Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965) User Reviews (2)

1 standout scene

[lynch-dennis-1 · 4/10 · 2 July 2021]

There is one scene set an a campfire at night. At one point in the scene, one of the actors gets up and walks around behind the campfire and the other Cowboys sitting around it. As he does so, he bumps into the painted background and all of the distant mountains shake on the set.

This was the source of unending laughter in my high school film class in the spring of 1970. It is also the only thing I remember about this movie.

This is also notable as the last film performance of Raymond Hatton, who did over 500 movies starting back in the 1910s.

Requiem for old timers...

[searchanddestroy-1 · 6 March 2011]

That's the last film directed by the vet Spencer Gordon Bennett, the man who made so many serials, back in the 40's and 50's, with William Witney. He was a very prolific film maker, but only B ones. This western is in the same "trail" as the others directed by the likes of RG Springsteen or Lesley Selander, vets too. Westerns charactered by old timers such as Dana Andrews, Lon Chanet Jr, Richard Arlen and so many old western actors. But no real stars, of course.

This is the tale of a gunman - Rod Cameron - who impersonates a judge whom he became the friend, when this latest was on the way to a little town where outlaws ruled it, and where a man was murdered. Outlaws lead by Stephen Mac Nally who decided to get rid of the law man. And they succeed in it. So Cameron takes his place as a judge in order to avenge his friend...

He arrives in town and every one thinks he is really a law man. But he confesses to a young couple who sympathize with him who he actually is. And, guess what, they learn him the law, how to lead a trial.

So unusual, nearly funny.

Not bad, not boring, but the ending is disappointing. Only surprising.

I always keep in mind the last picture of a last movie's director.