Burt Berger is the Preacher, a gunman so-named because he tried so hard to talk one of his early victims out of a showdown. And he’s a reluctant gunfighter, a man who got his start killing the man who shot down his father. Now he’s got a reputation is can’t escape, but yearns for the day he can go by his real name — Ted Matthews.
He rides into a new town where he finds a new job and a girl. The new job involves guarding gold shipment that have been robbed entirely too frequently. The girl is a pretty dark-haired filly named Melody Trent (Jo Anne Meredith), half-owner of the local saloon.
Problem is, the other half owner is a jealous man named Rafe. He’s determined to make Melody his personal property. And if he can’t have her, he vows no one else will either. Of course, guess who’s behind the gold robberies? That’s right, Rafe and his prime henchman, Smiley.
Review:
My, oh, my, this film hits the bottom of the barrel. This marked the only big-screen appearance for several of the actors, Berger included. It also marked the only film directed by Raymond Boley.
Dime-store sets — check out that church — are accompanied by a story that plods along, complete with some ludicrous dialogue (especially when Melody and the Preacher pair up) and the Preacher inexplicably showing up in town from time to time in between escorting a gold shipment to safety when the bad guys try to figure out where he is.
The Preacher, though, is a much smarter man. Stumbling across a dead outlaw his boss recognizes as a man he once saw in town, he proclaims that narrows down the problem. His boss wonders why. Because, of course, they must be dealing with someone from around town, the Preacher proclaims in a moment of brilliance.
Directed by:
Raymond Boley
Cast:
Burt Berger … Preacher
Jo Anne Meredith … Melody Trent
John Scovern … Rafe
Everett King … Smiley
Stirling Welker … Sloan
Bob Pollard … Old Man
Ray Odum … Gambler
Mark Farrington … Priest
Allen Wood … Wells Fargo Agent
Runtime: 72 min.
Title song:
“Peace for a Gunfighter”
sung by: Dolan Ellis
Memorable lines:
Melody Trent: “You know how to handle men, don’t you?”
Preacher: “Pretty much.”
Melody: “And women?”
Preacher: “They’re a little harder. And a lot more interesting.”
Melody: “They’re really not that hard.”
Preacher: “Where’d you get the black eye?”
Melody Trent: “What black eye?”
Preacher: “You have a bruise under your eye.”
Melody: “Let’s not talk about it.”
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