Gun the Man Down

1956 "$5,000 REWARD paid only if he's dead."
6.4| 1h16m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 15 November 1956 Released
Producted By: United Artists
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

An outlaw is left for dead by his gang after being shot. A year later, he is released from jail with one thing on his mind: Revenge.

Genre

Action, Western, Crime

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Director

Andrew V. McLaglen

Production Companies

United Artists

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Gun the Man Down Audience Reviews

Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
gavin6942 Three outlaw buddies rob a bank, but one of them is wounded. His two partners and his girlfriend take his share of the loot and run off, leaving him to be captured by the sheriff. Years later, after he gets out of prison, he goes in search of his double-crossing partners and his faithless girlfriend.Although not widely known today, this is a great western and the precursor to "Gunsmoke" in many ways. But what really got me was how much it walks the line between a western and a gangster movie. While it is completely a western, there is a certain element that makes me think gangster: rather than ratting out his friends, a criminal is going to take care of them himself. That is very gangster.Interestingly, the producer was John Wayne's brother. Wayne's involvement in westerns is widely known, but how many people know his brother was also involved in his own way?
classicsoncall The first thing to note here is that James Arness is a bad guy. I don't believe I've seen him in any other pre-Gunsmoke Westerns, so his casting as an outlaw was a bit of a surprise. His was the lead role though, quite likely a favor from half brother John Wayne and his filming company, Batjac Productions. I'd say it was a pretty good team up.The film opens with an 'Introducing Angie Dickinson' credit, so that was another cool eye opener. She had an ambiguous role here as saloon gal Janice, in a romance with Rem Anderson (Arness), but forced to leave with Rem's gang members Matt Rankin (Robert Wilke) and Ralph Farley (Don Megowan) after a successful bank robbery left Rem severely wounded and unable to ride. If anything, the sticking point I have with the story is why wouldn't Jan just up and leave the pair of outlaws at some point instead of taking up with Rankin.What's cool about this Western is the subtle psychological angle offered by Anderson's patient hunt for the guys who betrayed him, and Gunther Wells Sheriff Morton's (Emile Meyer) laid back approach to waiting him out before stepping in to prevent lawlessness in his town. Again though, it's never explained how Rem Anderson achieved his fast draw status in order to take out hired gunslinger Billy Deal (Micheal Emmett). That's probably why the showdown was dealt with off screen, with the sheriff cleverly treating the five thousand dollar bounty paid by Rankin as community property.The other remaining head scratcher for this viewer had to do with how Rankin decided to use his robbery proceeds to open the Red Dog Saloon not very far away from Palace City where the original hold up took place. Seems like the outlaws should have been fingered by this time. Either way, I couldn't figure out how Rankin kept the saloon profitable with no customers; there was never anyone else in the place besides himself, Farley and Jan.Well by the time it's over, Rem Anderson is just about a good guy, coming full circle in his quest for revenge. It was probably a good idea for the story that he didn't have to make a decision about taking back his former gal Janice. That was already decided for him when Rankin shot her in the back!!! What a low down, dirty dog.
Claudio Carvalho In 1885, Rem Anderson (James Arness) teams up with the outlaws Matt Rankin (Robert J. Wilke) and Ralph Farley (Don Megowan) expecting to heist the Palace City bank and buy a ranch to live with his girlfriend Janice "Jan" (Angie Dickinson). However Rem is wounded and left behind by his comrades and girlfriend. He is arrested by a posse but he does not rat them. One year later, Rem is released from prison and seeks out his former partners. He meets the gunslinger Billy Deal (Michael Emmet) that gives the name of the town where Farley and Rankin are. On the arrival, Rem meets Sheriff Morton (Emile Meyer) and Deputy Lee (Harry Carey Jr.); then he finds his horse that had been stolen by Farley. What will Rem do with Farley, Rankin and Jan?"Gun the Man Down" is a flawed but entertaining unknown western and practically the debut of Angie Dickinson in the cinema. Emile Meyer steals the show in the role of a tranquil sheriff. The conclusion is flawed since Rem hunts down Rankin, Farley and Jan; he vanquishes Tankin, finds Jan near death; but he never finds Farley that was murdered by Rankin. Anyway, it is worthwhile watching this film. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Atire em Todos" ("Shoot Everybody")
bkoganbing John Wayne's Batjac Productions produced this tight B western starring James Arness as a young outlaw seeking revenge on his running buddies who left him to die. I'm betting this was probably filmed before Arness started Gunsmoke in 1955. He was certainly riding the same horse in this film as he did as Marshal Matt Dillon.Worse than just leaving Arness to die with a bullet in him as the posse was on his trail, Robert Wilke and Don Megowan also took Arness's woman Angie Dickinson with them. The posse gets to Arness and he's patched up, but he won't rat out his friends. He has his own plans for them even if he has to serve a year for the robbery to do it.Arness cuts a fine figure as a young outlaw who won't stand for a double cross. Wilke and Megowan are both western veterans and Wilke is a long time favorite villain in westerns. Angie Dickinson was 'introduced' in Gun The Man Down as a girl who'd like to be good, but has long forgotten how.Emile Meyer has a nice role here as a sheriff with Harry Carey,Jr. as his somewhat inpatient deputy. Meyer is a firm believer in what Noel Coward said about only mad dogs and Englishmen going out in the noon day sun. He's also a believer in letting the bad guys shoot it out so he has that many less to deal with. His philosophy seems to work.Gun The Man Down is a no frills western which is good on plot and characters. Andrew McLaglen made his directorial debut here and this is a harbinger of more good work by him on the big and small screen.