A Gunfight

Plot synopsis:
Will Tenneray and Abe Cross are two aging, famous gunfighters, both in need of money. Cross rides into town, having failed as a gold prospector. His reputation is such that everyone expects him to shoot it out with Tenneray, who capitalizes on his legend by working at the saloon to "sucker fools into buying drinks." To the town's surprise, Tenneray and Cross take a liking to one another. There is no hostility between them whatsoever.
Tenneray is desperate for money, however. He comes up with the idea to stage a duel to the death in a bullfight arena, with the ticket proceeds going to the winner. Unfortunately, by killing Cross, he reasons to Nora, his wife, "I could lose my best friend." The actual gunfight is shot in a low-key and unromanticised fashion, and is over in a couple of seconds, Cross killing Tenneray with the first bullet. (This defies conventions with the "man in black" winning.)
There is an extended fantasy sequence near the end, where we see what might have happened if Tenneray had won, which may have confused some viewers. It may be open to interpretation if this is Cross's fantasy or Tenneray's widow's fantasy.

Tags: violence

Review:
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.
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.
Director Johnson keeps the pacing smooth as we get to know both men and watch their relationship unfold.
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.
Peculiar character studio and spectacular gun battle between Douglas and Cash.
When an outcast gunfighter (a recently deceased Johnny Cash) with battered hat and black dressed goes to a Western small town called Rio Bajo , he meets an old time gunslinger named Tenneray (Kirk Douglas) stranded in the location along with his wife (Jane Alexander) and son (Eric Douglas) .
Meanwhile the drifter named Will falls in love with a Saloon girl (Karen Black) , the girl who could give the big guy a hard time .
The two gunmen get a friendship ; Tenneray says him that he earns in a month it that he spent in one day and which killed the famous gunfighter Ringo .
Before they paid to see a man murder a bull , nowadays they pay to see killing men .
They're got to face a gunfight once more to live up to their legend once more to win just once more time and more money .
They've nothing like'em together in a duel but in the heat and hate of the small town nothing can tear'em apart .
It's a serious , mature Hollywood Western with particular character studio about an aging gunslinger looking for peace and quiet , but also money and unable to avoid his reputation and the duel-challenges it invites against the baby-faced gun-fisted kid (Keith Carradine).
Wilke , Keith Carradine , Dana Elcar among them , consent to appear in what amount small roles , besides make their film debut Johnny Cash and Eric Douglas (Kirk's true son and recently deceased for drug abuse).
The lion's share of the acting meat deservedly goes to Johnny Cash in spite of his first film .
There is , in addition , Johnny Cash's catchy theme and equally an impressive roaring climax with an amazing final showdown .
Cashs performance alone merits a 'must see' rating for this movie.
Kirk Douglas is a natural pick for the role of a flashy, boastful, gunslinger who feels trapped by his retirement as saloon owner and family man in a small town.
Will Tenneray(Douglas) yearns for the glory of his past as a feared and known name amongst gunfighters of the West.
Abe Cross, his deeds and past are shrouded by a persona that shuns gossip and towns while Will Tennerays' exploits are well known and self-promoted.
When Cross rides into town and has a drink in Tennerays' saloon, the tension is immediate and keeps climbing as every townsman whisper their expectations each time the two meet.
The inevitable confrontation is a twist on the usual 'meet you at noon duel' that sets this Western apart..
I think one should watch A Gunfight after seeing Gregory Peck's classic film The Gunfighter.
It gives you definitely an alternative vision.Imagine Peck's character of Jim Ringo not being killed by back-shooting Skip Homeier, but actually settling down with his wife and son.
That's essentially what you've got in Kirk Douglas's character of Will Tenneray who finds retired life not what it's cracked up to be.The days of the wild west are over and Douglas now makes a living appearing at the local saloon and encouraging folks to spend there.
But it's one dull life even with wife Jane Alexander and young son Eric Douglas.Along comes Johnny Cash playing another gunfighter relic whose horse gets bit by a rattler.
Now he's stuck in this New Mexico border town and with two legends of the west in this place, the gossip commences.Cash is similarly bored by his existence and the two of them, both cash poor decide on a duel to the death with admission charged at a bullfight arena across the border in Mexico.
These guys must have felt like gladiators.A Gunfight is certainly an interesting spin on some of the western nostrums that prevailed in Hollywood.
Douglas and Cash are perfectly cast in the leads and get good support from the rest of the players.
Keith Carradine has a good role as a young punk who wants to take on the winner and Karen Black is fine as a saloon girl who Cash spends some time with.I also never expected to find Raf Vallone in a western.
But the Italian actor plays a Mexican store keeper who had been keeping discreet company with Alexander while Douglas was roaming the west.
But in the end did it really matter as the film brings you an interesting conclusion..
One of Cash's Best Film Performances.
As one of Cash's most ardent music fans, I have unfortunately almost always been disappointed with his performances on the silver screen.
Though Cash was not a disciplined actor he had his charisma, and the director, for all his faults recognized this and seemed less inclined to dictate him and just let The Man say his lines the way Cash himself would say them.
Though this film is not for everyone, those who appreciate westerns and those especially inclined towards the late, great Man In Black will appreciate it.
I have to confess to being a lifelong fan of Johnny Cash,although never convinced as to his acting skills.Still,he does convince here as Abe Cross and the whole story comes across well.
True,not that much action but some Westerns don't need it.
Kirk Douglas is great too and the questions raised about growing old,loneliness,love,money and how an "Outsider" faces up to it all,are explored well.
A strange western but a minor masterpiece,a B movie(I love 'em!)in some ways but one that stays with you.
The old shooting times are over, the gunfighters are just a live legend - perhaps only a curiosity - for borrachos and mean people.
In this complex, sober, highly undervalued movie, Douglas (the real one, not Michael) and Cash accomplish with their destiny, it does not matter who will be the winner, who will be the loser: both are doomed and they know it.
But they are not the worst in town: this role is left to the bloodthirsty people who do not even have the guts to run personally the risk but enjoy the killing.
I think I just enjoy this movie because of the actors.
But, if you're a fan of Douglas and Cash and would like to see a few other notables on screen, sit back and enjoy the flick with a few beers..
Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash (that's right, as in "Walk the Line" Johnny Cash) play two retired gunmen who agree to duel to the death in front of a sold-out crowd for money.
The film is similar in concept to "The Quick and the Dead," and the viewer must wait until the climactic ending to see who lives and who dies.
But perhaps the main question is whether this is a western or a character study.
The movie is a bit slow and the ending is a bit abrupt, but seeing Johnny Cash as a gunslinger is well worth the watch..
An acceptable western movie starring two iconic American characters.
The line that separates this movie from the classic battered western movie is its peculiar choice of actors.
Starring Johnny Cash and Kirk Duglas, the plot is based on the expectation of the town folk for knowing who of the two is the best gunman, when Abe Cross arrives at the town where Will Tenneray is trying to set a quiet life for himself.
All in all, it's one of those acceptable movies, except in this case there are two iconic American characters..
The Western showdown is a duel, a matching of gunplay skills in which the faster, more professional gunman wins...
The logical extension of the show is without doubt a gladiatorial Roman circus combat between two fighters and such is the elemental structure of Lamont Johnson's film...Kirk Douglas is a retired gunman sick enough of his life, and Johnny Cash is a weary gunslinger who knows that even if he wins, he will eventually lose...
The auditorium chosen is a bullfight ring...Whether the two men are considered as gladiators or bullfighters, the film deplorably smashes the traditional conception of the showdown, twisting it from a clash between good and bad into a show of a very poor quality...The situation exposed is certainly ambiguous, implausible and anti-climactic against popular blood lust...The film captures the viewer with a double-ended showdown...
One with Douglas as the winner, and the other with Cash...Our feeling is that the strands of myth and honest re-creation which connect the American Western to the real American West are being cut by those whose roots are far removed from the actual frontier...
Spoiler Alert I think, there is no "double-end showdown" in the final sequence of this wonderful movie.
Tenneray (Douglas) is the less lovable character, he's the one who made a (pretty poor) living from his fame before, he's the one to come out with the idea to kill one another for money, and he's the one who actually dies in the end.
Not the greatest of revisionist westerns, but good enough.
I like westerns and I figured these would be good enough entertainment and wouldn't force me to use my brain after I get home from work.This was the first one of the movies I decided to watch, probably because I was intrigued by seeing Cash in a western.
I did notice that a clip from the movie made its way into Cash's video for "Hurt".I guess this was sort of typical for a movie from the revisionist era of westerns.
These are men who are past their need for quick adrenaline fixes.The film puts much focus on the blood thirst of the townsfolk, which is in its way also a comment on the audience.
The images of the bull being killed and afterwards slaughtered were a nice reminder of what the people were truly after.The ending isn't a real double ending.
The part in which Tenneray actually won the duel, was just a fantasy by Cross.
The idea was to show that even if it had ended differently, things wouldn't have been better for the Tenneray family.Also, any fan of the genre can appreciate the man in black actually winning the final duel.
It wasn't the mind-numbing stuff I was looking for, but it wasn't the great artistic movie experience I look for when I'm not totally tired by work either.
Hearing Johnny Cash's tremendous "American Series" albums for the first time last year with a friend,one of the main things which would coming up when we talked about the music,was wondering how Johnny Cash would be in a real Western movie.Feeling one day that I should take a look to see if Cash had actually done a Westen,I was pleasantly surprised to find,that not only had Cash starred in a Western,but he had actually starred in one alongside "Spartacus" himself!:Kirk Douglas.
The plot:Slowly heading to the near by town,out law Abe Cross has to make pace when his horses legs suddenly become injured.Taking the struggling horse to a near by vet,Abe tries to pass the time by introducing himself to the local residents.Being standoffish over a stranger having entered "their" town,the residents begin to let their guard down,when sheriff Will Tenneray appears and tells Cross that he will not allow any trouble to occur in this peaceful town.Initially showing a mutual respect towards each other,Will and Abe start to hear whispers around the town over people placing bets for who is the best gunslinger out of the two.Noticing the piles of cash that the betters are gathering,Will and Abe relies the they could get all the cash that they could ever dream of,if they take part in a winner takes all shoot out between each other.View on the film:Featuring in almost every scene of the film,Johnny Cash and Kirk Douglas make Will and Abe into a terrific double act,with Douglas's calculating,calm family man Will being a complete contrast to Cash's rugged,rumbling loner cowboy Abe.Despite the dialogue feeling slightly tied,and lacking the "livly" feel which the two lead actors bring to the movie,screenwriter Harold Jack Bloom cleverly uses the building up of the "main event" to show the worrying effect that hype can have on people.as Will and Abe are almost made obsolete,due to the residents being more focused on bloodsport and money than the personality's of the two individual's.Smartly turning the final shoot out into a blink and you'll miss it boxing KO style match,director Lamont Johnson wonderfully turns the films ending upside down,and leads it into a terrific fantasy area,which allows the movie to end on a mysterious note of "What if ?.".
If you like "spaghetti westerns" then this might not be for you ...................
"A Gunfight" seems very tame and watered down when compared to an above average "spaghetti western" like "The Big Gundown".
The problem is not the acting by Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash.
The problem is the script telegraphs everything early on, and then it is simply a matter of waiting another hour for the inevitable gunfight.
A double outcome ending seems like nothing more than a cop out, to ensure a plain vanilla conclusion.
In summary, "A Gunfight" might be totally acceptable to fans of Johnny Cash and Kirk Douglas, but those fans of brutal Lee Van Cleef - Clint Eastwood westerns will most likely be disappointed.
Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash fought- who won?.
Will Tenneray and Abe Cross, two aging gunmen decide to fight each other in a bullfight arena.
The winner gets the cash, the loser dies.
Lamont Johnson's western A Gunfight from 1971 takes death pretty lightly.
Of course western movies usually do, but I have a particular problem with this one.
Both of these men, Will and Abe are pretty likable guys, and they're both friendly to each other.
So why risk everything with a pointless gunfight, where you know you might lose your life?
And I didn't like the bullfight scenes in this movie.
But sure there are some good things in this movie, too.
The legendary, now 101 years old Kirk Douglas plays Will.
And then you have Johnny Cash (1932-2003) as Abe. The man could really act.
Kirk's late son Eric Douglas is here in his movie debut as the son Bud. Karen Black, who we lost about five years ago, gives an outstanding performance as Jenny Sims.
Keith Carradine plays Young Gunfighter.
The western view is great as always.
When you see the camera move with Johnny Cash in that western town, it's really something.
And I liked the what if- part in the end.
Abe wins the real battle, but in a slow motion moment with Abe and Nora looking at each other you see a glimpse of how things would have turned out, if Will had won.
Not the best western, but also not the worst..
Gunfight starred Kirk Douglas as Wil, Johnny Cash as Abe, and Karen Black as Jenny.SUMMARY: A Gunfight was the first mainstream American film to be produced by an Indian tribe -- specifically, the Jicarilla Apaches of New Mexico.
Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash star as Will and Abe, two long-in...
Although Will and Abe are fast friends, they agree to a winner-take-all showdown, selling tickets to the momentous event.
The townspeople are certain that Will is going to win the shootout, but he knows that it would be a fatal mistake to underestimate Abe. Standing on the sidelines is Will's wife Nora (Jane Alexander), who seems curiously disinterested in the outcome, even though she may become a widow before the day is over.
The movie opens with Abe riding through the countryside singing when a rattlesnake bites his horse.
After fixing the horse Abe goes to the nearest town to get him fix.
When Abe enters the town, some of the people recognize him as Abe Cross the gunfighter.
Also leaving in the town is ex gunfighter Wil Tenneray with his wife and son.
Wil works at the local saloon to support his family.
While walking around town people start to wonder will Wil and Abe fight each other.QUESTIONS: How did Wil get his reputation?
What part did Jenny play in this movie?
MY THOUGHTS: This was another movie that had a great build up and only to have fall on its face.
This movie had no build up and it was boring right from the start.
Sure Kirk Douglas was good in his role as Wil. Johnny Cash was just as good in his role as Abe. Karen Black talents and pretty body was wasted in this movie.
She played the role as a bar house cleaner and her talents were missed used in this movie.