Tonight's Movie: The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Glenn Ford stars as THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE (1956), due out on Blu-ray this week from the Warner Archive Collection.

I hadn't seen this fine Western since I watched it on VHS in 2006. What a treat to revisit it at long last on this beautiful widescreen Blu-ray!

The movie begins with sweeping black and white vistas filmed in California's Red Rock Canyon. A trio of bad men (Broderick Crawford, John Dehner, and Noah Beery Jr.) are heading for a small frontier town where Vinnie Harold (Crawford) challenges Clint Fallon (Walter Coy) to a gunfight. Fallon is rumored to be faster than Harold but is killed.

Meanwhile in the little town of Cross Creek, mild-mannered George Temple (Glenn Ford) is tormented by the fact that the townspeople see him only as the shopkeeper who doesn't carry a gun and refuses to drink. George's pregnant wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) senses something is wrong but George won't open up.

One day George straps on the gun he's had hidden away and demonstrates to his neighbors what a real fast gunman can do, finally receiving some respect. Then he makes plans to leave town, knowing that word of his quick draw ability will get out and gunmen will start arriving in Cross Creek wanting to prove they're faster.

The townspeople realize they've been unfair to George, and every man and woman swears to keep George's secret so that he and Dora can stay in town. There's only one problem: Vinnie Harold and his henchmen have just arrived in Cross Creek.

This is an interesting psychological Western with Ford strong as the tightly wound George. George has a deeper back story than I've shared here, in the interest of leaving things for viewers to discover. His insecurity about his place in the community leads him to have low self-esteem and make some poor decisions -- which ironically leads his neighbors to affirm just how important he's been to everyone in the town.

Crain is fine as his long-suffering wife, who's had to endure moving on from one too many towns with her husband in the past. This time, with a baby on the way, she means to stay, with or without her husband. I would have appreciated greater insight into their relationship, but what's actually on screen is fine.

The supporting cast is excellent. The townspeople are played by a group of fine actors including Allyn Joslyn, Leif Erickson, John Doucette, Rhys Williams, Virginia Gregg, and Louis Jean Heydt.

Russ Tamblyn plays a young man who's given a chance to shine with an engaging acrobatic dance number at the town dance. Its inclusion is somewhat mystifying, as it's not relevant to the story, but Tamblyn does a fine job and it's enjoyable to watch.

The screenplay by Frank D. Gilroy and director Russell Rouse, based on Gilroy's story, builds to a good conclusion which rather echoes the ending of Ford's Western THE SECRET OF CONVICT LAKE (1951) half a decade previously.

THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE runs 89 minutes. It was filmed in black and white by George Folsey. The good score was by Andre Previn, who was all of 26 years old when this film was released.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is a lovely print from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. Sound quality is excellent.

Disc extras consist of the trailer and two widescreen Tom & Jerry cartoons, BLUE CAT BLUES (1956) and DOWN BEAT BEAR (1956).

THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE is a good film on a nice-looking Blu-ray. Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Amazon Warner Archive Collection Store, Movie Zyng, or from any online retailers were Blu-rays are sold.

Tweet