Money, Women and Guns (1958)

An 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 renown 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.

Oh, 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; and Henry Devers, a one-time partner of the old man who betrayed him to gain possession of a worthless mine.

Hogan also encounters a young bounty hunter named Johnny Bee, who wouldn’t mind joining forces with the famed detective in return for part of the reward, but really has ulterior motives.

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

Jock Mahoney as ‘Silver’ Ward Hogan, trying to find Ben Merriweather’s heirs and killer in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Phillip Terry as Damian Bard, the man who hires ‘Silver’ Ward Hogan to find four heirs and a killer in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

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.”

Tim Hovey as Dave Kingman, one of the potential heirs and Mary Kingman’s son in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Kim Hunter as Mary Kingman, getting to know Ward Hogan better over a cup of coffee 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.

William Campbell as Clinton Gunston, an ex-con trying to go straight for his wife’s sake in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Judi Meredith as Sally Gunston, dreaming of a better life with her husband Clinton in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

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.”

Jeffrey Stone as Johnny Bee, the young bounty hunter who proposed a partnership with Ward Hogan in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Gene Evans as Sheriff Abner Crowley, forming a posse to track down Clinton Gunston in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Don Megowan as John Briggs, owner of a general store on one of the potential heirs in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

James Gleason as Henry Devers, an old-timer who was once partners with the slain miner in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Lon Chaney Jr. as Art Birdwell, down-on-his luck miner and friend of Henry Devers in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Steve Darrell as Sheriff Madsen, fretting that Henry Devers might have become a murder victim in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Tom Drake as Jess Ryerson, the man Ward Hogan suspects of killing miner Ben Merriweather in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Nolan Leary as Jobe Kingman, making sure grandson Dave tells the detective the truth in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Ian MacDonald as Nibbs, a man detective Ward Hogan pays for information in Money, Women and Guns (1958)

Jock Mahoney as ‘Silver’ Ward Hogan, arriving in town out of costume and unrecognizable in Money, Women and Guns (1958)