Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Wizard-8 Today, "Death of a Gunfighter" has all but been forgotten, with the little memory of it being that it was the first movie to be given the "Alan Smithee" directorial credit. With that in mind, one may understandably expect a pretty bad movie, but surprisingly, the movie is actually fairly decent for the most part. Despite two directors working on the movie behind the Smithee pseudonym, the movie does have a consistent feel to it throughout. The action sequences are also pretty well done, though it should be noted that the movie is more of a character study than an action western. It's interesting that Widmark's character is not totally sympathetic, this contributing to the ability to see both sides equally of the big issue confronting the townspeople in the movie. You also see both sides of the attitude those townspeople have. The script is, I admit, a bit murky on a few details. And the movie often looks and feels that it was shot on the Universal Studio's backlot. But in the end, the movie is a decent western for those in the mood for an unconventional western drama (which includes the cynical ending of the movie.)

Prismark10 Death of a Gunfighter was directed by Robert Totten and finished by Don Siegel who took over when Totten was fired as he did not get on with star Richard Widmark.The gunfighter is Marshall Patch Frank (Widmark) the long tome sheriff in a small town in transition at the tail end of the nineteen century. The bad guys have gone and the town council wants to become respectable and attract new people and new industry. Their once feared Marshall in an anachronism and after one shooting too many they want him out.The Marshall does not one to leave, he was promised the job for as along as he wanted. He also has dirt on these important men in the council. In the background are some slimy men such as Carroll O'Connor who wants to see the back of the Marshall for their own reasons.I once heard a critique of the film Shane. One man rides into town, gets rid of the bad guys and then leaves. In reality he would stay, feted as a hero at first and eventually morphs into another bad guy before some years later he is confronted by someone else.This has what happened in this town. The Marshall did not leave and is now out of place. When he is confronted by the country sheriff a Mexican that he recruited once as a deputy despite the misgivings of the then town council, he punches him and throws him out on the street. It becomes clear to this viewer that the Marshall's unbending ways will be his undoing.Richard Widmark gives a fine performance of a confused man who realises that he past his sell by date and wants to stick around not knowing that he is stinking the place out. Belatedly he marries Lena Horne the local Madame and for the time it is a daring interracial romance.This is small scale character study. A western with veterans of the genre such as Royal Dano and Harry Carey jr but not always the stereotypes of the normal western films. It does suffer by trying to paint Widmark as too black and white a good guy when he needed more shades of grey. Maybe this is the creative differences that led to the original director departing.We see other characters telling him that it is always Marshall's way or no way without it being properly spelt out.At the end the town decides to get its own type of justice as the only way to bring the violence to an end.

Michael O'Keefe Cottonwood Springs, Texas wants to go into the new century courting eastern bankers and investors. The only thing holding things back is the fear of the citizens of their town Marshall, Frank Patch(Richard Widmark), who has a troubled past and an old way of dealing with justice and the law. No one can conjure the nerve to tell Patch he is no longer wanted; but they do have the gumption to gang up on him.Lean Horne plays Widmark's love interest. This strong cast also features: Carroll O'Connor, Jaqueline Scott, John Saxon, Dub Taylor and Victor French. DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER is the first crediting Alan Smithee as director. "Smithee" is credited when directors, for any reason, don't want their name associated with the movie. This particular film was originally directed by Robert Totten; but when he met disapproval from Widmark, Don Siegel finished directing.Horne sings a lovely and haunting tune called "Sweet Apple Wine".

gazineo-1 Many times western movies are concerned with battles against Indians, duels between gunfighter or just pure adventure centered in heroes like Zorro or Durango Kid.That's not the case with 'Death of a Gunfighter'. This little and forgotten movie tell a story based on the life - or, to be exact, the last days of a life - of a Marshall called Frank (Widmark) in a little town at the end of Nineteen century, a town where the 'new times' are coming faster and faster and the way of life of a man like Frank is not anymore well accepted.Like some other western like 'The Shootist' (the last movie of John Wayne) and the more recent TV movie 'Monte Walsh', this one is a movie about loneliness, full of sadness and at the same time with violence, a harsh cruelty that falls upon the men and the women that are not prepared to live in another time and another way of life.Richard Widmark gives a strong performance, all the time blending sadness, disappointment and angriness with a compassionate composition of the Marshall Frank Persh. Lena Horne is a bit dislocated but the support cast is very good, especially Carrol O'Connor and John Saxon.'Death of a Gunfighter' is a movie that made all of us think about our lives and how we deal with the challenges put in front of us every day, especially in a world always changing. It's not a movie about heroes and courage - like almost other western movies are - but a movie about fragility.7 out of 10