Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Money, Women and Guns (1958) posterAn old prospector named Ben Merriweather is gunned down trying to protect his valuable little mine from three would-be thieves. But before he dies, he hastily scribbles out a will, doling out a $300,000 fortune.

On comes a reknown detective of the old West, “Silver” Ward Hogan (Jock Mahoney). His job: Find the killer and track down the prospector’s heirs, each of whom is owed $50,000. And if he does find the killer, he’ll claim the last $50,000 for himself.

During his search, he learns the prospector left the money not to his best friends, but to men who have or might stray from the straight and narrow.

There’s Dave Kingman, a wide-eyed youth with dreams bigger than his family’s meager wealth; Clint Gunston, who once shared a cell with the old man and got sick of his lecturing; Henry Devers, a one-time partner of the old man who betrayed him to gain possession of a worthless mine; and Johnny Bee, who pretends to help Hogan solve his case while all along trying to keep secret the role he played in the old man’s death.

In the course of his journey, Hogan falls for little Dave’s mom, Mary (Kim Hunter).

Review:

Jock Mahoney began the 1950s as “The Range Rider” in a TV series of the same name and ended it as the star of another Western series, “Yancy Derringer.”

In between, he starred in a number of low-budget Westerns including this film, which features a neat plot, a few interesting twists — including the identity of an heir named Judas –but lacks any real suspense. It’s mighty short on action, too. So the unusual plot winds up being wasted.

More interesting is the career of Kim Hunter, who was among the actresses labeled a Communist and blacklisted at one point. She might not be a household name for Western fans, but she won a supporting actress nomination for the role of Stella in “Streetcar Named Desire” (1951) and played the role of Dr. Zira in the original “Planet of the Apes” film and two of the sequels.

The marked the second pairing of Mahoney and child actor Tim Hovey. They also performed together in the 1957 comedy Western “Slim Carter.”

Jock Mahoney as Silver Ward Hogan, Lon Chaney Jr. as Art Birdwell and James Gleason as Henry Devers in Money, Women and Guns (1958) Directed by:
Richard Bartlett

Cast:
Jock Mahoney … “Silver” Ward Hogan
Tim Hovey … Dave Kingman
Kim Hunter … Mary Kingman
Tom Drake … Jess Ryerson
Gene Evans … Sheriff Abner Crowley
James Gleason … Henry Devers
Lon Chaney Jr. … Art Birdwell
William Campbell … Clint Gunston
Judith Meredith … Sally Gunston
Jeffrey Stone … Johnny Bee
Phillip Terry … Damian Bard
Richard Devon … Setting Sun
Ian McDonald … Nibbs
Don Megowan … John Briggs

Runtime: 80 min.

Memorable lines:

Mary Kingman: “Don’t get the idea you’re facing a frightened woman with a gun that’s too big for her. I know how to use this thing, mister.”
“Silver” Ward Hogan, nude as he baths in a creek: “Ma’am, when you point that thing at me you make me plumb nervous. You ain’t gonna have no need for it because, as you can see, I haven’t got mine.”

“Silver” Ward Hogan: “How long has it been since you’ve taken a walk in the moonlight with a man.”
Mary Kingman: “Is that an invitation, Mr. Hogan?”
Hogan: “Yes, ma’am.”
Mary: “I’m afraid you might find the chill too much for you.”
Hogan: “I’m willing to take a chance if you are.”
Mary: “It’s past my bedtime.”
Hogan: “What’s your hurry? You have the rest of your life to be lonely.”

Clint Gunston to his wife Sally: “I’m a living jinx. It’s been proved a thousand times.”

Jess Ryerson: “What do you want now? A confession?”
“Silver” Ward Hogan: “They say it’s good for the soul.”
Ryerson: “Whiskey’s better. Much better.”

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One Response

  1. Joanne Balcom June 3, 2020

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