Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Marty Robbins plays himself. He’s a gentleman bandit who robs stages and trains, then uses his bounty to buy gifts for saloon girls and make large donations to the church.

His prime nemesis is Alan McCord, a businessman who’s also into thievery. Problem is, whenever his men head out to do a job, Marty seems to get there before they do, stealing the loot before they can.

Knowing there are only so many trains and stages laden with gold, McCord is quickly tiring of Marty’s interference.

Caught in the middle is a pretty saloon gal named Secora. She’s been bedding men since she was 12, is sure she’s no good and no man will ever want her … well, at least as a wife.

She’s loved McCord for years and always hoped he would return her affection. Now Marty’s taken an interest in her and proposed marriage.

She puts him off, convinced he won’t be able to forgive her past.

It’s at that point that McCord decides Secora’s too good to let go.

Now there’s more than gold standing between McCord and Marty.

Marty Robbins as himself, delivering tough talk to McCord in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Joyce Redd as Secora, the girl who believes no man will want her as a bride in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Review:

Crudely done, and if you don’t want to know how the film ends, I’d suggest not listening to Robbins’ ballad “San Angelo” before watching. Unfortunately, it plays over the climax, so that the lyrics tell us what’s going to happen just before it unfolds on screen. Oh, my.

Meanwhile, Robbins won’t remind anyone of John Wayne. But his acting is miles better than some of his co-stars, including Joyce Redd as Secora and Robert Barron as McCord. Barron is as dull a villain as has ever graced a Western.

Besides this film, those two had a grand total of one acting credit between them. So perhaps it was appropriate that Robbins’ horse Traveler got second billing — in the opening and closing credits.

Robert Barron as McCord, the crooked businessman irritated by Marty Robbins’ Robin-Hood-like activities in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Laurete Luez as Felina, one of the dance hall queens in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Director:
Bill Ward

Cast:
Marty Robbins … Marty Robbins
Joyce Redd … Secora
Robert Barron … McCord
Nestor Paiva … Padre
Michael Davis … Miguelito
Laurette Luez … Felina
Jack Carney … Sam
Charlie Aldrich … Amigo
Paul McDonald … Mr. Baker
Cynthia Goodwins … First Nun
Claudia Aldrich … Second Nune
Gene Davis … Bartender
Tom Cloud … Blacksmith
Jerry Vance … Outlaw
Dick Leming … Outlaw

Runtime: 84 min.

Nestor Pavia as the padre who receives proceeds from Marty’s robberies and puts them to good use in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Michael Davis as Miguelito, the young boy who’s a friend of Marty Robbins in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Memorable lines:

Robbins: “Someday, I’m going to have to kill you.”
McCord: “A snake that rattles or an enemy that shouts is not very dangerous. You lack the ability to vacillate. And forewarned is forearmed.”
Robbins: “If that means I’m not slippery, you’re slippery enough for the both of us.”

Robbins: “How long did you live with your uncle?”
Secora: “I was 12. Til I ran away on my 15th birthday.”

Robbins: “The Bible says there’s good in every one of us.”
Secora: “The Bible was written before I was born.”

Jack Carney as Sam, the sheriff aligned with McCord, the crooked businessman in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Michael Davis as Miguelito, guiding Marty Robbins’ horse Traveler on a visit to the mission in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Joyce Redd as Secora, the young woman who’s been passed from man to man and wound up with McCord in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Laurette Luez as Felina, queen of the dance hall girls in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Robert Barron as McCord and Marty Robbins as himself, foes in a game of thievery in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)

Marty Robbins as himself, seeking advice from dance hall girl Felina in Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964)