Veteran western B-movie director Lesley Selander has helmed more than his share of westerns. He got his start with cowboy hero Buck Jones in 1936 with "Ride 'Em Cowboy," and then later made a string of horse operas with William 'Hopalong Cassidy' Boyd. Most of them are forgettable unless you crave westerns, but the Sterling Hayden & Yvonne De Carlo oater "Shotgun" is above-average. Like the best Selander westerns, this Allied Artists release was lensed in picturesque Sedona, Arizona, and future Oscar nominated lenser Ellsworth Fredericks, who got his nod for "Sayonara," makes it worth looking at for not only the stunning scenery but the pictorial compositions. Interesting, veteran western actor Rory Calhoun helped pen the screenplay with Clark Reynolds, who had inked three episodes of Calhoun's CBS-TV sagebrusher series "The Texan." Reynolds also wrote the teleplays for seven other western series, including "Cheyenne" and "Tombstone Territory." Later, Reynolds wrote the screen story for the Sean Connery western "Shalako" as well as the Spaghetti western "A Man Called Gringo." Mind you, some dialogue is quotable. Says the villain, "When you know you're going to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite." Producer John C. Champion reportedly supplemented the Calhoun & Reynolds' screenplay. Later, Champion produced the Audie Murphy western "The Texican," which Lesley Selander directed with his customary workman-like style.
Basically, "Shotgun" is a revenge western. Clay Hardin (Sterling Hayden of "Top Gun") hits the trail after the dastards who murdered Hardin's mentor, U. S. Marshal Mark Fletcher (Lane Chandler of "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars"), in cold blood. Now, this is why Clay not only totes a shotgun in addition to his other firearms, but also why this western draws its title from the weapon. The treacherous Ben Thompson (Guy Prescott of "The Tall Stranger") and Bentley (Robert J. Wilke of "The Magnificent Seven"), ride into town and await Fletcher in the local saloon. Thompson hates both Fletcher and Clay because they sent him to prison for six years. If this weren't bad enough, Thompson plans to sell contraband Winchester repeating rifles to the Apaches. As Fletcher approaches the saloon, Thompson gives him both barrels of his shotgun in the belly. Against protests from his future wife, Aletha (Angela Greene of "Cinderella Jones"), who had arranged for Clay to take a white-collar job, Clay chases Thompson. He catches up with Bentley who had quit riding with Thompson. Clay finds Bentley staked out in the scorching sun. You see, the sadistic Indians have tied Bentley down to earth with shrinking leather straps. Eventually, Bentley will be drawn up to within striking distance of the granddaddy of all rattlesnakes that is similarly staked out, while a helpless woman, Abby (Yvonne De Carlo of "McLintock!"), struggles against her own restraints. The Native Americans have tied her to a nearby scrub tree to watch Bentley's agonizing demise. Later, Abby admits that she hasn't led the most luminous of lives as a dance-hall gal. Predictably, Clay rescues them, cutting Abby loose first and savoring Bentley's predicament long enough to make the villain really squirm in terror.
Not long after Clay saves Bentley's bacon, the ungrateful desperado gets the drop on him. Unfortunately, for poor Bentley, he makes a mistake and Clay plugs him. Down the river drifts Bentley's body. Later, an Indian retrieves the sodden corpse and takes it to Thompson. Meantime, as Clay and Abby are getting up from a night on the range, they hear galloping horses and spot a white rider pursued by a swarm of angry redskins. Clay knocks a couple out of the saddle and winds up saving the rider from losing his scalp. The grateful rider, Reb Carlton (Zachary Scott of "Mildred Pierce") is a loquacious bounty hunter. In the 1950s' westerns, bounty hunters constituted the scourge of the earth and in a later gunfight Clay complains to Reb about his predilection for shooting men in the back. At one point along the trail, Reb makes some disparaging remarks about Abby as she hides in the brush to freshen up, and Clay beats him to a pulp and nearly drowns in the river for his salacious comments. Abby has to wade into the water to restrain Clay. Thompson and his two gunmen hit a stagecoach relay station and Thompson leaves them behind to prepare a lead reception for Clay.
Clay and Reb gun down Thompson's two men, while the outlaw heads off to the Indian camp to palaver with Delgadito (Paul Marion of "Fort Vengeance") who is impatient about the Winchesters that Thompson has promised him. Meanwhile, Clay leaves Reb and Abby at station. Abby has grown attached to Clay. She persuades Reb to take her to him before Clay gets to Thompson. Reb savors the prospect of catching up with Thompson for the bounty. Clay threatens to kill Reb if he doesn't take Abby back. Reb malingers on the trail with Abby and Apaches jump them. After roping Reb to a tree, they skewer him with an arrow and leave him to die. The redskins abduct Abby. Clay rides into Delgadito's camp. The Indians arrange things so that Thompson and Clay have to blast it out in a duel with shotguns on horseback. Predictably, Thompson cuts loose first and shoots Clay's horse. When Thompson tries to flee, Delgadito kills him with a lance.
"Shotgun" gets marginally violent at intervals for a 1950s' western. Selander keeps the action moving along in this sturdy oater without any interference. The Clay and Abby romance is held to a minimum. The lean Hayden makes a rugged protagonist with De Carlo around for eye candy. Slippery-tongued Zachery Scott excels as a no-good bounty hunter who has to commit suicide rather than suffer a slow, torturous death. Selander doesn't waste time with philosophical messages and the characterization is rudimentary. Nevertheless, western fans should find this 80-minute, Technicolor oater worth its time.
Basically, "Shotgun" is a revenge western. Clay Hardin (Sterling Hayden of "Top Gun") hits the trail after the dastards who murdered Hardin's mentor, U. S. Marshal Mark Fletcher (Lane Chandler of "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars"), in cold blood. Now, this is why Clay not only totes a shotgun in addition to his other firearms, but also why this western draws its title from the weapon. The treacherous Ben Thompson (Guy Prescott of "The Tall Stranger") and Bentley (Robert J. Wilke of "The Magnificent Seven"), ride into town and await Fletcher in the local saloon. Thompson hates both Fletcher and Clay because they sent him to prison for six years. If this weren't bad enough, Thompson plans to sell contraband Winchester repeating rifles to the Apaches. As Fletcher approaches the saloon, Thompson gives him both barrels of his shotgun in the belly. Against protests from his future wife, Aletha (Angela Greene of "Cinderella Jones"), who had arranged for Clay to take a white-collar job, Clay chases Thompson. He catches up with Bentley who had quit riding with Thompson. Clay finds Bentley staked out in the scorching sun. You see, the sadistic Indians have tied Bentley down to earth with shrinking leather straps. Eventually, Bentley will be drawn up to within striking distance of the granddaddy of all rattlesnakes that is similarly staked out, while a helpless woman, Abby (Yvonne De Carlo of "McLintock!"), struggles against her own restraints. The Native Americans have tied her to a nearby scrub tree to watch Bentley's agonizing demise. Later, Abby admits that she hasn't led the most luminous of lives as a dance-hall gal. Predictably, Clay rescues them, cutting Abby loose first and savoring Bentley's predicament long enough to make the villain really squirm in terror.
Not long after Clay saves Bentley's bacon, the ungrateful desperado gets the drop on him. Unfortunately, for poor Bentley, he makes a mistake and Clay plugs him. Down the river drifts Bentley's body. Later, an Indian retrieves the sodden corpse and takes it to Thompson. Meantime, as Clay and Abby are getting up from a night on the range, they hear galloping horses and spot a white rider pursued by a swarm of angry redskins. Clay knocks a couple out of the saddle and winds up saving the rider from losing his scalp. The grateful rider, Reb Carlton (Zachary Scott of "Mildred Pierce") is a loquacious bounty hunter. In the 1950s' westerns, bounty hunters constituted the scourge of the earth and in a later gunfight Clay complains to Reb about his predilection for shooting men in the back. At one point along the trail, Reb makes some disparaging remarks about Abby as she hides in the brush to freshen up, and Clay beats him to a pulp and nearly drowns in the river for his salacious comments. Abby has to wade into the water to restrain Clay. Thompson and his two gunmen hit a stagecoach relay station and Thompson leaves them behind to prepare a lead reception for Clay.
Clay and Reb gun down Thompson's two men, while the outlaw heads off to the Indian camp to palaver with Delgadito (Paul Marion of "Fort Vengeance") who is impatient about the Winchesters that Thompson has promised him. Meanwhile, Clay leaves Reb and Abby at station. Abby has grown attached to Clay. She persuades Reb to take her to him before Clay gets to Thompson. Reb savors the prospect of catching up with Thompson for the bounty. Clay threatens to kill Reb if he doesn't take Abby back. Reb malingers on the trail with Abby and Apaches jump them. After roping Reb to a tree, they skewer him with an arrow and leave him to die. The redskins abduct Abby. Clay rides into Delgadito's camp. The Indians arrange things so that Thompson and Clay have to blast it out in a duel with shotguns on horseback. Predictably, Thompson cuts loose first and shoots Clay's horse. When Thompson tries to flee, Delgadito kills him with a lance.
"Shotgun" gets marginally violent at intervals for a 1950s' western. Selander keeps the action moving along in this sturdy oater without any interference. The Clay and Abby romance is held to a minimum. The lean Hayden makes a rugged protagonist with De Carlo around for eye candy. Slippery-tongued Zachery Scott excels as a no-good bounty hunter who has to commit suicide rather than suffer a slow, torturous death. Selander doesn't waste time with philosophical messages and the characterization is rudimentary. Nevertheless, western fans should find this 80-minute, Technicolor oater worth its time.