Death of a Gunfighter

I think there’s more good than bad here, and the good is very good, even if what’s bad is highly distracting. Death of a Gunfighter tells the story of the passing of the Old West into mythology, through the literal death of the last symbol of the era. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, the title is exactly what the film is about.

Beginning production under the guiding hand of Robert Totten, a television director of the era on shows like Gunsmoke and The Legend of Jesse James, before problems with star Richard Widmark got him canned and replaced by Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers). Siegel finished the film within two weeks, and didn’t want to take credit for his work on the film, leading to the creation of the pseudonym Alan Smithee. This is perhaps the most enduring legacy of Death of a Gunfighter, an auspicious bit of trivia and importance, but Gunfighter deserves a little better.

Granted, the competing directing styles clash at times, and either of them would have been perfectly fine to shepherd the material to completion. Totten’s direction is prone to luxuriating on pastoral scenes and stretches without dialog, whereas Siegel’s aesthetic is more rapid, preferring to create tension through tightly edited action sequences. Both versions work separately, but occasionally make for an awkward blend.

But Gunfighter’s cast consistently makes it worth watching. Widmark is the clear and obvious star attraction. His work here is very good, creating a man who refuses to go quietly into the dying of the light. Surrounding him is a solid group of character actors, of whom Carroll O’Conner, Kent Smith, John Saxon, and Lena Horne make the largest impressions. Horne has second billing here, but her part is not big enough for that. It’s a large supporting role, but not large enough to be billed as a co-lead. We do get to hear her sing “Sweet Apple Wine,” and that is always a plus for any movie.

Death of a Gunfighter is a strange little film, at times tonally conflicting with itself. Yet there’s an entertaining western about the passing, through force and violence, from that older era to one that points toward modernity. It has a great central star turn and several solid supporting turns to keep your interest.