Gun for a Coward (1956)

Fred MacMurray is Will, Jeffrey Hunter is Bless and Dean Stockwell is “Hades” in this tale of the three Keough brothers, ranching out West.

Will is the oldest brother, forced to grow up early by his father’s death. He watches over their ranch, became a father figure to his younger brothers and even puts off his own happiness — including marriage — until he sure the ranch’s future is secure.

“Hades?” Well, the nickname says it all. The youngest brother fears nothing, is eager to prove he’s a man and is more prone to provoke a fight than avoid one.

Bless is just the opposite, slow to anger, hesitant of confrontation, preferring to reason his way through a situation.

All of which is complicated by the women in their lives. Mrs. Keough dotes over Bless; he’s “her” son, she says. Will and “Hades” are younger versions of her husband.

She would like nothing better than to return East and take Bless with her.

Then there’s Aud Niven (Janice Rule), the daughter of a neighboring rancher. She’s been promised to Will. But she grows tired of waiting.

And while waiting, she begins to fall for Bless. She admires his gentle nature and, like him, she doesn’t feel like she quite fits in her father’s vision of the West.

But eventually, Bless is branded a coward because of that gentle nature. And everyone around wonders if there’s anything he considers worth fighting for.

Jeffrey Hunter as Bless Keough, torn between pleasing his mother and staying on the ranch and proving his manhood in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Fred MacMurray as Will Keough, forced to help raise his two brothers and build a profitable ranch in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Review:

If you’re looking for a rough-and-tumble Western brimming with action, look elsewhere. If you’re up for an interesting character study and a Western where the characters have a good deal more depth than usual, this one might be for you.

Josephine Hutchinson has a particularly unique role as Ma Keough, a woman who clearly cares for one son more than the others and isn’t afraid to guilt him into bending to her will. And Fred MacMurray is solid in the role of an older brother who watches over both of his younger brother and sides with Bless more often than “Hades” … at least until he’s “betrayed” by Bless’ love for Aud.

This marked one of the first adult film roles for Dean Stockwell, who was 20 at the time. A former child actor, he got his start in films in 1945. Josephine Hutchinson? Nearly 20 years earlier she played the role of the bride of Baron von Frankenstein in 1939’s “Son of Frankenstein.”

Dean Stockwell as Hade Keough, the youngest brother, reckless and fearless in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Janice Rule as Aud Niven, trying to get Bless Keoough to reveal how he really feels about her in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Directed by:
Abner Biberman

Cast:
Fred MacMurray … Will Keough
Jeffrey Hunter … Bless Keough
Dean Stockwell … “Hades” Keough
Janice Rule … Aud Niven
Chill Wills … Loving
Josephine Hutchinson … Ma Keough
Paul Birch … Andy Niven
Betty Lynn … Claire
Jane Howard … Marie
Marjorie Stapp … Rose
Iron Eyes Cody … Chief
Robert F. Hoy … Danny
John Larch … Stringer
Bob Steele … Durkee
Frances Morris … Mrs. Anderson

Runtime: 88 min.

Josephine Hutchinson as Mrs. Keough, trying to convince Bless Keough (Jeffrey Hunter) to return East with her in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Chill Wills as Loving, a right-hand man on the Keough ranch in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Memorable lines:

Bless Keough: Why’s it so hard living a life? Why does somebody always have to get hurt?”
Will Keough: “Well. Bless, I guess we all just have to pay for living and being, one way or another.”

Aud Niven: “It’s a hard thing to be different, Will. You’ll never know how hard.”
Will Keough: “Different. Yeah. What kind of thing is it that crawls up behind his kin and takes from him?”

Janice Rule as Aud Niven, trying to convince Will Keough it’s time to marry in Gun for a Coward (1956)

John Larch as Stringer, a rancher on the verge of bankruptcy, confronting Bless Keough in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Janice Rule as Aud Niven and Jeffrey Hunter as Bless Keough, growing closer as time passes in Gun for a Coward (1956)

The man who confronts Hade and Bless Keough in a small-town saloon in Gun for a Coward (1956) Does anyone know who plays this part?

Dean Stockwell as Hade Keough with saloon girls Jane Howard as Marie and Marjorie Stapp as Rose in Gun for a Coward (1956)

Janice Rule as Aud Niven and Jeffrey Hunter as Bless Keough, helping Aud’s dad Andy (Paul Birch) when he breaks his leg in Gun for a Coward (1956)