Movie Monday Review: The Fastest Gun Alive

The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)

Starring: Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, Russ Tamblyn, Broderick Crawford, John Dehner, Noah Beery Jr., Chubby Johnson, and Virginia Gregg.

Dora and George

Summary

Fast gunslinger, Vinnie Harold (Broderick Crawford), and his two minions Taylor (John Dehner) and Dink (Noah Beery Jr.) travel from town to town while Vinnie tries to prove that he’s the fastest gun. Constantly challenging anyone who claims to be fast and killing them, most recently killing the acclaimed fastest gun alive. The three of them hold up a bank, killing the sheriff’s brother in the process. They skip town, just ahead of a posse.

Vinnie (right) talking with his partners

In the small town of Cross Creek, young man, George Temple (Glenn Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain), own a store and live a peaceful life. George is a quiet man, who doesn’t drink and doesn’t carry a gun. Often ridiculed by other men in the town for not being manly enough, George is often on edge and uneasy. Slipping out of town, he practices with his gun…fast draws and deadly accuracy at the tumbleweeds rolling by, staring at the six notches on his gun. Dora knows he’s discontent and wants him to be more at ease, especially since they’re expecting their first child. He insists that he’s fine and that there’s nothing to worry about.

George practicing in secret

Soon, however, men come in on the stage who saw Vinnie Harold kill the “former” fastest gun alive. Telling and retelling of the “amazing” fight and eventually sitting in George’s store telling the story again and again. It begins to get on George’s nerves, uneasy about all the talk about the fastest fun. When customers come in and complain and children mess with the candy, George can’t contain it any longer and loses his cool. He heads out and straight for the bar. Dora is concerned. A very surprised bartender gets him a drink and George is again faced with having to listen to the story of Vinnie Harold. He finally turns to the men and starts telling them what it means to be a fast gun, what it means to draw and do it accurately. George begins to go into detail about guns that only a professional would know about.

George wants to demonstrate to show these men that they don’t know anything, but no one will loan him a gun. Frustrated, George runs back to his shop and gets his own gun out of hiding. Dora confronts him, wondering why he hadn’t gotten rid of the gun like he said he would. He ignores her and takes the gun out to the main street. Taking two silver dollars, he has two men throw them up into the air and cleanly shoots in the middle of each of them before they hit the ground. The men are beyond impressed and can’t believe George has been hiding this, but Dora wants to know why he’s going back on his promise to her.

George demonstrates with silver dollars

He tells her he has to leave town and asks her to go with him. Dora tells him that she won’t leave again, like they did the last several towns. She won’t live life on the run. He pleads, but until he will get rid of the gun and get help, she says it’s no good.

George can’t stand it anymore

That Sunday, the whole town is in church, including Dora. At the end of the service, George comes in and places gives his gun to the reverend saying he’s leaving because if word gets out, every gunslinger will come to test him and they’ll ruin the town. He tells Dora that he’s giving it up and asks her to move with him. She agrees, but insists that he’d feel better if he opened up about everything. Nevertheless, they begin to leave. The townspeople stop them and make a plea for the man who never harms anyone, but is always helping everyone. Couldn’t George and Dora stay if everyone swore not to say a word about his fast gun? One by one, they each make an oath not to speak a word, so that George and Dora can stay.

George giving up his gun to the people

Unbeknownst to the town, Vinnie, Taylor, and Dink ride into town. Going into the saloon, they find a boy. They start questioning him and soon discover that he has the two silver dollars that George shot through. Vinnie can’t stand the idea that there’s someone out there that fast and forces the boy to tell him where George is. Sending Taylor down to the church, he announces his intentions of a gunfight.

The people swearing on oath

George says he can’t, because he promised Dora that he wouldn’t touch the gun again. He says it was foolish to think they could stay. Now, some of the townspeople are saying he must face Vinnie or trouble could come. They refuse, however, so Vinnie starts to put gasoline on the buildings and says that if George doesn’t come out and face him, he’ll set fire to the buildings.

Vinnie waiting for George

Finally, George must tell the truth. He and Dora explain that George’s father, George Kelby Sr., was the fastest gun alive and was sheriff. He had wanted George to learn too and had taught him everything about being fast. Training him six hours a day. But George was scared to death and had never faced a man. When his father was killed, George was even too scared to hunt down the killers…the notches on his gun, where made by his father. That’s why he can’t face Vinnie, because he’s never actually shot at a man.

A man in the town steps in and says he’ll take George’s place and face Vinnie, because he doesn’t want to force George into something he can’t do. But George can’t stand that and decides to go out. Facing Vinnie, the town waits.

The face off

Shots are fired. All is silent.

The town gathers for a funeral. There are two graves, one for Vinnie, the other for George. The posse rides into town, glad to know that someone got Vinnie for them, but sad that it had to cost a life. What they are not aware of, is that it is only George Kelby Jr. that is in that grave, not George Temple. With his past buried behind him, he can now live free knowing he stood up like his father would have liked, but is now free to live a happy life with his family.

Happy as a family

Review

A very unique story, well done, with an intense plotline. Glenn Ford, as always, is a quiet, but firm man. Needing to stand up for something that scares him and doing it anyway. He relates to the everyday person that each of us looks for in characters. Jeanne Crain plays the wife well, and, as Dora, does a good job of not pulling her husband down, but building him up. She helps George to become better and live for something more. She challenges him instead of pulling him down and threatening him. There’s an appeal to this, as the family stands together, but is not willing to let someone fail.

A wonderful part of this story is that the town, although having some wavering members, is backing George and Dora up. They want what’s best for him and will do what they can do to help him. A great example being when one man is willing to sacrifice himself for George. Yes, there are those who will doubt and discourage, but the fact that people were willing to stand up with George and willing to give of themselves to build up and protect their town. Very opposite to the film High Noon where no one is willing to help the hero, not even the wife.

Jeanne Crain and Glenn Ford

Wonderful acting by Ford and others. There is also a bonus dance scene for Russ Tamblyn (of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers fame). There’s a lot to think about in this film.

Russ Tamblyn doing his acrobats 

Well worth the watch.

Ellen Nolan

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