Gun Fury

Whilst tackling the 3-D gimmick they forgot to form the characters.

Gun Fury is directed by Raoul Walsh and stars Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Phillip Carey, Roberta Haynes, Leo Gordon, Lee Marvin & Neville Brand. It's adapted from the novel Ten Against Caesar written by Kathleen B. George & Robert A. Granger. Cinematographer is Lester White, with Sedona, Arizona used for the location work. It is a Technicolor production out of Columbia Pictures.

Plot sees Hudson as Civil War veteran Ben Warren, who after meeting up with Jennifer (Reed), the girl he is soon to marry, catches the stage to Haynesville. But little do they know that two of the passengers (Carey & Gordon) that are travelling with them are outlaws who are after the strongbox on board the coach. Once the hold-up occurs a fight breaks out and during the mêlée Ben is shot and presumed dead . The outlaws flee taking Jennifer with them. But Ben is not dead, and now he's after them. Having recently turned pacifist, just what will he do to get his love back unharmed?.

Originally presented in 3-D on its release, Gun Fury is a brisk Western that unsurprisingly given it's director's keen eye for such things, isn't found wanting for action. However, for depth of story and character studies, it's not one too get excited about. Which is a shame because there's definitely scope within the plot to expand some of the protagonists psychological themes. Still, if one is after a quick fix of Western action staples then this serves its purpose. Gun play, horse pursuits and even fist fights in the water, Walsh delivers pulse raising scenes set in amongst the gorgeous back drops of Sedona. But be warned, the finale is some what tepid and doesn't do justice to what had gone before it.

Cast wise Hudson is solid enough but is blown off the screen by both Carey & Gordon. While Reed is attractive and professional in what is a pretty undemanding role. In the support cast there's the added bonus of having tough guys Marvin & Brand playing villains. The score from uncredited Arthur Morton & Mischa Bakaleinikoff links the narrative well enough, and there's some fun to be had with the 3-D moments as various items are launched at the screen. So a safe time filler for Western fans then, but it could, and should, have been much more. 6/10

Rock Hudson chases down the outlaws who have his babe

"Gun Fury" is a 1953 Western Starring Rock Hudson and Donna Reed as a couple traveling to California in the Southwest. After their stagecoach is held-up and Ben Warren (Hudson) left for dead, he is eventually able to go after the outlaws who have his fiancé.

Shot mostly outside in the Sedona, Arizona, region, this is a very picturesque Western. While the film begins slow it morphs into a chase movie with loads of Western action. The cast is great with Hudson in his prime and Leo Gordon as the ex-gang member, Jess, whom Ben starts to befriend. But it's Phil Carey who shines as the villainous Frank Slayton, an embittered ex-Confederate Southern "gentleman" who's still at war.

The antagonism between Slayton and Jess is interesting in that Jess feels Slayton goes too far in his outlaw activities and increasingly objects. Although Slayton doesn't put up with it, it's clear that he regards Jess as a partner – a partner he's willing to slay in a heartbeat if necessary.

Carey comes across as a malevolent version of Charlton Heston. His character is interesting: He justifies his crimes on the grounds that he's still at war even if the Civil War ended years ago. He wants Jennifer (Reed) because she's a genuine Southern Belle who reminds him of his former world, a world the war has forever destroyed.

Despite all these good things, there are some glaring script problems. Warren is said to be dead by one of the outlaws after the stagecoach heist, but later gets up and no injury is mentioned the rest of the movie (although he momentarily touches his head when he wakes and looks for blood on his hand, implying that he was perhaps head-grazed by a bullet). The worst plot issue is the problematic swap deal at the end.

If you can overlook such defects, however, "Gun Fury" is a worthwhile 50's Western for the many positive points noted above.

The film is short and sweet at only 83 minutes.

GRADE: B