Gunman’s Walk. 1958. USA. Directed by Phil Karlson. Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent, Ric Hardman. With Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Kathryn Grant. New York City premiere. Courtesy Swank. 97 min.
Phil Karlson’s widescreen Western continues the psychological and thematic complexity that had been transforming the genre since the late 1940s, particularly in its examination of violence and patriarchal authority in the American West. Van Heflin, one of the first Hollywood stars to embrace the neuroticism of the American male, plays Lee Hackett, a veteran rancher whose mythologized tales of frontier conquest have molded his son Ed (Tab Hunter, in a dark and surprisingly effective performance) into a dangerous reflection of outdated values. Kathryn Grant delivers a nuanced performance as Clee Chouard, a half–Native American woman whose romance with Ed’s younger brother Davy (James Darren) catalyzes the film’s tragic confrontation with racial prejudice and familial obligation.
Frank S. Nugent’s sophisticated screenplay (following his work on The Searchers) deepens the decade’s ongoing critique of frontier mythology, while Karlson, celebrated for his taut crime dramas (The Phenix City Story, 99 River Street), applies his characteristic attention to power dynamics and moral compromise to the Western format, creating moments of shocking cruelty.
4K digital restoration by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Restored from the 35mm original picture negative and the 35mm original magnetic mono soundtrack master. 4K scanning and digital image restoration by Cineric, Inc. Sound restoration by BluWave Audio. Color grading, conforming, additional image restoration, and DCP creation (preserving the original Cinemascope aspect ratio 2.55:1) by Motion Picture Imaging with colorist Sheri Eisenberg. Restoration supervised by Grover Crisp.