Customer Reviews

The Man with the Gun

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There should be a sub-genre in the Western called 'the Robert Mitchum Western'. Mitchum's brilliant, idiosyncratic, usually undervalued Westerns import his film noir persona to etch some compellingly dark character studies, and bring an elegiac world-weariness prefiguring the films of Sam Peckinpah. 'Man with the gun' is one of his best. Directed by Orson Welles protege Richard Wison, it is a stark, monochrome beauty, full of chilling silhouettes and terrifying outbursts of savage violence, as Mitchum comes to tame a town terrorised by a monopolist with a private army. Mitchum's regression from soft-spoken stranger to deranged murderer, with a host of dark emotions in between, is a marvel of expressive, physical acting.

Robert Mitchum was definitely in his element making Westerns, and this is his best work in this genre. In Man With The Gun, he plays Clint Tollinger, a town tamer (a gunfighter who is hired by townspeople to drive out, or in most cases, kill off the bad element to clean up the town) who happens into a town desperately in need of his services. He's there to see his ex-wife, trying to find out how their little girl is doing. He's hired by the town to clean up, but his relationship with his wife complicates his job, and revelations impair his judgment. Mitchum is outstanding, with great support from the likes of Jan Sterling, Ted de Corsia, Leo Gordon, and Claude Akins. If you're a fan of westerns and/or Robert Mitchum, this film is a must-see.

Robert Mitchum was definitely in his element making Westerns, and this is his best work in this genre. In Man With The Gun, he plays Clint Tollinger, a town tamer (a gunfighter who is hired by townspeople to drive out, or in most cases, kill off the bad element to clean up the town) who happens into a town desperately in need of his services. He's there to see his ex-wife, trying to find out how their little girl is doing. He's hired by the town to clean up, but his relationship with his wife complicates his job, and revelations impair his judgment. Mitchum is outstanding, with great support from the likes of Jan Sterling, Ted de Corsia, Leo Gordon, and Claude Akins. If you're a fan of westerns and/or Robert Mitchum, this film is a must-see.

Watched this older western on Encore Western Channel recently having never heard of the film before, and can positively state, as a fan of both book and movie westerns, that this is a very enjoyable movie. A hallmark of this film is the performance of Jan Sterling, a very under recognized actress, while many other recognizable actors show up in this oat-burner, too. Just love these classic old black and white westerns with their simplistic 'black and white', good versus evil plots.

Most movies in which Bob Mitchum appeared are always watchable, and he seemed as someone you could have had known personally. He also seemed so relaxed making these movies yet I've read he was a true professional always ready to face the camera. And as this movie shows, he has come a long way from those heavy roles in the 1940's Hopalong Cassidy movies. Especially as the heroic lawman trying simultaneously to save a town from itself and a grasping villian. As imagined, he is a man working alone, with few friends to watch his back.

If you enjoy westerns this is certainly a film you will want to view. I now have it on tape and can watch it whenever moved to do so. Don't miss this one pardner, you just might regret it.

Addendum April,2008: Recently learned this movie will be released on DVD early summer, July/August, 2008. Much better than a VHS tape from Encore Westerns, already have mine on order!

Semper Fi.

Bob Mitchum swaggers through another movie with his usual effortless authenticity that "method" actors could aspire to but never attain. I can't say enough about this mans ease in front of a camera and ability to sell me ANY part he ever played....and this is no exception. It IS an exceptionally well made (camera work by Lee Garmes and Score by Alex North)50s western and very enjoyable. Angie Dickenson's small roll as a saloon girl will be seen by sharp eyes and speaking of sharp...Karen Sharpe is quite beautiful in an early roll...while Claude Akins was already working on his "second Thug from the left"in this one. Beautiful black and white film...
enjoy!

MAN WITH A GUN(1955)---Robert Mitchum, Jan Sterling, Karen Sharpe, Henry Hull, Emile Meyer, John Lupton, Barbara Lawrence, Leo Gordon
A "so-so" western with Mitchum playing a man who rides into town looking for Jan Sterling, with whom he had a daughter(it's never made clear whether they we married or not)---Sterling left Mitchum because she didn't like the way he made his living. Mitchum wants info on the daughter and learns that she took ill and died at around age 4 or 5. Sterling is the "Mother Goose" to a bevy of dance-hall girls who work the local "hot spot". Mitchum's "occupation" is, "town-tamer", meaning that he hires out to rid towns of the "bad guys" when the local law can't do the job(echoes of WARLOCK, although that's a far better movie than this one). Mitchum soon discovers that he has ridden into such a town. He is hired to "do his thing" and sets about doing so with ruthless efficiency. His proficiency at his job necessitates an ultimate showdown with the guy causing all the lawlessness. Of course, Mitchum triumphs, he and Sterling reconcile, Mitchum renounces "town-taming", and the sun shines brightly. As I said, this is a "so-so" film---not terribly good---but not all that bad either. It's best when Mitchum is "on the job" and showing the hooligans the "error of their ways". It bogs down in the scenes between Mitchum and Sterling. Henry Hull is good as the local sheriff who just isn't up to taking on the "baddies" alone, but is happy to help Mitchum deal with them. Leo Gordon is, as always, good as one of the miscreants who eventually pays the price for crossing Mitchum. The movie also has Angie Dickinson and Claude Akins in unbilled, bit-parts---Dickinson plays one of the dance-hall gals and, of course, Akins plays one of the bad guys. If you like westerns, you could do worse than watching this one.

Allied Artists. presents "THE MAN WITH THE GUN" (5 November 1955) (84 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Our story line and plot, Our hero Clint Tollinger (Robert Mitchum) comes to town looking for his estranged wife Nelly Bain (Jan Sterling) --- He finds her running the local girls, one of them Angie Dickinson --- He also finds a town and Marshal Lee Sims (Henry Hull) afraid of their own shadow, scared of a landowner they never see who rules through his rowdy sidekicks --- The stranger is a town tamer by trade, and he accepts a $500 commission to sort things out --- Mitchum is brilliant, idiosyncratic, usually undervalued Westerns import his film noir persona to etch some compellingly dark character sketches --- Mitchum takes to his character well and always seemed to enjoy the darker more complex characters that some of his westerns would serve him up with --- Mitchum's regression from soft-spoken stranger to deranged murderer, with a host of dark emotions in between, is a marvel of expressive, physical acting at it's best --- This film keeps a very fast and exciting pace, it really keeps you on the edge --- Good supporting cast by Jan Sterling as Mitchum's saloon-gal wife, Henry Hull as an ageing marshal, John Lupton as an honest young farmer, and Emile Meyer as the town's leading citizen --- This oater is a Classic Western from the '50s not to be missed.

Under the production staff of:
Richard Wilson - Director / Screenwriter / Screen Story
Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. - Producer
N.B. Stone, Jr. - Screenwriter / Screen Story
Lee Garmes - Cinematographer
Emil Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision
Alex North - Composer (Music Score)
Gene Milford - Editor
Hilyard M. Brown - Art Director
Edward Boyle - Set Designer
Jerry Bos - Costume Designer
Evelyn Carruth - Costume Designer
John Keane - Sound/Sound Designer
Don L. Cash - Makeup
Sid Sidman - First Assistant Director
Anthony Carras - Sound Editor

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Robert Mitchum
Date of Birth: 6 August 1917 - Bridgeport, Connecticut
Date of Death: 1 July 1997 - Santa Barbara, California

the cast includes:
Robert Mitchum ... Clint Tollinger
Jan Sterling ... Nelly Bain
Karen Sharpe ... Stella Atkins
Henry Hull ... Marshal Lee Sims
Emile Meyer ... Saul Atkins
John Lupton ... Jeff Castle
Barbara Lawrence ... Ann Wakefield
Ted de Corsia ... 'Frenchy' Lescaux (as Ted De Corsia)
Leo Gordon ... Ed Pinchot
James Westerfield ... Mr. Zender (drummer)
Jay Adler ... Cal
Claude Akins ... Jim Reedy
Florenz Ames ... Doc Hughes
Joe Barry ... Dade Holman
Norma Calderón ... Luz
Thom Conroy ... Bill Emory
Angie Dickinson ... Kitty
Mara McAfee ... Mable
Burt Mustin ... Hotel desk clerk
Maidie Norman ... Sarah (Nelly's maid)

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow Western Classics --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 84 mins on DVD ~ Allied Artists ~ (5/13/2008)

Man With The Gun is a great western. Mitchum is the brooding professional gunfighter just passing through, who reluctantly agrees to solve the town's problem with local ruffians and then refuses to quit when his methods draw criticism. Plenty of action. Black and white photography enhances the genre.

The overall plot is typical wherein a land baron seeks to gain more and more control of the territory and town and he uses the aforementioned ruffians to intimidate the townfolk. Mitchum makes the whole thing work and watchable.

Robert Mitchum acts in this 1955 black and white film as a gunfighter who travels from place to place and hires himself out to help the towns from other gunfighters. He rides into a town and tells those who ask that he came for personal reasons. There is a land grabber outside of town who has grabbed the land of many people by having his gunmen threaten them. The sheriff is an old man who is afraid of the gunfighters. One young landowner refuses to sell and is ambushed and wounded. The town leaders decide they had enough. They hire Mitchum to handle the matter - one man against many experienced gunfighters. We discover that Mitchum came to town to see the town's Madam, who has a half dozen prostitutes working for her. He is in love with her. He had a daughter with her and wants to see her and live with the Madam again. She left him because she did not like his gun fighting profession.

How will Mitchum be able to beat the land grabber and his gunmen? Will anyone help him? Will he find his daughter? Will he be able to resume his relationship with the woman he loves? Will he die trying?

Robert Mitchum made some fine Westerns during his long career, but the slow-going "Man With the Gun" (1955) isn't one of them. The script and direction lack the necessary punch for a psychological Western - further hindered by a low budget. Mitchum's solid presence cannot save this routine outing.