Gun in hand

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Movie
German title Gun in hand
Original title Gun Fury
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1953
length 83 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Raoul Walsh
script Irving Wallace
Roy Huggins
production Lewis J. Rachmil
for Columbia Pictures
music Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Arthur Morton
camera Lester H. White
cut James Sweeney
Jerome Thoms
occupation

Gun in hand (original title: Gun Fury ) is an American western from 1953 directed by Raoul Walsh . The main roles are played by Rock Hudson and Donna Reed and Phil Carey .

The plot of the film is based on the novel Ten Against Caesar by Kathleen B. Granger, George Granger and Robert A. Granger, first published in Boston in 1952.

action

Some time after the end of the American Civil War , Jennifer Ballard is on the stagecoach in Arizona to get to her fiancé, rancher Ben Warren, in California , who is already waiting for her. The young couple want to get married as soon as possible. In the carriage is also the arrogant Mr. Hamilton, who likes the young woman so much that he devises a plan to own her. He is quite surprised to find himself facing Ben Warren, who has met his fiancée, during an evening break in a hotel. A conversation between the two men about the war that has ended shows how contrary they are. Tom Burgess, who is traveling with Hamilton, tries to hide Jennifer's warning. He suspects what his friend is planning, who has told him that he wants Jennifer at all costs. However, the young woman does not realize the danger she and her fiancé will face if she continues to travel in a carriage with Hamilton. As soon as the vehicle has been on the road for some time, it turns out that Hamilton and Burgess are the notorious former Confederate Frank Slayton and his henchman Jess. The soldiers designated as escorts to protect the travelers turn out to be Slayton's gang members. When Warren tries to get the dangerous situation under control, he is shot and believed to be dead, which is not the case. It seems as if Slayton has reached his goal, he not only has the gold carried in the carriage, but also Jennifer in his power. His buddy Jess, however, disagrees with Jennifer being taken hostage. The men clash and Slayton leaves Jess, tied to a stake, without water in the desert. There he is found by Warren, who has come to after his violent fall from the bullet fired at him, which only grazed him. Together with Ben, Jess takes up the pursuit of his former buddies, who Jess knows are on their way to the gang's hideout in Mexico.

Jennifer has since made an attempt to escape, which failed miserably. When Slayton learns from two of his men, who have overheard Warren and Jess, that they are being followed, he urges the gang to ride faster towards the Mexican border. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, he suspects that the man who started the chase is Jennifer's fiancé Ben. At the same time he has a fight with an Indian who wants to kill Jess because the gang has killed his sister. Jess explains to him that he disagreed with Slayton's behavior. He does not attack helpless women.

Curly Jordan, who is one of Slayton's men, now tells Jennifer that Ben is still alive and is on the gang's heels. He wanted to help her and try to distract the men. However, the gang leader thwarted the plan and had Jordan tortured to death. Ben, Jess and the Indian Johash find him battered. Meanwhile, Slayton has trouble with his lover Estella Morales, with whom he stops. She becomes extremely jealous when she sees Jennifer. Gang member Blinky, who is supposed to take care of her, escapes and attacks the supposed rival. Slayton then breaks up with her, and when he notices that she is riding after them, shoots her horse. Ben, Jess and Johash find the Mexican on their chase half-dehydrated in the desert landscape and decide to take her with them.

When the quartet is near the gang, Estella sneaks up on Slayton - unnoticed by the others - and hurls him furiously that not only Warren, Jess and the Indian Johash want to kill him. The gang leader worries that Jess is now one of his enemies. One of his men suggested that Jess could be exchanged for Jennifer. Slayton takes up this idea with thanks. He notifies Warren and then makes his suggestion. Warren states, however, that Jess alone can decide whether he wants to respond. A fire is intended to signal approval of the proposal. But as was to be expected from Slayton, he played a wrong game that Jess has to pay with his life. Although Jennifer begs Ben to leave it alone, he and Johash go on to pursue the gang. When the persecuted stop near an old well, the first men of the Slayton gang have to believe in it. Slayton doesn't shy away from using Estella as a shield and shooting the young woman from behind as she escapes. Ben pursues him when he flees on his horse. In the mountains there is a bitter showdown between the two. When it looks like Warren has lost the fight, as Slayton gets hold of a gun and points the barrel at him, a knife thrown by Johash hits the unscrupulous man in the back. The fight is over. Jennifer and Ben's fresh start in California is about to begin.

Production notes

The film was shot from late May to early June 1953 in Sedona and West Sedona, as well as in Coffee Pot Rock and Red Rock Crossing in Arizona. Raoul Walsh had the film filmed in 3-D .

Rock Hudson struggled with appendicitis on the last day of filming .

publication

The film premiered in the Federal Republic of Germany on March 16, 1956 and in Austria on May 25, 1956. Other publications:

  • USA (premiered) October 30, 1953, generally November 11, 1953 under the title Gun Fury . In Canada the film was also shown under this English title.
  • Japan on February 18, 1954 under the title Kagiri naki tsuiseki
  • Sweden on April 26, 1954 under the title I Västerns våld
  • Netherlands on September 10, 1954 under the title Hyena's van het wilde westen
  • Spain on May 30, 1956 under the title Fiebre de venganza and the Catalan title Febre de venjança
  • Turkey on September 15, 1956 under the title Kizgin silah
  • Portugal on August 30, 1957 under the title A Fúria das Armas
  • France on August 6, 1958 under the title Bataille sans merci
  • Denmark on May 13, 1963 under the title Postrøverne fra Sydstaterne

In Belgium the film ran under the Flemish title De onverzoenlijke achtervolging and under the French title L'implacable poursuite . The Bulgarian title is Убийствена ярост , the Brazilian Irmãos Inimigos . The film was shown in Finland under the title Kadonnut jälki , in Greece under Sta synora tou Mexikou , in Italy under the titles Il suo onore gridava vendetta and Duello all'ultimo sangue , in Poland under Strzaly w Arizonie , and in Romania under Furia armei .

DVD

Gun in Hand was released on November 8, 2005 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on DVD.

criticism

Cinema drew the conclusion: “No frills, straightforward Western.” Regarding Rock Hudson's performance, it was noted: “The young Hudson does not succeed in transforming himself into an avenger too well. The bad guys are more convincing. ”It was also pointed out that the one-eyed Raoul Walsh shot the film in 3D.

Prisma was of the opinion that Neville Brand and Lee Marvin would show "as villains brilliant performances of their diabolical skills" in this film. It went on to say: "But the good guy in this shooting scenario is also worth seeing: Rock Hudson as Ben Warren, who returned from the Civil War."

At Kino.de it was said: “Action-packed Western by Raoul Walsh, who is versed in all genres […], who sends Hollywood star Rock Hudson on a chase through the Arizona's desert landscape, which is photographed in bright red tones. In addition to Hudson, Phil Carey stands out as the sadistic gang leader who is on fire for his victim Donna Reed. Originally shot using a 3-D method, the film contains numerous cuts in which bullets such as knives, stones or even a snake seem to be flying towards the audience. "

Jeff Stafford believed that after his prime years at Warner Bros., Hollywood veteran Raoul Walsh had made Gun Fury a robust and entertaining action-adventure film that met all the requirements of a modestly budgeted genre. He praised the breathtaking natural scenery and the brisk pace, but found that the real win of the film was the ensemble. Lee Marvin as Blinky and Neville Brand as Brazos gave pleasure, even if they would act in subordinate roles. He particularly highlighted the performance of Philip Carey as a villain as a counterpart to Rock Hudson, who is pacifist in his role, which creates real tension, which Donna Reed also supports as a victimized heroine, and which also includes the threat of an implied mass rape.

For Dennis Schwartz, the film was solid entertainment with action scenes, which failed miserably as a character study. Phil Carey stole the show from Rock Hudson in his depicted wickedness despite his fiery game.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ruled that the film plot was trying to make the outcome perfectly predictable. Stylized violence and sexual references were criticized.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gun Fury original movie poster
  2. ↑ Gun Fury script info at TCM (English)
  3. ↑ Gun Fury Original Print Information at TCM (English)
  4. ↑ Slide Rock State Park at azstateparks.com (English). Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  5. ↑ Gun Fury Trivia at TCM (English)
  6. ↑ With the weapon in hand DVD
  7. ↑ With the weapon in hand at Cinema.de. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  8. ↑ With the weapon in hand at Prisma.de. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  9. ↑ With the gun in hand at kino.de. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  10. ↑ Gun Fury Articles at TCM (English)
  11. ↑ Dennis Schwartz: "The terrible ending, where the Rock Hudson character suddenly acts out of character, almost wrecks this straight-forward Western actioner." In: Ozus' World Movie Reviews (English)
  12. ↑ Gun Fury In: Archive.USCCB.org (English)