Gun Glory

Gun Glory is a 1957 American Metrocolor Western film directed by Roy Rowland starring Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming.

Gun Glory
Directed byRoy Rowland
Produced byNicholas Nayfack
Screenplay byWilliam Ludwig
Based onMan of the West by Philip Yordan
StarringStewart Granger
Rhonda Fleming
Music byJeff Alexander
CinematographyHarold J. Marzorati
Edited byFrank Santillo
Production
company
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • July 19, 1957 (1957-07-19) (New York City)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,707,000[1]
Box office$2,550,000[1]

Plot

Tom Early rides into a Wyoming town where he once lived with his wife and son. In the general store, owner Wainscott is annoyed when he believes clerk Jo is flirtatious with Early.

At his old ranch, Early finds his wife's grave and his 17-year-old son, Tom Jr. (miscast by 24 year old Steve Rowland, son of the film's director Roy Rowland), an immature, childish young man embittered by his father's having abandoned them.

Jo takes a job as housekeeper at Early's ranch. She resists the advances of Tom Jr., whose resentment of his father grows. When they attend church, Wainscott turns the preacher's congregation against them, insinuating Jo is living there in sin.

Townspeople need help, though, when gunmen working for the villainous cattleman Grimsell ambush one of their own. A posse is formed, but by the time Early gets there, the preacher is dying and Tom Jr. is wounded.

Tom uses Dynamite to start a rockslide, stampeding Grimsell's cattle and killing some of his men. In a showdown, Early fights with Gunn, one of Grimsell's men, and just in the nick of time, Tom Jr. comes to his rescue. They return home to a relieved Jo.

Cast

Production

The film was based on an original story by Cyril Hume according to one account. Another says it was based on the novel Man of the West by Philip Yordan which Ben Maddow says he wrote under Yordan's name. Maddow also claims to have written the script. Yordan said "But if you read the screenplay, you'll see it fits the hero character that I've always written. I've always written the one character. The hero. A man with a cold, hard, bad past—and I never like to go into the past—with his own set of morals and everything else."[2]

It was one of a series of Westerns MGM started making following the success of The Fastest Gun Alive.[3]

Robert Horton was originally announced as star.[4] Then Stewart Granger was assigned to star. The film was made towards the end of Granger's contract with MGM and he felt they assigned him to this low-budget film to punish him for not renewing with the studio.[5]

He appeared opposite Steve Rowland, the son of the director.[6]

Burl Ives was to play the preacher but had to withdraw and was replaced by Chill Wills.[7] However the music recorded by Ives for the film was retained in the finished production.

Location

The film was shot on locations in Humboldt County, California.[8]

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,125,000 in the US and Canada and $1,425,000 overseas, making a loss of $265,000.[1]

In France, it recorded admissions of 889,516.[9]

Comic book adaption

See also

References
  1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. McGilligan, Patrick (1991). Backstory 2: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1940s and 1950s. University of California Press. p. 360.
  3. https://archive.org/details/variety206-1957–04/page/n254
  4. Scheuer, P. K. (Nov 8, 1952). "Bob horton's stock up; newton as 'desert rat;' psychologists quiz fans". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166391170.
  5. Rob Nixon, 'Gun Glory – TCM Article', Turner Classic Movies
  6. Schallert, E. (Oct 26, 1956). "Rowland finally gets break with father; new refugee story listed". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167009892.
  7. THOMAS M PRYOR (Nov 6, 1956). "LLOYD'S CAREER WILL BE FILMED". New York Times. ProQuest 113693862.
  8. Hesseltine, Cassandra. "Complete Filmography of Humboldt County". Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission. Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  9. Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France at Box Office Story
  10. "Dell Four Color #846". Grand Comics Database.
  11. Dell Four Color #846 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
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