Western

A Gunfight

- In Bajo Rio, they pay to see a man kill a bull. Today, they'll pay to see a man kill another man.

Will Tenneray and Abe Cross are two aging, famous gunfighters, both in need of money. Tenneray comes up with the idea to stage a duel to the death in a bullfight arena, with the ticket proceeds going to the winner.

Release Date : 1971-08-25

Language :EnglishHungarian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount PicturesJoel ProductionsHarvest PicturesThoroughbred Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Abe Cross

Original Name : Johnny Cash

Gender : Male

Character Name : Will Tenneray

Original Name : Kirk Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nora Tenneray

Original Name : Jane Alexander

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jenny Simms

Original Name : Karen Black

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marv Green

Original Name : Dana Elcar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marshal Tom Cater

Original Name : Robert J. Wilke

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Young Gunfighter

Original Name : Keith Carradine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bud Tenneray

Original Name : Eric Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ed Fleury

Original Name : Paul Lambert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newt Hale

Original Name : James D. Cavasos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kyle Briggs

Original Name : Philip L. Mead

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dekker

Original Name : George Le Bow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toby Leach

Original Name : John J. Wallwork

Gender : Male

Character Name : Canbury

Original Name : Neil Davis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poker Player

Original Name : Dave Burleson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Teller

Original Name : Douglas Doran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Foreman

Original Name : John Gill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joey

Original Name : Timothy Tuinstra

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Poker Player

Original Name : Dick O'Shea

Gender : Male

Character Name : MacIntyre

Original Name : R.C. Bishop

Gender : Male

Character Name : Saloon Hostess

Original Name : Donna Dillenschneider

Gender : Male

Character Name : Saloon Hostess

Original Name : Paula Dillenschneider

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Whoever wins loses. A Gunfight is directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Harold Jack Bloom. It stars Kirk Douglas, Johnny Cash, Jane Alexander, Karen Black and Raf Vallone. Music is by Laurence Rosenthal and cinematography by David Walsh. Will Tenneray (Douglas) and Abe Cross (Cash) are two ageing gunfighters who after meeting each other in town hit it of straight away and actually like and respect each other. However, with both men in need of money and the whole town intrigued as to who would win in a gunfight between them, Tenneray hits upon the idea of the two of them having the gunfight and selling tickets to the event, with the winner receiving the ticket proceeds… It was the first mainstream American film to be financed by American Indians—the Jicarilla Apaches—but this in now way was a propaganda move since the narrative has nothing to do with Native Americans. It's a most unusual Western in a lot of ways, off beat and deliberately played for fun at times, yet it pulses with dark thematics involving the human condition. Stripped bare is the fickle value of celebrity status, deftly cloaked with the ignorant blood-lust of a paying public. Director Johnson keeps the pacing smooth as we get to know both men and watch their relationship unfold. All the while we are getting a grasp on the townsfolk in general, while the two ladies of the men's world are impacting greatly due to the sensitive screenplay. All roads lead to the ironic venue of a bullfighting arena across the border, where a full house of paying patrons come to see one of the men die. Whoever that is doesn't really matter, the caustic insertion of a dream sequence at film's end leaves us in no doubt that the winner really hasn't won at all. With great performances from Douglas and Alexander, and good ones from Cash and Black, film also holds up well on the acting front. But the real stars here are Johnson and Bloom, for they have produced a clever picture that doesn't over reach itself by trying to be cerebral. It deserves to be better known and appraised. 7.5/10