The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rory Calhoun is Blaine Madden, a fast gun with a checkered past. He stops in his hometown after a three-year absence, but quickly runs into trouble.

Two men looking for him use his drunken father to lure him into the open. His father winds up getting killed.

And that’s an act Madden won’t let go unpunished.

So he winds up bound for Sanctuary, a town that lives up to its name. It’s a town where he’s boss and where those on the run can hide out, under two conditions: They pay their way and they don’t kill one another.

Along for the ride is Madden’s new, young friend, “Red” Roan (Rob Lauren.) Madden sees Roan as a younger version of himself.

On Madden’s trail is an old friend, Sheriff Ben Corey (Rod Cameron), who figures he has to take Madden in for the two killings, but isn’t looking forward to the proposition.

His deputy has no such compunctions. He’s always been jealous of Madden and his hold over a sheriff he looks up to as a father.

Rory Calhoun as Blaine Madden, admitting to avenging his father’s death in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rod Cameron as Sheriff Ben Corey, trying to take Blaine Madden in on a possible double murder charge in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Review:

Intriguing little Western, full of snappy dialogue, a couple of wrinkles you won’t expect once Madden reaches his home and an equally surprising ending. Certainly the best of Calhoun’s Westerns from the 1960s.

The veteran presence of Calhoun and Cameron help balance out overwrought performances from young gun Rod Lauren and Morgan Woodward, the whining deputy who is particularly annoying.

This marked the final film for director Edward Ludwig, who got his start way back in the silents and whose directing credits include ‘The Fabulous Texan” and “The Vanquished.”

The role of Madden’s long-suffering lover Marlene is played by Ruta Lee, who got her film start in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and settled into a long TV acting career. When she hit the big screen, it was usually in a Western. She also appeared in “Sergeants Three” and the Audie Murphy vehicle “Bullet for a Badman.”

Lauren was clearly being groomed as a star singer/actor in the Elvis vein. He never made it, scoring one hit as a singer. As an actor, he’s best remembered as the guy who takes home a disembodied hand from a crash site in the cult horror flic, “The Crawling Hand” (1963). He died of suicide at age 66 in 2007. He also sings the song that plays over the opening credits of this film.

Rod Lauren as ‘Reb’ Roan, telling Blaine Madden about his propensity to find trouble in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Ruta Lee as Marleen, the woman who wants to love Blaine Madden if he’ll only let her in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Directed by:
Edward Ludwig

Cast:
Rory Calhoun … Blaine Madden
Rod Cameron … Sheriff Ben Corey
Rob Lauren … ‘Reb’ Roan
Ruta Lee … Marleen
Morgan Woodward … Deputy Mitchell
Robert J. Wilke … Johnny Flanders
John Litel … Madden’s father
Jody Daniels … Tommy
Ron Whelan … Blackjack
Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. … Miguel
Lane Bradford … Joe Solly
Joan Connors … Roan’s woman
Glenn Stensel … Lue Sully
Natividad Vacio … Quid

Title tune:
“Searcher for Love”
performed by Rod Lauren

Morgan Woodward as Deputy ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, obsessed with the notion of bringing Blaine Madden to justice in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Robert J. Wilke as Johnny Flanders, in a dispute with an estranged partner as Miguel (Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.) looks on in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Memorable lines:

Sheriff Ben Corey, handing over a six-shooter: “Reb, I took this away from you last night while you were asleep. I didn’t want you to roll over and blow your big toe off.”
Reb Roan: “Well, that’s real motherly of you sheriff. If I’d known that I would have let you listen to my prayers and tuck me in.”

Reb Roan: “Ain’t nothing like a good fight to wake a man up, is there? Matter of fact, that’s my philosophy, you know? Start the day off with a good fight and end it with a bad woman. It’s a lot easier to find a fight, though.”

Sheriff Ben Casey, about the death of Madden’s father: “I know how you feel.”
Blaine Madden: “No you don’t, Ben. You’d have to crawl inside my guts to know that, and I ain’t got room in there for you.”

Saloon girl: “You wanna play.”
“Reb” Roan: “Ooh, you just name the game.”
Saloon girl: “I meant poker. You look to young for anything else.”
Reb: “Good Lord just blessed me with a young face is all. The rest of me is older than sin.”

Rory Calhoun as Blaine Madden, ordering Johnny Flanders out of Sanctuary in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Ruta Lee as Marleen, waking from a night in Blaine Madden’s bed in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rod Lauren as ‘Reb’ Roan with the ‘bad girl’ (Joan Connors) he finds in Sanctuary in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Lane Bradford as Joe Sully and Glenn Stensel as his brother Luke, two men who run afoul of Blaine Madden in The Gun Hawk (1963)

John Litel as Blaine Madden’s drunk father, recognizing his son at the saloon in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Jody Daniels as Tommy, one of the Santuary residents who look up to Blaine Madden in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. as Miguel, reporting to Blaine Madden on what’s happened while he’s been away from Sanctuary in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rory Calhoun as Blaine Madden and Rod Lauren as ‘Reb’ Roan, wondering what the Sully brothers are up to in The Gun Hawk (1963)

Rod Cameron as Sheriff Ben Corey, trying to take Blaine Madden (Rory Calhoun) into custody in Sanctuary in The Gun Hawk (1963)