A Gunfight
– Will Tenneray and Abe Cross are two aging, famous gunfighters, both in need of money. Cross rides in..
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. In an extended fantasy sequence near the end, the widow of the defeated gunfighter imagines what might have happened if her husband had won.
04 Oct 1971
English
Lamont Johnson
Harold Jack Bloom
Kirk Douglas, Johnny Cash, Jane Alexander, Karen Black
Will Tenneray and Abe Cross are two famous gunfighters who are getting old and need money. Cross tried his luck at gold prospecting but failed. Tenneray works at the local saloon where he capitalizes on his past fame to "sucker fools into buying drinks". The town expects them to become enemies and kill each other in a gunfight but the two aging gunfighters start liking one another. Desperate for money, Tenneray suggests to Cross to put on a show for the townsfolk and fight in an arena for money. The proceeds from the ticket sales would go to the winner of the gunfight. Both men like the idea of a paid show but hate the possibility of one of them killing the other.
Paramount Pictures