Last Train from Gun Hill
Directed by John Sturges
Written by James Poe; story by James Poe
1959/USA
Bryna Productions/Hal Wallis Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Marshal Matt Morgan: You’ve already got me dead. How’d I die? The only way I could die today is for you to kill me and that’s a problem… Your problem.[/box]
This superior Western boasts an outstanding cast.
As the film begins, a couple of young hoodlum types harass a Cherokee woman and her young son. Then one of them rapes and kills the woman, but not before she has scarred him. The boy nabs the rapist’s horse to run for help. Rapist Rick Belden (Earl Holliman) now has three problems. First, the woman was the wife of the Marshall Matt Morgan (Kirk Douglas). Second, the saddle of the horse bears the initials of his father Craig Belden (Anthony Quinn). Third, his scar is a sure giveaway. Matt naturally swears vengence. Conveniently, the father is his old friend.
Matt takes off immediately for Gun Hill, where Belden lives, via train. On board, he meets Linda (Carolyn Jones), Belden’s mistress, who is returning from a stay in the hospital. Belden is clearly disappointed in his son but refuses to let Matt bring him in. The rest of the movie is devoted to Matt’s efforts to get him aboard the last train from Gun Hill.
This one moves very nicely and boasts some very good acting. I particularly liked Quinn. It has been a while since I have seen him in a non-ethnic role. Carolyn Jones is also unusually good as the worldly-wise ex-shady lady. Douglas is obviously a dynamo. The story contains no surprises but when done as well as this is it doesn’t really matter.
