GUNSMOKE 1953
This is another Universal International production with up and coming western star, Audie Murphy. Murphy was a highly decorated World War Two soldier who became a Hollywood star of western and action films. This one has, Paul Kelly, Susan Cabot, Charlie Drake and Jack Kelly in support.
Gunman for sale, Audie Murphy heads for Billings, Montana, to check out a job offer. Someone though does not want the man to accept the job. Murphy is ambushed outside town and his horse is killed. He hitches a ride on a passing stagecoach. Onboard he meets the gorgeous Susan Cabot. Cabot is the daughter of local rancher, Paul Kelly.
Kelly is in a dispute with Donald Randolph, a shady businessman who is trying to buy up all the local ranches. Randolph holds the mortgage on Kelly's ranch which comes due in 30 days. Randolph wants to make sure Kelly does not get his cattle to the railhead in time. Then he can foreclose and grab the ranch. Randolph is the man who wants to hire Murphy.
There is a minor dust up between Murphy and Kelly. Kelly assumes that Murphy is here to kill him. Murphy tells Kelly he has not decided who he is working for. Murphy takes a dislike to Randolph and rejects the man's offer. A drink in the bar and a cut of a deck of cards soon has Murphy winning Kelly's ranch. Murphy always wanted to own a spread.
Needless to say the day to day running of said ranch is beyond his limited experience. He lets Kelly continue in charge of the ranch. Murphy now finds out that the ranch is broke, and that Randolph is out to grab it up. It also turns out that the ranch foreman, Jack Kelly is the man who took the pot shots at him outside town. Kelly had heard that a gunman was coming to town.
The ranch hands are quickly put to work rounding up the cattle from the surrounding hills. Murphy intends to make sure they get to the buyer in time. He promises the hands double pay if they can get the deed done. Randolph is not happy to hear this, and hires a friend of Murphy's, Charles Drake. Drake's job is to delay Murphy and his crew from meeting their delivery time. Drake and Randolph's hired guns stage a midnight raid scattering the just gathered cattle.
When this does not work, Drake and company start a massive grass fire. Murphy and his crew just barely save the herd by driving them over a river. Now the only way to get the herd to the railhead, is to drive them through a mountain pass.
Complicating matters is that the cook, Jesse White, has run out of supplies. The town store refuses to give them credit on orders from Randolph. Murphy and Cabot pay a late night visit to the store and grab up the needed supplies. He tells the store owner that he will pay him back. Drake and his men get the drop on Murphy and give him a beating, busting up his gun hand. Drake though does not kill Murphy as they were pals at one time.
Though somewhat worse for wear, Murphy continues the drive over the mountains. Jack Kelly has changed teams and is now working for Randolph. He has told Randolph that Murphy is pushing the herd night and day. Randolph is now getting real nervous that Murphy just might meet the delivery deadline. Randolph sends Drake and the other gunmen to make sure of the opposite result.
Murphy and the ranch hands learn of the coming raid and set up an ambush. There is a brisk swapping of lead between the hired guns and the ranch hands. The gunmen are the losers in the exchange with only Drake escaping back to town.
Needless to say our hero makes the deadline for the delivery of the beef. Once the paperwork is done, Murphy heads to Billings to settle Randolph's hash. When Randolph tries to back shoot Murphy, Drake steps up and drills the swine. Friends are friends again. Murphy and Miss Cabot are of course now an item.
This is a lightweight duster that gets the job done in a quick 78 minutes.
The director, Nathan Juran, was a two time nominated (The Razor's Edge, How Green My Valley) and one time Oscar winner for art direction. He made the jump to helmsman in 1952. He scored with a nice series of well-made b films such as, THE GOLDEN BLADE, HIGHWAY DRAGNET, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER, THE CROOKED WEB, GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING as well as the sci-fi films, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and THE DEADLY MANTIS. His most famous film is 1958's THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD.
This is another Universal International production with up and coming western star, Audie Murphy. Murphy was a highly decorated World War Two soldier who became a Hollywood star of western and action films. This one has, Paul Kelly, Susan Cabot, Charlie Drake and Jack Kelly in support.
Gunman for sale, Audie Murphy heads for Billings, Montana, to check out a job offer. Someone though does not want the man to accept the job. Murphy is ambushed outside town and his horse is killed. He hitches a ride on a passing stagecoach. Onboard he meets the gorgeous Susan Cabot. Cabot is the daughter of local rancher, Paul Kelly.
Kelly is in a dispute with Donald Randolph, a shady businessman who is trying to buy up all the local ranches. Randolph holds the mortgage on Kelly's ranch which comes due in 30 days. Randolph wants to make sure Kelly does not get his cattle to the railhead in time. Then he can foreclose and grab the ranch. Randolph is the man who wants to hire Murphy.
There is a minor dust up between Murphy and Kelly. Kelly assumes that Murphy is here to kill him. Murphy tells Kelly he has not decided who he is working for. Murphy takes a dislike to Randolph and rejects the man's offer. A drink in the bar and a cut of a deck of cards soon has Murphy winning Kelly's ranch. Murphy always wanted to own a spread.
Needless to say the day to day running of said ranch is beyond his limited experience. He lets Kelly continue in charge of the ranch. Murphy now finds out that the ranch is broke, and that Randolph is out to grab it up. It also turns out that the ranch foreman, Jack Kelly is the man who took the pot shots at him outside town. Kelly had heard that a gunman was coming to town.
The ranch hands are quickly put to work rounding up the cattle from the surrounding hills. Murphy intends to make sure they get to the buyer in time. He promises the hands double pay if they can get the deed done. Randolph is not happy to hear this, and hires a friend of Murphy's, Charles Drake. Drake's job is to delay Murphy and his crew from meeting their delivery time. Drake and Randolph's hired guns stage a midnight raid scattering the just gathered cattle.
When this does not work, Drake and company start a massive grass fire. Murphy and his crew just barely save the herd by driving them over a river. Now the only way to get the herd to the railhead, is to drive them through a mountain pass.
Complicating matters is that the cook, Jesse White, has run out of supplies. The town store refuses to give them credit on orders from Randolph. Murphy and Cabot pay a late night visit to the store and grab up the needed supplies. He tells the store owner that he will pay him back. Drake and his men get the drop on Murphy and give him a beating, busting up his gun hand. Drake though does not kill Murphy as they were pals at one time.
Though somewhat worse for wear, Murphy continues the drive over the mountains. Jack Kelly has changed teams and is now working for Randolph. He has told Randolph that Murphy is pushing the herd night and day. Randolph is now getting real nervous that Murphy just might meet the delivery deadline. Randolph sends Drake and the other gunmen to make sure of the opposite result.
Murphy and the ranch hands learn of the coming raid and set up an ambush. There is a brisk swapping of lead between the hired guns and the ranch hands. The gunmen are the losers in the exchange with only Drake escaping back to town.
Needless to say our hero makes the deadline for the delivery of the beef. Once the paperwork is done, Murphy heads to Billings to settle Randolph's hash. When Randolph tries to back shoot Murphy, Drake steps up and drills the swine. Friends are friends again. Murphy and Miss Cabot are of course now an item.
This is a lightweight duster that gets the job done in a quick 78 minutes.
The director, Nathan Juran, was a two time nominated (The Razor's Edge, How Green My Valley) and one time Oscar winner for art direction. He made the jump to helmsman in 1952. He scored with a nice series of well-made b films such as, THE GOLDEN BLADE, HIGHWAY DRAGNET, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER, THE CROOKED WEB, GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING as well as the sci-fi films, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and THE DEADLY MANTIS. His most famous film is 1958's THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD.