The town leaders of Purgatory have sent away for a fast gun named Haggerty to deal with a crooked saloon owner named Hoag (Paul Richards).
But Haggerty never makes it to town. He’s gunned down by a faster gun, that of Tom Sabin (James Craig).
So when Sabin arrives in Purgatory, he’s offered the role of town tamer, specifically, $500 to tame Hoag.
But this will be an unusual taming because Hoag is a cripple, living in a wheelchair as a result of a stage accident.
As such, he’s protected by a sort of gunman’s code of honor. No one wants to be known as the man who gunned down a cripple.
Hoag has no such compulsions. He immediately begins plotting Sabin’s demise. First, he sics one of his own men on the town tamer.
And when he’s gunned down, he sends away for three fast guns — Quijano, Farmer Brown and Johnny Naco (Brett Halsey).
Complications arise when Johnny Naco turns out to be Sabin’s brother. And when Hoag’s wife falls for Sabin, though she’s determined to stay faithful to her husband.
James Craig as Tom Sabin, the man who accepts the role of town tamer in Purgatory in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Paul Richards as Hoag, getting ready to send invitations to three hired killers in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Review:
An odd little Western in which the four fast guns of the title include Sabin and the three men hired to kill him.
Mary Hoag’s almost instant attraction to the man hired to rid the town of her husband is difficult to swallow.
And Edgar Buchanan’s role as comic relief — the drunk who takes up residence in the vacant marshal’s office — isn’t very funny.
But the film gets much better once Brett Halsey shows up in the Johnny Naco role, unaware he’s been hired to kill his own brother.
He and Mary Hoag work out a plan they think will allow everyone to live at least sort of happily ever after.
Of course, nothing goes as planned.
Martha Vickers as Mary Hoag, determined to stay faithful to her husband in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Brett Halsey as Johnny Naco, accepting $3,000 to kill a man who turns out to be his brother in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Directed by:
William J. Hole Jr.
Cast:
James Craig … Tom Sabin
Martha Vickers … Mary Hoag
Edgar Buchanan … Dipper
Brett Halsey … Johnny Naco
Paul Richards … Hoag
Richard Martin … Quijano
Blu Wright … Farmer Brown
John Swift … Zodie Dawes
Paul Raymond … Bob, bartender
James Hurley … Haggerty
Grizzly Green … Grady
Roger Anderson … Jack
Joe Enna … Don Perkins
H. Tom Cain … Red, blacksmith
Michael West … Elmer
Runtime: 72 min.
Edgar Buchanan as Dipper, the drunk who’s taken up residence in the Purgatory jail in Four Fast Guns (1960)
John Swift as Zodie Dawes, a younger eager to make a name as a gunman in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Memorable lines:
Haggerty: “Stay clear of Purgatory. Remember that.”
Tom Sabin: “I forgot already.”
Tom Sabin: “All that money for taming one man.”
Town leader: “No, half a man. But you may not live to spend the money.”
Tom Sabin: “I’m not angel.
Mary Hoag: “That’s lucky. Angels get their wings singed in Purgatory.”
Sign greeting those who enter: “When you enter Purgatory, say goodbye to God.”
Blu Wright as Farmer Brown, figuring out the surest way to gun down Tom Sabin in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Richard Martin as Quijano, the first fast gun to answer a call for help from Hoag (Paul Richards) in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Martha Vickers as Mary Hoag, ready to enforce her own sense of justice in Four Fast Guns (1960)
Brett Halsey as Johnny Naco and James Craig at Tom Sabin, meeting over a drink in Four Fast Guns (1960)
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