The Gunfighter (1950)

Gregory Peck is Jimmy Ringo, the fastest man alive, with a dozen notches on his six-gun. He rides into the small town of Cayenne after his latest killing, that of a youngster spoiling for a fight.

But he’s not looking for another target, he’s seeking hope for the future.

He’s tired of living the life of a fast gun. In Cayenne, an old friend (Millard Mitchell as Mark Strett) is marshal.

In Cayenne, his wife (Helen Wescott as Peggy Walsh) and son are living under a different last name.

Ringo’s hoping to talk to his wife, if only for a few minutes, to see if there’s still hope that they could have a future together.

And while he waits, three threats converge.

The three brothers of the man he killed the day before are hot on his trail. A townsman who believes Ringo gunned down his son years before is eager for a taste of revenge. And a young hothead (Skip Homeier as Hunt Bromley) is eager to test his gun against the great Jimmy Ringo.

Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, warning a young gun to leave him alone in The Gunfighter (1950)

Helen Wescott as Peggy Walsh (aka Ringo), meeting with her estranged husband in The Gunfighter (1950)

Review

Brilliantly done, with director Henry King effortlessly shifting from one threat to the other as the tension mounts. A literate script helps. So does a splendid cast on a film that’s proof that you don’t need lots of shootouts to make a classic Western.

And the scene in which the peace-loving women of the town try to convince the marshal to “shoot him down like a dog” while Ringo is standing among them listening is priceless. Peck, Mitchell and Homeier all turn in sterling performances.

Yep, that’s Karl Malden behind the bar in one of his first credited screen roles. B.G. Norman played Jimmy Ringo’s son in an uncredited role. He went on to appear in a number of TV Western series, including “The Lone Ranger,” “The Roy Rogers Show,” “The Gene Autry Show” and “The Cisco Kid.”

Millard Mitchell as Marshal Mark Strett, Ringo’s old friend, explaining how he managed to settle down in The Gunfighter (1950)

Jean Parker as Molly, the saloon singer speaking to Peggy on Ringo’s behalf in The Gunfighter (1950)

Directed by:
Henry King

Cast:
Gregory Peck … Jimmy Ringo
Helen Wescott … Peggy Walsh
Millard Mitchell … Marshal Mark Strett
Jean Parker … Molly (singer)
Karl Malden … Mac (barkeeper)
Skip Homeier … Hunt Bromley
Richard Jaeckel … Eddie
Anthony Ross .. Deputy Charlie Norris
Verna Felton … August Pennyfeather
Ellen Corby … Mrs. Devlin

Runtime: 85 min.

Skip Homeier as Hunt Bromley, the young man eager to prove he’s as fast as Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter (1950)

Richard Jaeckel as Eddie, a young gun about to test Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter (1950)

Memorable lines:

Eddie: “He don’t look so tough to me.”
Card player: “Well, if he ain’t so tough there’s been an awful lot of sudden, natural deaths in his vicinity.”

Jimmy Ringo: “Yep, I’m a big man now.”
Marshal Strett: “That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Top gun of the West.”
Jimmy: “Yep. Guess I got more people wondering when I’ll get killed than any other man in the country.”

Hunt Bromley: “Looks like you’re being mighty careful about that killer.”
Marshal Mark Strett: “I just don’t want any great big terrible men like you scaring him to death.”

Jimmy Ringo: “It a fine life, ain’t it? Just trying to stay alive. Not really living. Not enjoying anything. Not getting anywhere. Just trying to keep from getting killed.”

Marshal Mark Strett to Jimmy Ringo: “I’m surely glad you don’t stop by here every morning.”

Gregory Peck as Johnny Ringo, with Deputy Charlie Norris (Anthony Ross), spotting trouble in The Gunfighter (1950)

Karl Malden as Mac, the bartender at the Palace Saloon in The Gunfighter (1950)

Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo (right) insisting to Marshal Strett (Millard Mitchell) and Peggy (Helen Wescott) that he see his son before leaving Cayenne in The Gunfighter (1950)

Cliff Clark as Jerry Marlowe, hoping to ambush Jimmy Ringo to avenge his son’s death in The Gunfighter (1950)

B.G. Norman as Jimmy meeting with Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck) in The Gunfighter (1950)

Verna Felton as August Pennyfeather, head of the ladies’ group, suggesting Jimmy Ringo be ‘shot down like a dog’ in The Gunfighter (1950)