den_quixote It isn't many westerns where the high point of the movie is the dancing but Russ Tamblyn put on an excellent exhibition of dancing, tumbling and acrobatics. Unfortunately the rest of the movie was way below par and even Jeanne Crain's beauty can not distract you from the utter nonsense going on all around her. Glenn Ford is once again the stoic hero shrouded in mystery and Crain is his steadfast wife. Broderick Crawford is woefully miscast as the crazed outlaw determined to best any man ever described in his presence as the fastest gun in the West. Watch it just to see if it would have been more interesting if you had written it yourself. I'm betting on you.

vincentlynch-moonoi There was a time when Westerns pretty much ruled the movie screens. And many (perhaps even most) were pretty forgettable. There were occasional great Westerns (e.g., "Rio Bravo"), and others that were at least significantly above average. This is one that is quite above average.I have to get one gripe off my shoulders first, though. Russ Tamblyn. Fine performer particularly remembered for "West Side Story". But even at a barn dance, his dancing here was really out of place...despite being very good. Whose bright idea was this??? As I was watching this film, it occurred to me that it is almost the reverse of "High Noon". Here, Glenn Ford is reluctantly forced into a confrontation by a gun fighter who always seeks out those faster that he. And where are the people who are pushing our hero into a confrontation? In a church.Except for a gunfight at the beginning of the film, and the one climaxing the film, this is more a psychological Western. Why is Glenn Ford so gun shy when he's clearly the fasted gun alive? The cast here really is very good. Glenn Ford was a dependable leading man. Perhaps just under the level of actors like Cary Grant and Clark Gable. But he rarely let us down in any role, and he certainly didn't here. He carries the film and is why it's better than the average 1950s Western. Jeanne Crain is always a pleasure to watch, and she balances the need to be a forceful wife who will not tolerate her husband's addiction to guns, without being an unreasonable nag. Broderick Crawford is the primary villain here...the role he was best at. This film followed on the heels of his success in the syndicated television series "Highway Patrol". As a couple of our reviewers pointed out, he seems a bit chubby to be so fast on the draw, but he knows how to be menacing. As mentioned earlier, Russ Tamblyn is fine here, but totally out of place in the plot. Allyn Joslyn (whom I usually remember as one of the bad angels in "The Horn Blows At Midnight") is the loud mouth here, and is quite good at it. John Dehner is fine as another of the bad guy trio. I was a little sad to see one of my favorite character actors as the third bad guy, and he was rather wasted here -- Noah Beery, Jr.If you've become wary of Westerns, as I have, I recommend this one to you. It's clearly above average and has a good story with more drama than the typical shoot-em-up cowboy flick.

wes-connors Folks in the western town of "Cross Creek" think gentle storekeeper Glenn Ford (as George Temple) is a gun-shy teetotaler. When they drink and tell stories about gunmen who shoot fast from the hip, Mr. Ford becomes disturbed. Beautiful pregnant wife Jeanne Crain (as Dora) tries to comfort her man, but Ford is unable to conceal his secret; he gets drunk and tells a saloon full of men he's "The Fastest Gun Alive". Meanwhile, nasty gunslinger Broderick Crawford (as Vinnie Harold) is busy building his reputation as the area's quickest draw. When Mr. Crawford learns a fast gunslinger is in the area, he wants a duel...This is a surprisingly thoughtful western parable, which director Russell Rouse and writer Frank D. Gilroy bring effectively to the motion picture screen. There is a rushed, low-budget quality to some of the story. But, many in the supporting cast make it look almost natural. Ford proves himself to be an excellent leading man; this was one of several films which propelled him into the annual "Top Ten Money-Making Stars" list prepared by Quigley Publications. A completely out-of-place and literally "off the wall" dance sequence by Russ Tamblyn (as Eric) is an early highlight; why wasn't this in "That's Entertainment"?******* The Fastest Gun Alive (7/6/56) Russell Rouse ~ Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, Broderick Crawford, Russ Tamblyn

info-16951 Although excellent, this is NOT the best western ever made. No western is. It's simply a matter of taste. (De gustibus....) I must say, however, that this movie would have been more interesting if Ford and Crawford had switched roles. (Or if the kid had shot Crawford in the back, just before he drew.) That being said, to my taste The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence was the best western because of John Wayne's restrained portrayal of his tragic character. But I don't expect anyone else to agree. I must say that I absolutely detest spaghetti westerns. Spain never quite convinces, and the Spaniards/Italians certainly don't.