Scott LeBrun "More Dead Than Alive" is a good, solid Western drama. It doesn't really do anything special, and this viewer wouldn't consider it to be that offbeat, if indeed that's what it was going for. It's actually pretty familiar altogether, utilizing classic themes like the criminal who wants to leave his bloody past behind him, but can't deny who he was, and the changing times for the American West. It's got a little romance, and some potent violence in the "Wild Bunch" tradition. Certainly, it *looks* gorgeous (as does its leading lady, Anne Francis), and it is nicely acted.It's largely a vehicle for jut jawed Clint Walker, as the aforementioned former outlaw who vows to serve out his 18 year sentence. He gets out in the winter of 1891, and really tries to live a normal life. But most people won't give him a break, with the exception of traveling sideshow proprietor Dan Ruffalo (Vincent Price), who's attracted by the fact of "Killer" Cains' notoriety and hires him as a sharpshooter. He ends up raking in the big bucks, to the consternation of whiny "kid" (32 year old Paul Hampton), who doesn't like his star status to be threatened in any way.Walker is an old school tough guy, but also is able to create a reasonably likable character. You do want this guy to catch a break, even though the odds are against him. Hampton is memorable at being annoying and pathetic; now this is a character whom you *don't* like. The beautiful Ms. Francis adds a real human element since she is able to judge Walker as the man he is now, without factoring in his reputation. Familiar faces like Mike Henry, Harry Lauter, and Emile Meyer turn up, but it's Price that provides the film with whatever panache it has. He's clearly enjoying himself, but isn't excessively hammy. It's a treat to see him in this sort of setting.As was said, there's nothing great about this one - although there is one decent action sequence early on - but it remains watchable for 102 minutes. Viewers will be struck by the violent, unexpected ending.Seven out of 10.

zardoz-13 In this above-average but gritty western, a reformed gunman named 'Killer' Cain (Clint Walker of "Cheyenne") emerges from prison after serving an 18-year sentence for murder and struggles to earn himself an honest living. Veteran television director Robert Sparr's turn-of-the-century oater "More Dead Than Alive" functions as a morality play about redemption and poetic justice marred by a downbeat Old Testament ending. Essentially, the theme of this low-budget but well-made horse opera is that you reap what you sew. In other words, what goes around comes around. Sparr is sparing with his use of slow-motion violence, but the death scenes are rather gritty. Nevertheless, watching Vincent Price die from multiple gunshots to the chest is something that you don't always see, and "More Dead Than Alive" is one of those westerns made when slow-motion violence in movies was in vogue. Certainly, Sparr pulls no punches in this western and Walker is thoroughly sympathetic as the ex-convict who wants to do nothing more than settle down with the lovely Anne Francis rather than ride the owl hoot trail. Life is particularly cruel to Cain, who grew up on an army post and rarely saw much of his father, and he finds it even more difficult to follow the straight and narrow. Initially, when he left prison, he told himself never to touch a gun again. Of course, our protagonist isn't fortunate enough for this to happen. He gets a job as a bouncer at a saloon, but he is fired when the owner learns that Cain gave him a false name. Cain is basically a transient who cannot hold onto a job for any length of time, until he meets the savvy and sagacious Dan Ruffalo (Vincent Price of "The Last Man on Earth") who puts him to work in his 'Wild West' traveling,'shoot'em up' sideshow. Mind you, Ruffalo's current attraction, a swift-drawing, sharp-shooting kid named Billy Valence (Paul Hampton of "Women of the Prehistoric Planet"), isn't pleased when Ruffalo replaces him with Cain. Ironically, Valence can shoot the wings off a gnat at thirty paces, but he doesn't have the intelligence to survive as a gunslinger. Primarily, he is a hot-headed youngster who understands nothing about being a gunslinger. In a sense, the relationship between Valence and Cain is the stereotypical relationship between an older man, a mentor, and a younger man. Meantime, Cain meets a beautiful young lady, Monica Alton (Anne Francis of "Bad Day at Black Rock") when she is painting a ghost town. Eventually, they become a couple, b up justice never lets up pursuing Cain and nothing of his redemptive acts saves his life. Sparr keeps things moving along at a normal pace until the surprise ending.

grubstaker58 First off.. "More Dead Than Alive" is available on DVD. The movie is an interesting ,offbeat Western .Perhaps Clint Walker's most accomplished performance(I know, not saying much) as a paroled gunfighter(Killer Kane), not allowed a fair shake by the good citizens of the Arizona Territory. He goes into business with a stovepipe-hatted Vincent Price(subdued) as a side-show trick-shot, but his past still travels with his present.Paul Hampton is a standout as the young fast gun dead-eye(though he's never drawn on a live person).He's like a hopped-up Owen Wilson.The locations are authentic and the situations believable.The score ..kinda goofy.Well worth a look.

actressadefilma_2000 An interesting concept. The man with a past that never let's him live a normal life. Clint Walker is sufficiently the bowhunk and Connie Francis is pretty and pert. Nice detail in making Connie an artist and independent woman in the 1880's. The score if you can call it that was horrendous. It sounded like a score to a bad animation film mixed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Who did this???? Other than that I like the film very much and the end fight scene between Clint Walker and Mike Henry is terrific. Mr. Henry did it so well I thought he was a professional stuntman. It turns out he was an accomplished actor. Bravo!