SYNOPSICS
Shotgun (1955) is a English movie. Lesley Selander has directed this movie. Sterling Hayden,Yvonne De Carlo,Zachary Scott,Guy Prescott are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1955. Shotgun (1955) is considered one of the best Western movie in India and around the world.
Clay Hardin, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, is about to turn in his badge and take the job as the territory's Indian commissioner until the notorious Ben Thompson slays the marshal when he tried to make an arrest. Clay turns his back on a white-collar job and his girl to pursue the gang. Picking up a bounty hunter and a beautiful half-breed woman along the way, the little band follows the trail into Apache land where the lawman discovers that the outlaws plan to sell repeating rifles to the Indians.
Same Actors
Same Director
Shotgun (1955) Reviews
he wrote his name with bullets.
Shotgun is one of those special westerns, that in spite of having no ambitions, came out above average. Lesley Selander had great practice in doing westerns, from the days of Hopalong Cassidy and this is in my opinion his best. The story is about a sheriff searching for the man who killed his boss. Among other weapons he carries a sawed-off shotgun. He rescues Yvonne De Carlo and is joined by bounty hunter Zachary Scott. Part of the writing credits went to Rory Calhoun, an actor who made mostly westerns and one wonders why he did not take the main role for himself. In Brazil this film did quite well at the box office and had a good title "Escreveu seu nome a bala" (He wrote his name with bullets)
Some Unfinished Business
Shotgun is one of the best directorial efforts of Lesley Selander who has his name on about a gazillion B westerns, a large percentage of them the Hopalong Cassidy series. He brings a love of the genre to this ambitious Allied Artists films shot on location in Arizona with a fine trio of stars, Sterling Hayden, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Zachary Scott. Guy Presscott should have left well enough alone because he decided to gun down marshal Lane Chandler on the street of his town. He also had his deputy Sterling Hayden in mind, but Hayden got one of Presscott's henchmen instead. After that Presscott goes about his usual villainy which includes selling guns to the Apaches. Presscott took on the first mission because he blamed Chandler and Hayden for a stretch in prison. He should have nailed Hayden when he had a chance because now Hayden has a mission, to avenge the killing of the man who had rescued him from outlaw life. Along the way Hayden picks up as traveling companions mixed racial Yvonne DeCarlo and cynical bounty hunter Zachary Scott. It's not a harmonious trio by any means. Scott has some really good lines in this film and gives one of his best screen performances. The film has some beautiful Arizona scenery as it was shot in the desert country of Sedona. The final encounter with Hayden and Presscott features something I've never seen before or since in a western, a duel with shotguns. Really unique and original. Try not to miss this one if it's broadcast.
" Sterling Hayden Rides Away With Yvonne DeCarlo "
Shotgun is another revenge themed western, well scripted and performed. Sterling Hayden plays Clay Hardin, the man out for revenge and his hard-bitten, callous character holds the viewers attention. Along the the way he picks up Abby ( Yvonne DeCarlo ), a tough and sassy saloon girl, who doesn't think much of Clay at first, but soon finds herself warming towards him. Soon they come to the aid of Reb Carlton ( Zachary Scott ) a sleazy bounty hunter, who happens to be hunting after the same men as Hardin. Some tense moments develop between Hardin and Carlton over the triangle relationship now simmering over the desirable Abby. Shotgun is not a sappy cowboy picture, it has an adult themed story-line with some violence and action to keep it interesting. Like so many westerns from the 1950s, Shotgun features beautiful Technicolor vistas, and offers the audience satisfactory entertainment.
Good-looking but ordinary Western
Great scenery, vivid Technicolor photography (though the DVD print ain't exactly in pristine condition), and a fine music score are the chief assets of this revenge Western, which suffers however from a very ordinary story (though the bad guy does pull a smart dirty trick in the climactic (shot)gun duel that I can't remember having seen before) and an unconvincing romance (he treats her like dirt so she falls for him!) between Sterling Hayden and Yvonne De Carlo (in a highly unflattering hairstyle). Most of the movie is taken up by horse-riding and track-trailing, but it does get occasionally punched-up by some random - and pretty long - fight scenes. Good to look at, but nothing extraordinary. ** out of 4.
The Vengeance Scarred West!
Shotgun is directed by Leslie Selander and collectively written by Clark E. Reynolds, Rory Calhoun and John C. Champion. It stars Sterling Hayden, Yvonne DeCarlo, Zachary Scott and Guy Prescott. A Technicolor production with music by Carl Brandt and cinematography by Ellsworth Fredricks. Standard revenge themed Oater set amongst the beautiful back drop of Sedona in Arizona. Story follows a familiar trajectory. Ben Thompson (Prescott) hits town after a long stint in jail, he's after the blood of the lawmen who put him there. When tragedy strikes during this act of revenge, Marshal Clay Hardin (Hayden) sets off in pursuit. Out on the trail he will acquire companionship in the form of saddle tramp Abby (DeCarlo) and bounty hunter Reb Carlton (Scott). A pressure cooker atmosphere is generated between the three of them as we head towards the finale where the Apache join the fray and truth, justice and consequence will out. Selander was an old pro at the Western game, unfortunately in this instance his inexperience with "tougher" themed Oaters shows. It is all very workmanlike and he fails to rein in DeCarlo's overacting and ignite a flame in Hayden who is in one of his "I'm only doing it for the money" moods. However, spurts of violence are handled efficiently enough to liven up the middle third when the picture threatens to sink into a boorish pot of beans. There's also a nice twist on the duel formula at film's end, with machismo and tricks showing a hand to reward the patient. It isn't a must see for Western fans, and frustrations reside within, but there's enough to keep it above average. Sometimes beautiful scenery and Sterling Hayden riding into an Apache camp with muscles flexed is enough to pass the time of day with. And so it proves here. 6.5/10