THE QUICK GUN-1964-A gun slinger named Clint Cooper (Audie Murphy) returns to his home town to warn the sheriff (James Best) that bank robbery Jud Spangler (Ted De Corsia in a good evil role) and his gang are targeting his town's bank. He has a inane bar fight with the father (Walter Sande)) and nephew (Rex Holman) of two brothers he killed. Nobody likes him because they think he has an ulterior motive even though he warned them and stays on to help fight the gang but when he kills the father and nephew in self defense the sheriff arrests him and locks him in jail leaving the town to fend off the hombres themselves!
Later a cowardly preacher deputizes Cooper and he takes on the whole gang.
Frank Ferguson is the philosophical deputy and Merry Anders is his former girlfriend, now the sheriff's fiancé. It also features Frank Gerstle, Mort Mills, Raymond Hatton and William Fawcett and is based
on a story "The Fastest Gun" which '50's horror vet Robert Kent adapted. Director Sidney Salkow was coming to the end of his long career in TV and movies. Also in '64 he directed some scenes for the Italian lensed LAST MAN ON EARTH.
Audie Murphy was the most decorated hero of WW2. He came to Hollywood (on advice from James Cagney) and starred in a biography of his exploits TO HELL AND BACK. He made 44 movies in his career including John Huston's RED BADGE OF COURAGE but in the last 12 years of his life he made only westerns. He died at age 45 in a plane crash in 1971.
Co-star James Best starred in THE KILLER SHREWS in 1959 and went on to a successful career in TV (as actor and director). At the time of this writing there is a KILLER SHREWS sequel in the works!
T
hanks for reading and have a Happy Groundhogs Day tomorrow!
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