MagicStarfire
I didn't vote it 10 stars because of the wonderful directing, acting, dialog or story value--because quite frankly, it doesn't have any of those going for it--I voted it 10 because I enjoyed watching this film so much.This is a western starring tall and handsome Gregory Peck, and it has some scenes and dialog that are a real hoot, as well as a couple of scenes where it is blatantly obvious the characters are not really on horseback. There is also some so-called acting by Patricia Quinn as Juliana Farrell, where she sounds like she's reading her lines out a book, rather than saying them in a natural speaking manner.Not the kind of western you see every day, that's for sure.Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck)is getting out of prison after having served 7 years for an unsuccessful bank robbery. To my amazement, the Warden hands Clay back his gun belt and gun and what's even cuter, the gun is loaded.Clay immediately unloads all the bullets from the gun. Since he definitely has plans to get back at his bank robbing partner, Sam Foley, who shot him in the back right at the scene of the hold-up and then took all the money, I don't know why he unloaded the weapon.That's just one of many strange behaviors on the part of various characters in this film. For example, when Sam shot Clay, how come no one saw him do it? And for that matter, weren't there people working in the bank - why could none of them identify Sam Foley as being one of the bank robbers? Ah, well, kiddies, we're not going to let logic interfere with a fine, rousing tale, now, are we.Sam Foley, now a rich and apparently respected citizen in the town of Gun Hill, knows Clay is out and knows he'll undoubtedly be looking for him. He hires 3 young punks, Bobby Jay Jones (Robert F. Lyons) and his 2 worthless pals, Skeeter and Pepe to follow Clay around and keep an eye on him, but he doesn't want Clay shot. Why do it this way? Why not shoot him, knowing Clay is undoubtedly gunning for him? Maybe the writer knew, if so, it never made it to the screen.After an early encounter between Clay and Bobby Jay and the boys, Clay meets a train on which he expects an old girlfriend to arrive with some money she's been holding for him.Unexpectedly the girlfriend has died and the young daughter traveling with her has been left to Clay. Decky (Dawn Lyn)is an obstinate little girl of about six, with a mind of her own.After getting stuck with Decky, Clay learns where Sam Foley is and sets out with his young charge.On the way to Gun Hill, there's another run-in with Bobby Jay and the boys, who at this point have forced a young prostitute, Alma,(Susan Tyrrell) to go along with them.During a drenching rain, Clay and Decky arrive at the ranch house of Juliana Farrell, a widow and her young son, Dutch.Juliana wastes no time getting down to business with Clay--five minutes after they meet. Apparently she's a woman who needs a man in her life--any man--considering she's just met Clay and doesn't know him at all. Ah well, life was tough on the western frontier - when a gal saw a 'good man', she figured she'd better grab him.They immediately confess their short-comings to each other. The scene is very close to being like this: Clay: You might not be a wantin' me, I've been in the pen. Juliana (undeterred): Oh yeah, well, guess what, I get drunk every night, so there! An ex-con and a possible alcoholic - now you know this has got be a romance destined for a "happily ever after" ending.Of course, Bobby Jay, Alma, Skeeter and Pepe also reach the ranch house, where Bobby Jay has loads of fun with some parlor games. The rest of the group being sour-faced spoil sports.Eventually Sam Foley comes into the story again for a rousing finish at his house, and a good time was had by all, except Bobby Jay who turns into the sport spoil this time around.
MartinHafer
The overall plot and suspense elements of this movie are excellent and deserved far better treatment. There really was a fine movie underneath it all, but it was sunk to mediocrity due to three factors:1. The child actress is awfully annoying. No, wait,...she was #@&%$# annoying!! Not only couldn't she act convincingly in many scenes, but the writers couldn't decide whether to make her adorable or a filthy-mouthed cretin. I think they achieved the latter more than the former, dang-#%#&$!!.2. Several times, Gregory Peck got the draw on the bad guys (i.e., captured them and could have shot them). The first time he let them go made little sense. But the second time, he KNEW they were murderers and yet after disarming them he let them go! DUH!!! I HATE to see supposedly smart characters do dumb things that no real person would do.3. The prostitute who was kidnapped and manhandled throughout the movie by the bad guys was pretty annoying--in particular her voice. She sounded for all the world like June Foray--the voice of Rocky Squirrel from the Bullwinkle Show. I can't believe that one of the IMDb comments praised her acting and felt she was a star on the rise.BUT, despite these big problems, the final half of the movie was pretty rousing and kept the tension going. In particular, the ending was excellent. Too bad the unevenness really spoiled the overall effort. Gregory Peck deserved better material.
classicsoncall
"Shootout" begins with an unbelievable scene; when Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck) is released from prison, he's allowed to strap on a loaded gun directly in front of the prison warden. Seems like a more vindictive ex-con could have done some damage.Shortly after, with his mind set on revenge against the partner that double crossed him in a hold up seven years earlier, Lomax inherits young Decky (Dawn Lyn) from a former flame who died en route delivering him a message. There's not much doubt as to the identity of Decky's father, with subtle but numerous references along the way to establish the relationship, not the least of which is the young girl's age as about to be seven. Decky's a precocious and street smart (trail smart?) young lady, and there's a humorous scene where she initiates a sweet con for a saddle pony that Lomax picks up in stride.The drama is provided by the three lunatic ranch hands of Lomax' quarry, Sam Foley (James Gregory). Their job is simply to follow Lomax and report back to Foley on his progress, and they manage to screw that up pretty badly. The nominal leader of this trio of misfits is Bobby Jay, played way over the top by Robert F. Lyons in a manner that you really want to see him get his, the sooner the better. When Bobby initiates a game of William Tell with Lomax and a prairie family as hostage, it sets up the return favor of Lomax dealing with him in exactly the same way when the tables turn at the Foley ranch."Shootout" is somewhat less than a satisfying Western given it's principal star. Gregory Peck's performance appears tired at times, though there are some good moments with his young charge. The confrontation set up by the story line never occurs, as wacko Bobby takes Foley out in a moment of greed. The showdown between Lomax and Bobby is cleverly done, though the conclusion is never in doubt. But can anyone explain why the housekeeper, given the circumstances, didn't just faint dead away?
