happytrigger-64-390517 As I love American B movies, Phil Karlson has always been one of my favorite director, with tough thrillers and westerns with very nasty fights and anti corruption subjects ("The Phenix City Story", "Walking Tall"). And always great tough actors, William Bishop, George Montgomery (wahh "The Texas Rangers"), John Payne, Richard Widmark and Joe Don Baker, around 15 B masterpieces. Some are still very hard to find.Twenty five years ago, I really wanted to see "Gunman's Walk", absolutely invisible. And the only way was to go to a museum and pay for the projection. This is how I discovered this pure treasure, a very strong story of a father facing a psychopathic son, incredibly played by Tab Hunter, completely possessed by madness, he is really scary. Lot of tense psychological details. The cinemascope by Charles Lawton Jr is pure genius and inventive, it is quite rare in westerns.When producer Harry Cohn saw that movie, "he was literally crying". And Harry Cohn said to Phil Karlson : "you're going to be the biggest director in this business and I'm going to make sure you are." Harry Cohn went to Phoenix, Arizona and died. (Phil Karlson in his only interview I know in the super book "King of the B's").

MattyGibbs Gunmans Walk is a little known western but superior to many of it's better known counterparts. Quite why it's not better thought of is a bit of a mystery to me. A young man goes off the rails while his dad tries to cover up his misdeeds. Van Heflin is superb as the rich father who just wants his two lads to be like him. Tab Hunter also excels as the hot headed brother who just wants to make a name for himself without his fathers intervention. A strong supporting cast all add there bit to the impressive mix. The cinematography is outstanding and it also features a good musical score. Whilst it may lack the gun play of many westerns the clever script makes this compelling at all times. I found this to be an enthralling and intelligent western with a great ending. For lovers of westerns, this really is a must see. Highly recommended.

edwagreen This was the old-fashioned western and it works well as it deals with the human element and a father's failed attempt to raise his cocky son, the latter too involved with gun play and the resulting tragedies that come about. Of course, Van Heflin, as the patriarch, shows his mettle and his determination to defend a son (Tab Hunter) who can do no wrong, despite violent behavior. James Darren also shines as the good son, in love with Kathryn Grant, a half-Indian whose brother Hunter (Ed) killed which sets him in a spiraling downward motion.Once the spiraling occurs, we see a different Heflin emerge. He soon shows that he is a stubborn man refusing to face reality and shows his bigotry towards Davie (Darren) and the Indian-girl he loves.

bkoganbing Van Heflin heads the cast of Gunman's Walk and he's the head of the local Ponderosa in his part of the west. He's not as noble as Ben Cartwright or as mean Rufe Ryker in Shane. He's got two sons, one good and one bad, played by James Darren and Tab Hunter.These guys pretty much do as they please even in these relatively civilized times. For instance Tab Hunter and Van Heflin both wear their six guns to town even though there's a law against it now. Reason being is that they were there before the law and they don't answer to it even if the sheriff is an old friend in Robert F. Simon.Hunter is taking a lot of the wrong values from Heflin. When he rides an Indian ranch hand off a cliff in pursuit of a wild horse, he's brought up on murder charges. This sets off a chain of events that result in tragedy.In the meantime younger son James Darren's courtship of half Sioux maiden Kathryn Crosby whose brother was the one Hunter rode off the cliff is setting off some other issues with Heflin. The Indians are living on the reservation now with a rare honest Indian agent Edward Platt looking out for them. Still Heflin remembers nothing but the bad old days except when he needs them as extra hands.Van Heflin never gave a bad performance in any film he was in. But this film does belong to Tab Hunter who breaks from teen idol mode into a character role of depth.As for the film it might best be compared to the Robert Taylor/John Cassavetes western from the previous year, Saddle The Wind. There's lots of similarities in the relationship between Taylor and Cassavetes and Heflin and Hunter. And the ending is the same.