Art Hindle is Cole Everett; Tony Abbaddo his brother Matt, and they’re trying to make a go of their legacy, the Triple E ranch left them by their father.
The third “E” is for Dutch Everett (Reiner Schone), a cousin who has traveled from Europe to Kansas to help with that enterprise.
Their biggest problem is land-hungry Deke Turner (George Kennedy), a town boss who wants to get his hands on the Everett land and will do anything to accomplish that mission, from cutting off their water to having his henchmen dress up as Indians and raid the ranch.
Their second problem is that younger brother Matt is bored with life on the ranch and wants to make a name for himself, just like his idol Billy the Kid. So he’d rather practice his six-gun skills than mend fences.
Matt also fancies the sheriff’s daughter, pretty Kate Burrows. He visits her when the sheriff is away, only to find another man in her bed. When that man, Luke Collins, shoots first, Matt guns him down.
Knowing Turner and the sheriff will likely use the incident as an excuse to put a noose around his neck, Matt flees, kills a second man in a fair gunfight and earns the nickname The Kansas Kid.
His luck runs out when he tries to snitch food off a picnic table at a party for another pretty girl. He’s recognized from his wanted poster, arrested and sent back to Kansas to hang.
He doesn’t, of course, because his brother and cousin rescue him, though that puts them on the outlaw trail as well.
In fact, they join the Martin gang. Their main goal: Targeting assets belonging to Deke Turner. Their one rule: No one gets killed.
Art Hindle as Cole Everett, exchaning harsh words with Turner’s hand-picked sheriff in The Gunfighters (1987)
Tony Abbaddo as Matt Everett, voting to join the Martin gang for one last job in The Gunfighters (1987)
Review:
It’s silliness heaped upon more silliness in this TV Western that looks like a series pilot that failed to yield a series.
Our heroic trio includes Art Hindle as Cole, haunted by a past in which he killed the wrong man; Reiner Schone as Dutch, who’d rather use a bullwhip than a gun; and Tony Abbaddo as Matt, who aspires to be the next Billy the Kid.
You know we’re in trouble five minutes in when we’re confronted with Abbadoo, showing up his sculpted physique because he’s practicing his six-shooting skills nude from the waist up, save for a pretty red bandana.
Want more silliness? How about the trio deciding to rescue a very pregnant stage passenger by putting her on a horse to flee a possible posse. Or Dutch preventing a gang leader from killing a shotgun guard by grabbing his rifle with that aforementioned bullwhip, then yanking said gang leader right out of his saddle.
Abbaddo is atrocious in his film debut. He’s shaken by his first killing, but guns men down without blinking an eye afterwards. Though he tears up at the memory of his dad’s death, gets squeamish watching childbirth and chokes up when he learns his idol, Billy the Kid, is dead.
Having an overweight Kennedy on hand as the snarling villain only makes matter worse.
Reiner Schone as Dutch Everett, who prefers a bullwhip to a six-gun in The Gunfighters (1987)
George Kennedy as Deke Turner, the land-hungry town boss who wants the Everett ranch in The Gunfighters (1987)
Directed by:
Clay Borris
Cast:
Art Hindle … Cole Everett
Reiner Schone … Dutch Everett
Tony Abbaddo … Matt Everett
George Kennedy … Deke Turner
Michael Kane … Gov. Hornbeck
Lori Hallier … Sally Wells
Howard Kruschke … Jake Morant
Francis Damberger … Sam Martin
Beverly Hendry … Kate Burrows
Wendell Smith … Sheriff Burrows
Moira Walley-Beckett …. Lorna
as Moira Wally
Dale Wilson … Coburn
Bill Mellen … Bennett
Bryan Fustukian … Henry
Eric Allan Kramer … Luke Collins
Blair Haynes … Deputy
Runtime: 96 min.
Francis Dambertger as Sam Martin, leader of the outlaw gang the Everetts join in The Gunfighters (1987)
Howard Kruschke as Jake Morant, Matt’s outlaw friend who introduces the Everetts to Sam Martin in The Gunfighters (1987)
Memorable lines:
Sheriff Burrows: “Luke Collins was scum. I don’t care bout him being dead. Good riddance. But not in my darling daughter’s bedroom. You’re not spreading your smiles around town any more.”
Cole Everett: “Stand up, Turner. A man shouldn’t die sittin’.”
Deke Turner: “Everett, you should have killed me. You’re a fool with a soft heart, and it’s gonna cost you. I’ll live to see the three of you hang.”
Wendell Smith as Sheriff Burrows, the lawman who does Turner’s bidding in The Gunfighters (1987)
Beverly Hendry as Kate Burrows, the sheriff’s daughter who witnesses Matt’s first killing in The Gunfighters (1987)
Moira Walley-Beckett as Lorna, the pretty girl who catches Matt snitching food at her party in The Gunfighters (1987)
Lori Hallier as Sally Wells, the pregnant stage passenger the Everetts rescue in The Gunfighters (1987)
Dale WIlson as Coburn, the Pinkerton agent Turner hires to track down the Everetts in The Gunfighters (1987)
Art Hinkle as Cole Everett, trying to keep new mom Sally Wells (Lori Hallier) safe in The Gunfighters (1987)
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