Gunpoint *** (1966, Audie Murphy, Joan Staley, Warren Stevens, Edgar Buchanan, Denver Pyle) – Classic Movie Review 8134

Director Earl Bellamy’s 1966 Universal Pictures Technicolor Western Gunpoint stars Audie Murphy as Colorado sheriff Chad Lucas, who points his ill-assorted posse into New Mexico after the ruthless gang of bandits, led by Drago Leon (Morgan Woodward), who have kidnapped a young woman called Uvalde (Joan Staley) and attacked and robbed a train.

Bellamy’s busy, action-packed short feature runs only 86 minutes and is a neatly made, low-budget ($500,000), very good-looking B-movie Western.

Murphy gets embroiled in the usual fights with Indians, outlaws and his own men, which should prove enough for all his fans. The underrated Murphy is good value, as always, and there is some strong support acting, especially from Warren Stevens as the saloon owner Nate Harlan, Edgar Buchanan at the patriarch Bull, and Denver Pyle as Cap.

The screenplay by Mary Willingham and Willard Willingham is serviceable without being notable. But Gunpoint is given a decent production by Universal and is handsomely shot in Utah and Colorado in Technicolor by William Margulies, while Henry Bumstead’s production designs are above average, giving it a little class.

Also in the cast are Royal Dano, Nick Dennis, William Bramley, David Macklin, Robert Pine, John Hoyt and Roy Barcroft.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 8134

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