''Gunfighters'' is a 1947 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

George Waggner George Waggner (September 7, 1894 – December 11, 1984) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for producing and directing the 1941 film '' The Wolf Man''. For some unknown reason, Waggner sometimes configured his ...

and starring

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

and

Barbara Britton Barbara Britton (born Barbara Maurine Brantingham, September 26, 1920 – January 17, 1980) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Western film roles opposite Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Gene Autry and for ...

. Based on the novel ''Twin Sombreros'' by

Zane Grey Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the American fronti ...

(the sequel of ''Knights of the Range'') and with a screenplay by ''

The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John W ...

'' author

Alan Le May Alan Brown Le May (June 3, 1899 – April 27, 1964) was an American novelist and screenplay writer. He is most remembered for two classic Western novels, ''The Searchers'' (1954) and ''The Unforgiven'' (1957).Herzberg, Bob (2008). ''Savages and ...

, the film is about a gunfighter who lays down his guns after being forced to shoot his best friend, and decides to become a cowhand on a ranch. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Assassin''.

Plot

Trying to put his life as a gunfighter behind him, Brazos Kane goes off to join old pal Bob Tyrell at the Inskip ranch. As Brazos approaches the spread, he hears a gunshot and sees two people riding off. He finds his friend shot dead. Brazos takes the body to the Banner ranch, but the ruthless Banner has him arrested for the murder by Yount, a corrupt deputy. Brazos has the bullet that killed his friend and slips it to Jane Banner, the rancher's daughter. Inskip frees him before Brazos can be summarily hanged. Brazos makes the mistake of trusting Bess, Jane's sister, but she is in love with ranch foreman Bard Macky, the man who killed Tyrell. Brazos refuses to strap on his guns, but Yount and hired gun Orcutt try to ambush him or run him off. Inskip is murdered in cold blood and so is young cowhand Johnny O'Neil, which is the last straw for Brazos. He arms himself and goes after the bad guys, wounding Yount several times to make him talk, then calling out Orcutt and Bard for a final showdown, with Jane's help.

Cast

as Brazos Kane *

as Bess Banner *

Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot (born Étienne de Pelissier Bujac Jr.; April 20, 1904 – May 3, 1972) was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in ''King Kong'' (1933) and for his roles in films such as ''The Last of the Mohicans'' (1936), Fri ...

as Bard Macky *

Charley Grapewin Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably port ...

as Rancher Inskip * Steven Geray as Jose aka Uncle Joe *

Forrest Tucker Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked as a vaudeville straight man at the age of fifteen. A mentor provided fund ...

as Hen Orcutt *

Charles Kemper Charles Kemper (September 6, 1900 – May 12, 1950) was an American character actor born in Oklahoma. The heavy-set actor was for decades a successful stage actor. Movie career Like many actors in New York, Kemper worked in short comedies fil ...

as Sheriff Kiscaden *

Grant Withers Granville Gustavus Withers (January 17, 1905 – March 27, 1959) was an American film actor who acted under the screen name Grant Withers. With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into sound films, establishing himself with a lis ...

as Deputy Bill Yount * John Miles as Johnny O'Neil *

Griff Barnett Griff Barnett (born Manley Griffith, November 12, 1884 – January 12, 1958) was an American actor.(17 January 1958) ''The New York Times'' Barnett was born in Blue Ridge, Texas in 1884. In the early 20th century, Barnett was a member of the ...

as Mr. Banner *

Dorothy Hart Dorothy Hart (April 4, 1922 – July 11, 2004) was an American actress, mostly in supporting roles. She portrayed Howard Duff's fiancée in the film ''The Naked City'' (1948). Early life Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Hart was the daughter of insura ...

as Jane Banner

Production

''Gunfighters'' was filmed on location at Andy Jauregui Ranch and Monogram Ranch in Newhall, California, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce, California, and Sedona, Arizona.

References

External links

* * * * * 1947 films 1947 Western (genre) films 1940s action films American Western (genre) films Cinecolor films Columbia Pictures films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels Films directed by George Waggner Revisionist Western (genre) films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-Western-film-stub