contrast is between Ringo and his old compadre, Town Marshall Mark Street. While Ringo still drifts from town to town, occasionally having to show some punk who's fastest, Mark has gone respectable and settled down. Mark is a respected citizen while Ringo's presence causes mothers to call their children indoors.

Then there's the contrast between Peggy, Ringo's estranged wife, and the gossipping, prejudiced biddies of the town. Is it any coincidence that Peggy is a teacher, representing education and, by implication, civilisation?

THE GUNFIGHTER is very tightly plotted at just 85 minutes. It seems longer because of the wealth of incident it packed into its slender running time. Film makers of today could learn a lot about how to pace a story from films like this.

If it shows up on TCM or somesuch satellite/cable channel, do yourself a favour and make the effort to catch it. It's well worth your while.

There are a handful of western films that have immersed me in the story and the characters so effectively that I never grow tired of viewing them. Even though I may have seen the film fifty times or more, I get so involved in the film that I hope that one plot element will change and the story will have a different ending. Those films are: "High Noon", "Shane", "The Shootist" and "The Gunfighter".

It was Peck's idea for Jimmy Ringo to have a mustache--to Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck's disgust. Zanuck thought that moviegoers liked to see a clean-shaven Peck. The picture was not a box office success at the time, but it ranks among the Top 10 western films of all time in my book.

This underrated classic deservs to be seen by true fans of westerns - in 1950 when it came out it was one of the first that tried to get it really right - the clothes, the guns, the look, etc. Peck gives a wonderfully angry, sad performance as Ringo an old gunfighter who is dead tired of the "life" and wants to retire. Fascinating characters, great performances, tight, strong script. Seek this one out. Made before High Noon but never gets the attention it deserves.

Is there any place, any retreat, any home of retirement, that an inevitably tiring gunman can move on to?

This predicament is best conveyed, explored and given its full tragic weight in Henry King's 'The Gunfighter.'

Ringo (Gregory Peck), wearing his reputation as the fastest gun in the south-west territories like a heavy load, enters each bar warily when he needs a quiet drink, knowing full well the reaction—fear, respect, perhaps admiration, and certainly the intervention in some form or other of a young upstart with itchy gun-fingers.

Although Ringo, guilty for previous sins, tries to refrain and to avoid the shoot-out... But he is always compelled to eliminate the worthless maladjusted gunmen, wishful for a big name...

The pattern is set early on when Peck has to shoot a boy (Richard Jaecke1) in self-defense. And so a feud begins—you feel it's only one of many—with the three brothers of the boy (Alan Hale Jr., David Clarke and John Pickard) hell-bent for revenge…

Peck deals with this situation, at least for the moment, sighs and then moves on to a place that passes for home... Here is his wife (Helen Westcott) and his son, who won't, however, be providing him with a welcome since in the eight years that husband and family have been apart the wife has been trying to build a life of their own… Here also is a sheriff (Millard Mitchell) formerly engaged in Peck's outlaw activities, but now reformed, and an old girl friend (Jean Parker) ready to he1p him in anything that concerns him most… His actual concern is reconciliation with his wife and a new life together… There is a tentative rapprochement but, of course, there is another of those young contender interventions, this time in the person of Skip Homeier…

Henry King draws up carefully the ultimate end of the 'top gun of the West.' His film is an inclination towards a classical tragedy, destined to be destroyed inevitably... Peck strikes the right note from his first edgy entry... He wants to shake off his past... He is disgusted to kill in order to survive... He is aimless for a change, sick with death and glory, showing tiredness of killing, conscious to a tragic fate one day...

Peck is superb in his brief and nervy reunion with his small son, impressed like the rest of the local kids by the fact that Jimmy Ringo, the gunfighter, is in town...

"The Gunfighter", keen and penetrating, explosive and tense, is beautifully acted, tautly directed and superbly photographed by Arthur Miller in black-and-white...

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 .

Although Henry King is primarily known in sound films for his association with Tyrone Power, they did nine films together, King and Gregory Peck did six films and they include some of the best for both. The Gunfighter is the second of six collaborations and some might argue it's one of the best.

Including Gregory Peck himself. In the seventies I happen to know where Gregory Peck was going to be and waylaid him for an autograph. He was very gracious with the four or five of us that were there. He autographed my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, but I happen to mention that I liked The Gunfighter very much, having just seen it several weeks earlier. I remember he replied that he liked The Gunfighter also and that it was a special favorite of his.

The Gunfighter in fact has some of the same themes the earlier Henry King western classic, Jesse James does. In the very end Tyrone Power as Jesse is as tired and world weary of the outlaw life as Peck's Jimmy Ringo is. Unlike in Jesse, we first meet Jimmy as the veteran gunfighter, constantly on the move.

After killing a young punk in Santa Fe, Peck heads out for the town of Cayenne where his long estranged wife is with their son. They're living under an assumed name and she's never told the boy about Peck. He's also got three brothers of the dead man on his trail and runs into a whole lot of his past in that trip to Cayenne.

Thirty years after meeting Gregory Peck and telling him how much I enjoyed his work in that film, my enthusiasm for The Gunfighter hasn't slackened off one bit. It's definitely one of the top three or four films of his for me.

Other performances to enjoy in this film are Millard Mitchell as the marshal of Cayenne and Skip Homeier and Richard Jaeckel as a pair of young punks. In fact the best scene in the film doesn't involve Peck at all, it's a confrontation between Mitchell and Homeier and you won't forget it when you see it.

Henry King, though not known primarily as a director of westerns, did one of the very best in The Gunfighter. Even if you're not a western fan, don't miss this one.

I thought I would go back and try to catch as many of the movies I could that were made in the year I was born. I felt that i might get a look at life at that time. Of course, many of those movies will be westerns such as this and not helpful for anything but a reminiscence of what I watched as a child.

Gregory Peck played a very believable part in this film. He was tired of the "life" and wanted to settle down. It's not that easy when you have a "name," as there is always someone looking to make a name for themselves.

This is an adult film, not a cartoon. It is about choices made in life and the consequences. It is also about prejudices and rumors, but I think the most important lesson learned is not in this film, but in it's ending.

It was worth getting up at 2:30 in the morning to see.

Many viewers may not expect this little known tale to grab their attention, but that,s exactly what it does. There are no spectacular gunfights, cavalry vs indians or raucous barroom brawls. It is quite simply a character study of a haunted man trying to exchange his reputation for a simple quiet existence far from his reputation. I suggest you watch this movie without outside interuptions. Don,t over analyze it,just accept it for what it is. Damn good storytelling.

I don't buy Gregory Peck's performance as the veteran gunslinger and bank robber Jimmy Ringo who rides into town looking to rekindle his relationship with his school teacher wife Peggy Walsh (Helen Westcott) and his ten (10) year old son Jimmie (B.G. Norman). The film depicts Peck as a gunslinger willing to hang up his six guns for a pitch fork and a few cows and escape the lonely gunslinger reputation he has carried for decades whilst riding from town to town with a "MOST WANTED" sign posted everywhere.

After watching the film I just could not convince myself, nor could Gregory Peck convince me that he was this ornery gunslinger and bank robber. His last stop leads him to his long lost wife Peggy and son Jimmie who doesn't even know that Jimmy Ringo is his father. The only friend in the world that Jimmy Ringo seems to have is the local Marshal Mark Strett (played superbly by veteran actor Millard Mitchell) who used to rob banks with Jimmy back in their hey days but even their relationship has an egg timer going before their friendship will expire.

The director Henry King was attempting to emphasize that Jimmy Ringo was a "WANTED" man and anyone who was brave and/or stupid enough to challenge Jimmy Ringo to a draw and beat him, would automatically become famous as the man who killed the gunslinger bad guy Jimmy Ringo. But even that strategy didn't seem to come across as real but more like a previously rehearsed stage play. I am sure the limited box office draw this film realized assisted future film producers that actor Gregory Peck was not to be considered for too many western cowboy movies.

None the less it is a western genre film and it is an okay time waster but nothing memorable. I give it a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating.

I chanced upon the DVD of this movie at the local library and decided to check it out, as having already previously watched Peck in other Westerns like "The Bravados", "The Big Country" & "Mackenna's Gold". In all these films, he appears to me to be playing the same kind of role - a reserved character whose behavior is atypical to those around him which manages to garner him unwelcome attention. Here in "The Gunfighter", he plays Jimmie Ringo - a tribute to the Johnny Ringo character, perhaps? - a dead-hand gunslinger with 15 kills to his credit (or discredit, whichever way you look at it), who wishes to put the past behind him and to be left alone and start a life anew in peaceful obscurity, but is hounded everywhere by would-be wannabe Billy the Kids who are vying for the "honor" and "distinction" of having shot him. Reminds me of the movie "The Shootist" starring John Wayne, which has basically an identical plot. Technically speaking, Ringo is an outlaw to be feared by the general public, yet one can't help but take sides with him and empathize with his situation. Serendipity takes him to a town where the Marshal turns out to be his ex-compatriot in crime and the bartender knows him from elsewhere but feels nothing but admiration for his past exploits and both do everything they can to help him, much to the dismay and annoyance of the townspeople especially the Ladies Committee made up of self-righteous biddies.

I understand that this movie did not do too well at the box office but great films are not necessarily big money-earners, and vice-versa. This is one Western which is, like the roles Gregory Peck plays in films of such genre, is atypical in that the emphasis is more on the study of central character and his inner self rather than his deeds. The only flaw I found was the lack of a proper movie score especially for some of the more tense scenes like the confrontation with the 3 cowboys, which would have highlighted the moments. Otherwise, a great film in my opinion.

This is another one of the western stories (I've seen at least three others) in which the aging gunfighter comes into town - not wanting any trouble - and all kinds of commotion ensues, simply because of the man's reputation.

These types of films are always (1) too talky; (2) showing the gunman to be a law-abiding, peaceful man who is goaded into action; (3) having the hero deal with hysteria and mob psychology; (4) are labeled "adult westerns" by the predictable film critics.

Speaking of predictable, that's what the endings to these stories are always are and - even worse - they are generally boring films. This is no exception.

This film was made during the peak years of "Film Noir". Although it is almost incongruous to place the western film into that genre, "The Gunfighter" comes close to meeting the criteria.

It is a deep dark western devoid of gunplay(until the conclusion)highlighted by a marvelous portrait painted by Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, the gunfighter, trying to escape his past.

Ringo in his younger days was one of the "fastest guns in the west" who has survived to reach middle age. As he has matured he realizes you can't change what has happened.

Everywhere Ringo goes he is perceived as the "the fastest gun in the west" and everywhere he stops there is some young gun who wants to prove he is faster than the great Ringo. In fact when Ringo stops in a dusty town, he is being pursued by three brothers of his latest victim seeking revenge.

Ringo's arrival in this town is more than just co-incidence. We learn that the sheriff (what a performance by Millard Mitchell) used to run with the Ringo gang, the saloon singer was married to Ringo's best friend, and most importantly, Ringo's wife and son live there.

The bulk of the story is spent waiting to see if Ringo who lives by his wits as well as his guns, can survive.

The acting is uniform with Karl Malden as the saloon keeper and Skip Homeier standing alongside Peck of Mitchell for acting cudos

The script by Bill Bowers is taught and suspenseful. Henry King's in his second of 5 films with Peck(their previous collaboration was "Twelve O'Clock High") brings out the essence of a tired lonely tragic man without using any tricks(In fact there is no music except for the opening titles.

If you're looking for a shoot-em-up you won't find it here. If what you want is a top flight adult western, well pardner you've come to the right film.

Aging gunfighter Jimmy Ringo is feeling his age, he is tired of looking over his shoulder and just wants to get to a nearby town to be reunited with his son. Before he sets off on his journey he is partaking in a drink at a saloon, a hot young tough guy picks a fight with him purely because of his reputation. Despite repeated attempts for someone to calm the youth down, Ringo is forced to kill the kid after being drawn upon first, all the patrons in the bar agree that Ringo had no choice in the matter, but he is advised to leave town quickly because the kid has three older brothers who will not care who drew first. Ringo sets off to find his son knowing that his past, along with the stricken kid's gunslinging brothers, are catching him up.

Downbeat and downright grim in texture, The Gunfighter is a very polished piece boasting a wonderful turn from its leading man. There are a number of highly thought of psychological westerns that focus on the tough nature of the west, rather than the fanciful guns a blazing actioners that one time dominated the genre, but few look and impact as hard as this one does. Gregory Peck is excellent as Ringo, perfectly grizzled and worn, but gigantic enough in stature to make him still a fearsome figure. That Peck is able to smoothly shift gears for a number of scenes is often taken for granted, be it showing tenderness with his boy in one scene or exuding stoic machismo when facing down bad guys in another, there's smart acting layers being revealed by the big man.

Elsewhere Millard Mitchell is terrific as Marshal Mark Strett and Karl Malden adds some lively characterisation as bartender Mac. Henry King does a great job of directing, as he keeps it tight and never lets the pace veer to a place the story doesn't call for. Arthur Miller's cinematography is tonally perfect in its high contrast starkness, framing the sadness of the main character to great effect, while William Bowers' story doesn't cop out at the end by painting the outcome with a sugar coated brush. Sombre and one of the forerunners of the psychological western genre splinter, this is one of the better films of its type on the market. 9/10

Other than "To Kill a Mockingbird", I have not considered Gregory Peck to be a great actor. Having only seen him in films like "Roman Holiday","The Man in the Gray-Flannel Suit" and "Spellbound" I always thought his acting style was a little on the stiff side.

However, and this is a big however........I have now seen both "The Gunfighter" and "Twelve-O-Clock High" (he made them in succession) and realize that he can be sensational in the right part.

His portrayal of Jimmy Ringo was so wonderful, especially at the end, I have completely changed my opinion regarding his acting ability. I also thought that Millard Mitchell (the Marshal) was excellent. The final scenes of this movie were absolutely riveting........which is not always the case with westerns. I was also not surprised to find out later that this script was nominated for an Academy Award. I would watch this movie again just for the dialogue.

Westerns tend to shoot em ups with good guys and the bad guys. The man with the white hat usually wins.

This film is more thoughtful and its not trying to make a political point like High Noon but it does deal with the consequences of living a violent life where you are the top gun.

This film is pared down with Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, the deadliest gun-slinger in the Old West. Although he is regarded as a veteran even though he is only 35. He has had enough of gunning down squirts at every saloon who challenge him.

After getting into an altercation with a squirt and then dealing with his brothers. Peck heads to the nearby town of Cayenne where he hopes to sort things out with his estranged wife and the son he has never seen.

The Sheriff of the town happens to be his old partner in crime and wants him to leave but Ringo's reputation precedes him and more young bucks fancy their chances.

This lean film keeps your interest. There is a young Karl Malden amongst the cast as a sly bartender and although you can sense that things might not turn out too happily for the gunfighter. It is worth a watch for western fans.

Having recently killed a man in a gun duel an extremely notorious gunfighter by the name of "Jimmy Ringo" (Gregory Peck) rides into the small town of Cayenne with three of the young man's brothers on his trail and only a few hours behind. Since his horse is in bad need of a rest Ringo has it taken to the livery stable and orders a drink in the local saloon. Unfortunately for him, the word gets out very quickly that he is in town and the townsmen immediately gather just outside in fear and awe. Naturally, wanting to resolve the matter as quietly as possible the town marshal named "Mark Strett" (Millard Mitchell) ventures into the saloon to have a discussion with him. Since the two know each other quite well Mark advises him to leave as soon as possible before any trouble happens. Ringo then explains that he first wants to speak to his former wife "Peggy Walsh" (Helen Westcott) who lives somewhere in the town. Mark, however, refuses to divulge her address but agrees to talk to her to see if she is inclined to meet with him. In the meantime a couple of men in the town have already become determined to kill Ringo while the three brothers chasing him are getting closer all the time. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an excellent western which featured a fine performance by Gregory Peck in the lead role. Admittedly, I would have preferred a different ending but even so I recommend this film for those viewers looking for a movie of this type.

Ironically, in the film The Gunfighter, the man known as "the fastest draw in the West" only fires his gun once in the beginning of the movie, and the camera doesn't capture it. Gregory Peck plays the title character, Jimmy Ringo, and even though he asks the surrounding witnesses, "Did you see that?" after the shooting, the audience is left to answer, "No!"

Ringo is a real-life figure that many people tried to challenge, but he maintained his reputation of having very fast fingers. In the movie, he defends himself in a bar fight, and the dead man's three brothers try to find him and get revenge. In the meantime, Ringo goes back to his hometown, tries to hide from the locals, reconnect with his wife, and meet his son. It has the same feel as other real-time adventures, like High Noon, because Ringo tries to beat the clock, knowing the men are on his tail. I actually found this film much more exciting than High Noon. The tension is high, the acting is good, and it's more than easy to root for Gregory Peck.

Gregory Peck's former partner, played by Millard Mitchell, has turned his life around and become town marshal. When the two men reunite, they have great chemistry together. The entire town is set against Peck—they don't want an outlaw in their midst—but Mitchell knows he has good intentions and tries to help him out. My favorite scene is when Peck talks to a few ladies, including Disney voice actress Verna Felton, and they don't know who he is. They're talking about what a bully Jimmy Ringo is, and Peck tries to defend the outlaw without being obvious that it's him. It's very funny, and also a little nerve-wracking, because what will happen if he's discovered? Find out by watching The Gunfighter!

Of all the westerns cranked out by the Hollywood film factory over the years only a few have become classics. This is possibly the best one of them all, much better than such highly touted items as John Ford's "The Searchers." And Gregory Peck plays the gunfighter to perfection. Peck was such a creative and brilliant actor, one wonders why he was so under appreciated. "The Gunfighter" gives Peck his best movie role, even better than his marvelous Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Almost matching Gregory Peck is a stellar cast with stand out performances by Karl Malden, Millard Mitchell, Jean Parker, and Helen Westcott. Of special note are the characterizations by Skip Homeier as the wannabe gunfighter, sort of a carbon copy of Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck) when he was wet behind the ears, and Richard Jaeckel who makes the most of his brief part.

What really makes this movie shine is Henry King's direction. When the movie opens, we see the gunfighter riding across the prairie as if pursued by the devil. One is reminded of the blues classic by Robert Johnson, "Hellhounds On My Trail." It is obvious that the gunfighter is running away from something hellish but it is soon revealed that he is also riding toward something, a lost dream, a life that could have been had he followed a different trail. The gunfighter thinks he can still grasp this life, that it is not too late. But deep in his psyche he knows it will never be. He holds on to the dream but is satisfied just to see his wife and little boy one last time, for the hounds of Hell are about to catch up with him.

Peck was superb as the aging gunman who is tired of the life of a hired killer. When he attempts to re-acquaint himself with a past life, his ideas of leaving gunslinging are thwarted by 3 hotheads and a gunhawk wannabe. Skip Homeier was just right as the smartass 2 gun Pete punk. Good realistic looking western, high on drama rather than a lot of gunsmoke.

I had pretty high expectations for this movie. Comcast's guide listed it with four stars, which is rare. It also shows up on some "Top Western" lists.

It is a very good movie and deserves high praise, especially considering that it was ahead of its time in terms of psychological realism. There is well developed tension and good solid plot development. It held my interest until the end and I cared about the characters. I also appreciated the minimal violence.

However, it has a number of shortcomings which knocks it out of my own "Top Westerns" list. Here are some of my objections, not necessarily in order of importance:

• Gregory Peck is an ultra-reserved actor and he talks like he's constipated. This makes for a great Atticus Finch, but charismatic gunfighter? A credit to his acting skills that he pulls it off, but he's fundamentally miscast. Compare to Victor Mature's Doc Holiday in "My Darling Clementine".

• Very little humor is employed. There's a nice scene in the jailhouse that parodies the town stuffed shirts and a scene where Sheriff Street pours water on a couple of guys, but otherwise zero comic relief. You want to be a top movie, you have to make me laugh and cry. "The Gunfighter" made me cry, but not laugh.

• Ringo is morally too one-dimensional. Are we really supposed to believe that he gained the reputation as the most fearsome gunfighter in the West, yet never once shot anyone except in self defense? Eastwood got this right in "Unforgiven". We like Munney, but he was a legit bad ass.

• Speaking of "Unforgiven", Will Munney is tortured by guilt over the people he killed. Ringo? Not a chance. Apparently, everyone he killed deserved it. HE'S the victim, wallowing in self pity because he can't settle down and become a rancher. Just in case it wan't completely clear to us how good, innocent and pure he is, the plot has an old man try to bush wack him over a killing he didn't even commit!!

• Where are the Indians? For me, a "classic" Western should deal with this issue is some way. I understand Indians can't be central to every story idea for a Western, but at the absolute minimum, there should be an Indian character i.e. Ned Logan's wife in "Unforgiven", the drunken Indian who shoots up the bar in "My Darling Clementine". A classic Western should not pretend these people didn't exist.

• This was strictly a backlot production with no landscapes or location shooting. I realize this is a problem with "town" Westerns, but most movies of this subgenre find ways to work in some Western scenery.

• Skip Homeier was mediocre as the obnoxious, hot head punk. This stock character is a critical counterpoint to the stoic hero. This is especially true for the low-charisma Peck. Compare Homeier's performance to guys that did this right: Jack Lord in "Man of the West", Chuck Conners in "The Big Country" or the master, Lee Marvin in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence".