The Gatling Gun (1971)

Robert Fuller is Private Sneed, a cavalry deserter in on a plan to steal a Gatling gun, then swap it to the Apaches for gold.

That scheme involves fooling a preacher (John Carradine), who thinks the gun is being destroyed to stop needless killing.

The cavalry captures the deserter and recovers the gun, but that’s just the start of the problems for a small patrol led by Lt. Malcolm (Guy Stockwell).

Apache Chief Two-Knife (Carlos Rivas) wants that Gatling and is willing to sacrifice a number of his warriors in order to get it.

He’s managed to run off the cavalry’s horses. His warriors manage to whittle down the lieutenant’s small force.

But the lieutenant holds out hope because Two Knife doesn’t know the most important fact of all: The Gatling is missing its firing pin and isn’t working.

Meanwhile, Lt. Malcolm will rely on a scout named Runner (Woody Strode), the help of a rancher named Boland (Paul Harris) and the mechanical know-how of a man nicknamed Tin Pot (Pat Buttram) to make it back to safety.

Review:

Far from classic, but worth a look, and the film is easy to find since it’s included in lots of cheap boxed sets of Western DVDs.

The history lesson on the Gatling is only partly accurate. Technically, its inventor (Richard J. Gatling) was an MD, but he never practiced medicine.

Meanwhile, rancher Jim Boland often speaks up for the Indians, though they’ve just destroyed his ranch and stolen most of his livestock.

The rest of the cast includes Barbara Luna as the dark-haired beauty scheming with Sneed to steal the “king” gun, Patrick Wayne as the rancher’s son and Judith Jordan as the rancher’s daughter.

Woody Strode’s son Kalai has an uncredited role as an Apache warrior.

Directed by:
Robert Gordon

Cast:
Guy Stockwell … Lt. Malcolm
Robert Fuller … Pvt. Sneed
Barbara Luna … Leona
Woody Strode … Runner the Scout
Patrick Wayne … Jim Boland
Pat Buttram … Tin Pot
Carlos Rivas … Two-Knife
Tommy Cook … Pvt. Elwood
Steve Conte … Pvt. Mitchell
David Cargo … Cpl. Benton
John Carradine … The Rev. Harper
Judith Jordan … Martha Boland
as Judy Jordan
Phil Harris … Luke Boland

Runtime: 93 min.

Memorable lines:

Rev. Harper: “Private Sneed cleansed himself before God and man when he helped me do away with that instrument of hell.”

Tin Pot, inspecting the Gatling gun: “Looks like a 10-barrel coffee grinder.”

Luke Boland: “And a doctor invented that? That’s ironic. A healer of human beings creating a machine of destruction like this.”
Lt. Malcolm: “Yeah, but it seemed that his motive was just the opposite. He figured if he could invent a weapon that would make war terrible, people would stop fighting with one another.”
Boland: “I know, lieutenant, but that’s for dreamers. Why didn’t he study human nature first?”

Luke Boland, having slapped his son Jim: “I’d appreciate it, son, if you controlled your temper so I can control the back of my hand.”

Lt. Malcolm: “That Indian is a murderer.”
Luke Boland: “Who made him a murderer?”

Leona, as the Apache prepare to attack: “Aren’t you going to give me a gun to help?”
Lt. Malcolm: “To help who?”

Luke Boland, as the patrol uses gunpowder make explosives: “This ought to singe their feathers, lieutenant.”