Gunfighters (1947)

Waste of time

Please don't spend money on this.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Gunfighters, adapted from a Zane Grey's novel, starring Randolph Scott, featuring two beautiful actresses, Barbara Britton and Dorothy Hart, a solid cast, including Bruce Cabot, Forrest Tucker, Grant Withers and Grant Withers, some spectacular stunts, a good screenplay, filmed in Cinecolor photography, and you have an above average 1940s western, that does the job just fine. The opening of Gunfighters is superbly done, as the camera films the sequence through a saloon window, looking at the back of a piano player. While the credits role, Randolph Scott with his back to the piano, drinking a beer, turns towards the piano player, sets the beer down and walks out of the scene, quite clever. There are many good film synopsis already submitted, so I will suggest to the reader to view this film and enjoy some good western entertainment and some of the best on location scenery throughout the entire story. Those who love Randolph Scott and westerns from the 1940s, will not be disappointed.

Based on Zane Gray's novel "Twin Sombreros", the plot revolves around a killing, apparently related(none too clearly) to a cattle war(rustling? land rights?), with Mr. Banner(Griff Barnett) being the local cattle baron. Old Mr. Inskip(Charlie Grapewin) is his neighbor, for whom Bob Tyrell works. When noted gunfighter Brazos Kane(Randolph Scott) shows up, looking for a job, he hears a couple of shots and sees two men on horses leave in a hurry. He finds Tyrell dead of bullet wounds. Who shot Tyrell and why?Very strangely, Brazos brings Tyrell's body to Banner's neighboring ranch, where he is greeted with suspicion, and formally charged by the deputy sheriff present with the murder, even though he's not carrying a firearm. Somehow, Brazos did find a bullet in the body, and secretly gives it to Banner's daughter, Jane, for safe keeping. Unfortunately, this bullet eventually is lost or thrown away, thus plays no role in solving the case.Banner actually has 2 marriageable daughters, who occasionally play a subsidiary role in the proceedings. Jane(Dorothy Hart)is characterized as a 'good' girl, who develops a crush on Brazos, while Bess(Barbara Britton) is characterized as a 'bad' girl, who is in love with ranch foreman Bard Mackey(Bruce Cabot), whom she knows shot Tyrell. She also flirts with Brazos. As others have commented, these girls look too much alike, leading to frequent confusion by the viewer which one is present. Even Brazos sometimes is unsure which one he is talking to. Not all sisters look much alike. Thus, the casting director should have found two actresses who were distinctive looking. Some of Banner's wranglers decide the flimsy evidence against Brazos is strong enough to justify a lynching. The Banner bunch seem overeager to close the case, thus raising the suspicion in Brazos's mind that some of them were responsible. Inskip saves Brazos from a lynching by last second trickery. Later, he again attempts to save Brazos from an ambush , but is shot dead himself. Young Johnny O'Neil jumps on Brazos's horse and gallops out of town. As hoped, Banner's bunch follow him, thinking he is Brazos. It works, but Johnny pays with his life.Brazos figures it's time to put his pistols back on. Eventually, he intimidates Deputy Yount(working for Banner)into providing some info about the murder. The sheriff later gets more info from him. The climax occurs when Brazos engages in a "High Noon" contest with Orcutt(Forrest Tucker), immediately followed by a similar contest with Bard. Guess who wins. Then, Brazos is nearly executed by Banner, standing behind him. But, a quick thinking friend shoots the gun out of Banner's hand. Seems like all of Brazos's local friends are dead. All but one. Can you guess who?Of course, Charlie Grapewin was a charismatic presence as Inskip. He played memorable characters in such films as "The Good Earth", "The Wizard of Oz", "The Grapes of Wrath" and, his opus magnum: "Tobacco Road".

For a fairly standard Forties Western, this one had a few interesting elements beginning with the opening showdown between Brazos Kane (Randolph Scott) and an unknown assailant who calls him out. We learn immediately after that it was Kane's best friend who wanted to see how fast he really was with a gun. I'm not certain that would be the best way to test one's quick draw reflexes, a guy could get seriously hurt that way.And then there was that scene in Bannertown when Bard Macky (Bruce Cabot) ran his horse into Kane's, and actually knocked Kane's horse down! I had to wonder if that was scripted or just happened and the crew just kept on filming. The rest of the scene played out curiously as well, with Kane dodging Macky's horse as he tried to bring his opponent to ground level.But you know, as I sit here and think about the story, it seems to make less and less sense. Kane's attempt to investigate his friend's murder eventually leads him to Banner henchman Macky and daughter Bess (Barbara Britton), who's boot-print turns up at the murder scene. So in the tradition of all your cowboy hero good guys, you'd expect Kane to bring both of them to justice by the end of the picture. Especially since Banner himself (Griff Barnett) ordered the murder of Bob Tyrell.So with the picture setting us up for a Kane romance with Bess's sister Jane (Dorothy Hart), was it Bess who got to ride off into the sunset with Kane? The sisters did look an awful lot alike. Actually, I do know which one hooked up with Brzaos at Monument Rock; the tease here is just to see if you were paying attention.

I saw the movie the first time back in the late 1940's after reading the book "Twin Sombreros". When I taped it recently from the Westerns Channel, I noted that R. Scott's name was Brazos Keene in the book, but Brazos Kane in the movie. Also I still had a hard time telling the girls apart. The story drifted away a little from the book, the names were still familiar, Kiscaden, Inskip, Johnny, Beth and Jane. One of the greatest lines in Westerns was uttered by Kiscaden when he told Brazos that his badge represented the law..."if the man wearing it goes down, it just gets up and jumps on the pocket of another man, and keeps right on coming" (that's as close as I can remember the statement). You can still watch the movie, it was very interesting.