Stellead
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
JohnHowardReid
Photographed entirely in Mexico in CinemaScope and Eastman Color by Pathé. Producer: Howard Christie. A Universal-International Picture. Copyright 1958 by Universal-International. No New York opening. U.S. release: 27 July 1958. U.K. release: 29 June 1958. Australian release: 2 May 1958. 7,370 feet. 82 minutes. Cut by Universal in Australia to 69 minutes so that the film would slot easily into the lower half of double bills.SYNOPSIS: Gunfighter Brad Ellison (Jock Mahoney) accepts an offer from wealthy John Forbes (Carl Benton Reid) to locate his brother who disappeared in Mexico thirty years ago. At Sam Grypton's (Edward Platt) hide-out for gunfighters he gets no clues. After a brush with bandits, Brad meets rancher O'Reilly (Lorne Greene), his daughter, Maria (Linda Cristal) and his foreman, Miles (Gilbert Roland) who are convinced Forbes died ten years ago, but Miles offers to help Brad's search.COMMENT: A lively, fast-moving western in which director George Sherman not only puts his action across with punch, but with style, making full use of his CinemaScope cameras to capture some impressively rugged terrain of Mexico's mountain wilderness. A tight, taut story, soundly acted. In fact, one of our favorite actors, Gilbert Roland, is back in the saddle with "Last of the Fast Guns". This silly title disguises a fascinating Mexican western. Not only lots of broodingly atmospheric scenery, but some rather interesting Mexican actors as well, including Eduardo Noriega who made such an impression in the Mario Lanza "Serenade"; George Trevino, well known to "I Love Lucy" fans as Desi's Cuban uncle; Francisco Reguiera, a film veteran of Mack Sennett comedies; and young Gilda Fontana, a former Hollywood starlet who switched to Mexico.
dougdoepke
Gunfighter Miles is hired to go south of the border to find a dying man's missing brother. However, things are more complicated than they seem.Generally underrated western, with good scenic Mexican locations, a non-clichéd plot, along with a few good twists and a colorful cast. Getting Roland, Greene and Franz was a real coup since each is a very distinctive presence. Mahoney certainly looks the part of a western hero, but is a rather bland actor, not to the extent of being a problem, however. Director Sherman makes creative and compelling use of the locations and I especially like the shack set against the cliff; it's like nothing else I've seen. Unlike many oaters set in Mexico, this one comes across as genuinely persuasive. Cristal's role (Maria), surprise, surprise, is little more than eye candy, but I don't blame Ellison (Mahoney) at fade-out. Anyway, don't let the first tame 20-minutes or so fool you, the twists and action pick up considerably.
zardoz-13
Future Tarzan star Jock Mahoney starred in several westerns in the 1950s along with the short-lived TV series "Range Rider" and later "Yancey Derringer." He plays a two-gun gunslinger dressed in black named Brad Ellison in this scenic western. Gilbert Roland, Lorne Green, and Linda Cristal co-star as friends and/or enemies. Basically, this is a track-down western with our lean, rugged hero on the trail of a dying man's brother who is willing to pay Ellison the kind of money that can change his life. Veteran western director George Sherman of "Big Jake" fame directed this 80-minute oater that never wears out its welcome. If you want to categorize "Last of the Fast Guns," then it falls into the decline of the western, rather like "The Magnificent Seven," as the wide open spaces have begun to shrink. Technically, based on the information that our hero shares with three other fast guns, "Last of the Fast Guns" takes place in the 1880s after the demise of Billy the Kid. "Johnny Concho" scenarist David P. Harmon penned this no-nonsense horse opera and his dialogue is exceptional. Rarely does anybody utter a line that isn't memorable. Although the characters may be thinly drawn, our hero undergoes a change by fade-out. A crippled man, John Forbes (Carl Benton-Red of "Escape from Fort Bravo"), waits in a dusty town to hire the survivor of a gunfight, and a reluctant Ellison agrees to ride south to Mexico and search for Edward Forbes. Essentially, "Last of the Fast Guns" concerns the journey as much as the ending. Once he crosses into Mexico, Ellison rides into the ranch of Michael O'Reilly (Lorne Greene) where he meets Miles Lang (Gilbert Roland of "Any Gun Can Play") who has spent his entire life searching for gold. Everybody that Ellison comes into contact with has a story about Edward Forbes, but nobody can tell our hero where to find this fellow or his grave. During his stay at the O'Reilly Ranch, Ellison saves Miles' life when a bad horse tries to attack him. No, our hero doesn't shoot the horse. Suffice to say that everybody survives this fracas. Miles agrees to accompany Ellison on his search as a way of thanking him for saving his life."Last of the Fast Guns" packs surprises and reversals. Western fans will love this oater.
pendoc
Classic, archetypal hero. Plot twist at the end, which some anticipate and some don't. One of the fastest draws shown in any film. Ending a bit disappointing, as final confrontation is short and not settled with firearms. For fans of the genre, a must-see.
