A masterpiece and one of the greatest
westerns ever made, "The Gunfighter" is also Henry King's best film. The
plot is simplicity itself. Gregory Peck, (outstanding), is Jimmy Ringo,
the fastest gun alive, heading to the small town to see, possibly for
the last time, his wife and the son who doesn't know him. Like "High Noon", which came two years later, the action takes place, if not quite
in real time, then basically over the course of one day as Peck waits to
see if his wife will consent to talk to him while a young hot-head and a
trio of gunmen contemplate taking him out.
Clocking in at 85 minutes there isn't an ounce of fat in this picture and certainly none of the dullness nor sentimentality usually associated with King. A superb script by William Bowers and William Sellars, from a story party written by Andre De Toth, ensures every scene has a ring of truth and in a brilliant supporting cast Karl Malden is outstanding as the bartender who knows that, live or die, Ringo's presence in his bar will elevate the place to legend status. Absolutely essential.
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