''Invitation to a Gunfighter'' is a 1964
DeLuxe Color
DeLuxe Color or Deluxe color or Color by DeLuxe is Deluxe Laboratories brand of color process for motion pictures. DeLuxe Color is Eastmancolor-based, with certain adaptations for improved compositing for printing (similar to Technicolor's "sele ...
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
Richard Wilson, starring
Yul Brynner
Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the ...
and
George Segal
George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...
. It was based on a 1957 teleplay by Larry Klein that appeared on ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
''.
A lone Creole gunfighter, Jules, burdened by his own past of dealing with racism and prejudices, ends up in a town dealing with its own racist and hypocritical ignominies. Jules attempts to learn the truth about the town's real motives for hiring him, while at the same time reconciling with his own past as he attempts to force the town's white folks to accept their own hypocritical shortcomings in living with their Mexican cohabitants.
Plot
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
veteran Matt Weaver (George Segal) returns home to
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
after the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and discovers that his farm was sold by an unscrupulous banker named Brewster (
Pat Hingle
Martin Patterson Hingle (July 19, 1924 – January 3, 2009) was an American character actor who appeared in stage productions and in hundreds of television shows and feature films. His first film was ''On the Waterfront'' in 1954. He often play ...
), while his fiancee-to-be, Ruth, (
Janice Rule
Mary Janice Rule (August 15, 1931 – October 17, 2003) was an American actress and psychotherapist, earning her PhD while still acting, then acting occasionally while working in her new profession.
Early life
Rule was born in Norwood, Ohio, to ...
) married another man while he was at war. Weaver's absence allowed Brewster to sway the town's occupants towards his own bigoted prejudices, racism and corrupt methods, all so that he can gain financial and peremptory control of the town. Weaver, already knowing full well what Brewster is like, wrests back control of his farm via an ill-enacted use of force. This results in the death of the husband of the couple residing on the farm, which was sold to them by Brewster, who had himself obtained through illicit means.
Weaver only receives help from the town's Mexican inhabitants, who have always had good relationships with him. Although on the surface, it appears Ruth's husband and other
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
sympathizers in town show hatred to Weaver's allegiance to the Rebels during the war, in reality, this is only a façade for deeper social and personal problems that are afflicting the town's white inhabitants. There is racism and an innate fecklessness to civil duty and social cohesion with each other and the town's non-white cohabitants, namely the Mexicans. This hypocritical irony of the town leads to many festered ill feelings towards Weaver. This is so much so, that the town turns against him and Brewster seeks to hire a gunfighter to get rid of Weaver and what he represents to a guilt ridden and shameless town of pro-Union hypocrites. Through a hapless arrival, a
creole of color French gunman named Jules Gaspard d'Estaing (Yul Brynner) decides to stay on in town after his stagecoach arrived for a rest stop and takes notice from afar of the attractive Ruth. Jules, who later teaches the ignorant town how to pronounce his name correctly in French, scares off the paid-for gunfighter sent by Brewster, and decides to take on himself the job of killing Weaver - at least, that's what the town folk believe.
No stranger himself to the abuses of racism (with a black mother and white well-to-do Southern father), Jules was raised with a cultured background, grounded in English and French, taught to play the harpsichord, outwardly appearing erudite and gentlemanly in appearance and manner, but raised to know his Creole place. Jules (the town folk refer to him derisively by calling him Jewel) then undertakes to find out what is really going on with the town, and why they have a lethal grudge against Weaver. Unexpectedly, Jules begins to impress certain townspeople with his gentlemanly ways, acts of civility and personal forms of justice. He even wins over some of them. While falling for the embittered Ruth who felt betrayed by Weaver for leaving her to go to war and ended up marrying a man she did not love, Jules finds that he now does not want to kill Weaver, but just to leave, and with Ruth. Jules tells Ruth about himself, and even though it is clear that Ruth finds much to admire in him, she tells him she will not go with him.
Disappointed with Ruth's rejection, Jules runs amok in the town, but not with wanton abandon. He targets the businesses that all represent what is wrong and plainly sick about the town. Connivingly, Brewster uses the leadership of the town to make peace with Weaver, by owning up to his dishonest taking of Weaver's farm. He gives back Weaver the deed to the farm and offers peace, but only on the proviso that Weaver deal with the gunfighter, who is presently ripping up the town. Weaver is hesitant, but Brewster unscrupulously uses Ruth, by saying that Jules, who has now shot her husband, is presently all alone with her. Weaver, who still loves Ruth, is enraged and agrees to make peace with the town, and go after Jules. As Weaver arrives in town, Jules is preparing to ride off. Jules is warned by the now befriended Mexicans that there is trouble coming.
At this point Weaver arrives and there is a tense stand-off between the two of them. It soon becomes apparent to Weaver what Jules' intentions are, and Brewster takes wind of this: he sneaks up to the two of them and attempts to shoot Jules. A flurry of gunshots is heard, with Weaver, Brewster and Jules in the middle of them, but only Jules is seriously shot. He is weakened but still in control of the situation, and forces Brewster to his knees and to apologize and admit all his crimes. It now becomes clear to everyone what Jules was really all about; he was the hand of retribution and atonement. Jules dies before Brewster is able to complete his attestation, but Weaver forces him to continue; Brewster goes for a gun and Weaver shoots him dead. The entire town, whites and Mexicans, surround Jules and together they all take his body away to be buried, while Ruth and Weaver clasp hands and follow together.
Cast
*
Yul Brynner
Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the ...
as Jules Gaspard d'Estaing
*
Janice Rule
Mary Janice Rule (August 15, 1931 – October 17, 2003) was an American actress and psychotherapist, earning her PhD while still acting, then acting occasionally while working in her new profession.
Early life
Rule was born in Norwood, Ohio, to ...
as Ruth Adams
*
George Segal
George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...
as Matt Weaver
*
Alfred Ryder
Alfred Ryder (born Alfred Jacob Corn; January 5, 1916 – April 16, 1995) was an American television, stage, radio, and film actor and director, who appeared in over one hundred television shows.
Career
Ryder began to act at age eight and later ...
as Doc Barker
*
Clifford David
Clifford David (June 30, 1928 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and coach. His career began in the 1950s, with early live television appearances leading to roles in Broadway musicals. He also played character roles in tele ...
as Crane Adams
*
Mike Kellin
Mike Kellin (born Myron Kellin, April 26, 1922 – August 26, 1983) was an American actor.
Early life
Kellin was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Sophia and Samuel Kellin, Russian-Jewish immigrants. His younger sister, Shirley Ann ...
as Blind Union vet
*
Brad Dexter
Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), and producing several fil ...
as Kenarsie
*
Pat Hingle
Martin Patterson Hingle (July 19, 1924 – January 3, 2009) was an American character actor who appeared in stage productions and in hundreds of television shows and feature films. His first film was ''On the Waterfront'' in 1954. He often play ...
as Sam Brewster
*
Bert Freed
Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 – August 2, 1994) was an American character actor, voice-over actor, and the first actor to portray Detective Columbo.
Life and career
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending P ...
as Sheriff
*
John A. Alonzo
John A. Alonzo, ASC (June 12, 1934 – March 13, 2001) was an American cinematographer, television director, and actor known for his diverse body of work in both film and television.
Alonzo pioneered handheld work, lighting techniques and high ...
as Manuel (Weaver's friend in Mexicantown) (as John Alonzo)
*
Curt Conway
Curt Conway (May 4, 1915 – April 10, 1974) was an American actor. He was sometimes billed as Curtis Conway or Kurt Conway. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Conway appeared in a number of Broadway plays, had small parts in films. such as ''Hud'' ...
as McKeever
*
Clarke Gordon
Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name.
Irish surname origin
Clarke is a popular surname in ...
as Hickman
*
Gerald Hiken
Gerald Hiken (May 27, 1927 – January 6, 2021) was an American actor.
Career
A native of Milwaukee, he studied acting at HB Studio in New York City. Hiken was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1980 for his performance in ...
as Gully
*
Strother Martin
Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable pe ...
as Fiddler
*
Clifton James
George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' (197 ...
as Tuttle
*
Dal Jenkins as Dancer
Reception
The film recorded a loss of $900,000.
See also
*
List of American films of 1964
A list of American films released in 1964.
''My Fair Lady'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
__TOC__
A-C and 0-9
D-F
G-H
I-K
L-Q
R-V
W-Z
See also
* 1964 in the United States
References
External links
1964 filmsat t ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Invitation To A Gunfighter
1964 films
1964 Western (genre) films
American Western (genre) films
1960s English-language films
Films based on television plays
Films directed by Richard Wilson (director)
Films scored by David Raksin
Films set in New Mexico
Films set in the 1860s
United Artists films
1960s American films