Gunfighters (1947) (aka: The Assassin) Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, Dorothy Hart, Bruce Cabot Movie Review

Gunfighters (1947)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Barbara Britton in Gunfighters (1947) (aka: The Assassin)

Another Retiring Gunfigther

After he is forced to gun down his friend, gunfighter "Brazos" Kane (Randolph Scott) hangs up his guns and plans to travel to a friend's ranch for a new start as a humble cowhand. Trouble is when he gets there he discovers his friend's dead body with a bullet in it and on taking the body to the Banner (Griff Barnett) ranch finds himself being accused of the murder thanks to Deputy Sheriff Bill Yount (Grant Withers) being on the Banner pay role. Fortunately Banner's daughter Jane (Dorothy Hart) sides with Kane and contacts the sheriff to prevent Kane being lynched. Trouble is that Jane's sister Bess (Barbara Britton) is in love with ranch hand Bard Macky (Bruce Cabot) and she knows that Bard is the killer and that Kane isn't going to stop until he gets to the bottom of things.

I suppose at one point westerns were like today's comic book movies, there were a variety of actors who were the mainstay but each storyline ended up being pretty similar. That is in many ways the problem with "Gunfighters" as it is a story of cliches as we have the former gunfighter trying to go clean only to end up accused of a murder and then setting out to prove their innocence. I reckon pretty much every western star from Roy Rogers to Gregory Peck has appeared in a similar western and as such for the most "Gunfighters" works its way through the familiar storyline rarely deviating from the path trodden by other.

Dorothy Hart in Gunfighters (1947) (aka: The Assassin)

But "Gunfighters" does have one interesting element which is the sisters side of the storyline as we have Jane falling for Kane whilst her sister is in love with the killer. In truth this isn't that interesting but both Dorothy Hart and Barbara Britton are a picture in this western and a distraction for being such. In truth Randolph Scott looks more handsome than ever in this as well and in general there is a visual beauty to this western with some nice cinematography and use of warm colours.

What this all boils down to is that "Gunfighters" is just a regular western, with the sort of story which pretty much every western star had appeared in at one time or another. But the visual appeal of the cast, locations and sets is enough to keep you watching.


LATEST REVIEWS