19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
some of the best western acting and good story line, January 20, 1999
By A Customer
a very good western with a good cast and and story line. Peck does a fine job as always as a man on a vengence crusade that is interupted when a little girl is placed in his care. As the story progresses he starts to love this little girl and realize what life is really about and that he has all the treasure that he'll ever want and someone is trying to take it all away.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worth Watching Just for Susan Tyrrell's Performance, May 1, 2005
I saw Shoot Out when it was first released and just watched it again a few days ago. Although the negative comments that have been posted are generally accurate, the film has several elements that make it worth watching. Imagine combining 'To Kill a Mockingbird' with 'One-Eyed Jacks' and you will have a pretty good idea of what this story is all about. Unfortunately Gregory Peck did not put Aticus Finch energy into the Clay Lomax character, and even though Dawn Lyn (Dodie from 'My Three Sons') is fine as the little girl-the idea just doesn't work. There is at least one story too many in this movie and it would take a great script to pull it together. But as someone has already mentioned this is not a great script and there are 1970's dialogue issues that periodically jar the viewer back to reality, making it impossible for this thing to ever really get going.
On the plus side Robert Lyons gives a nice 'really out there' performance as the wacko bad guy. Lyons was that era's Gary Oldham. Also the production designer did a good job on the overall feel of the film, there several absolutely great visuals (check out the shot of Dawn Lyn standing on the train station platform), and there is a very original non-formula climax. The production has excellent overall unity and someone really paid attention to continuity issues (watch how the progress of the water dripping on the cabin table is matched to the time sequence of the scene).
What stayed with me through the years and motivated me to watch this again was the first film performance of Susan Tyrrell, as the dumb but plucky saloon girl. She actually deserved a supporting actress nomination. Then she played dumb and plucky again in 'Fat City' and actually received a Supporting Actress Nomination. At the time I was convinced that she would be the next big female star. There was a young actress talent vacuum in the 1969-78 period and hack blondes like Candice Bergen and Cybill Sheppard got a lot of work-with very painful to watch results. That many of their parts did not go to Tyrrell and to Elizabeth Hartman is an example of the Hollywood anti-meritocracy. So check out her performances and curse Hollywood for not recognizing her potential and giving her a lot more work.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
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23 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Same Old Hathaway Recipe, December 31, 2002
This review is from: Shootout (DVD)
Henry Hathaway found a recipe for making western movies and did not alter one lousy bit. True Grit, Five Card Stud, Shootout - the bad guys from each film in order - Dennis Hopper, Roddy McDowall, and Robert Lyons - they all wear the same outfit.
What did they do - pass them down from one film to the other? Also, it appears that True Grit and Shootout have some of the same location scenes shot from the same angle. One more thing - take a close look at the scene at the train depot and see if you cannot find a jet stream. I recommend Gregory Peck's, The Stalking Moon, over Shootout. Stalking Moon has a little more bite and grit and makes no reference to "punks".
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