The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

After leaving his wife and son to begin a quest for fame and fortune a gunman by the name of "Tom Early" (Stewart Granger) finally returns home to discover that his son no longer respects him and his wife has passed away and been buried. Although he tells his son that he wants to change his ways when he rides into town he has to shoot and kill another man in self-defense which convinces everyone that he is still the same. Additionally, when he hires a pretty, young woman named "Jo" (Rhonda Fleming) to help out at his ranch it creates gossip and even more trouble among the townspeople as well. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a decent western movie by and large. It had a decent cast and both Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming performed in their usual professional manner. Likewise, Rhonda Fleming was also quite attractive. Having said that I must admit that the plot was rather predictable and some of the scenes could have used a bit more passion or excitement in some parts. Even so I suppose it was enjoyable enough for the time spent and I rate it as about average.

Stewart Granger plays a fast-draw gunslinger Tom Early in "Outriders" director Roy Rowland's scenic oater "Gun Glory" who comes back home to his sprawling ranch to resume where he left off before he started riding. Early gets a shock when he shows up and discovers that his wife is dead and his son (Steve Rowland) hates. Some of the people in the community abhor him even more. Principally, a crippled storekeeper Sam Winscott (Jacques Aubuchon of "Thunder Road") hates Tom with a passion. He hates him not only because Tom has a reputation, but also because he persuades the girl his former wife and he raised like a daughter, Jo (Rhonda Fleming of "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral"), to come and cook for Steve and he. Winscott has the temerity to make sexual advances toward Jo and he is shocked when she doesn't respond with affection. The action heats up when a cattleman, Grimsell (James Gregory of "PT-109"), plans to drive his herd across Early's land and through the town. Grimsell means to destroy the town. The first day that he rides into town, he makes his aims clear. As it happens, Tom Early is in town, too. Grimsell's gun hand Blondie (Rayford Barnes of "The Wild Bunch") challenges Tom to a duel. Tom blows him out of his saddle, and Winscott redoubles his efforts to besmirch Tom's reputation. Winscott's hate for Tom drives Jo right into Tom's arms. When Grimsell refuses to stand down and decides to plow the town under the hooves of his steers, he assembles an army of gunfighters. The local preacher (Chill Wills) gathers the townspeople and the farmers to confront Grimsell's gunmen, but the gunmen back shoot the preacher and scatter the townspeople. Gunn (Arch Johnson) nurses a special kind of hate for Tom because he gunned down Blondie. Gunn shoots down Winscott like a dog after Grimsell's gun hand massacre the townspeople and wound Tom's son in the leg.Seasoned MGM director Roy Rowland, who also helmed "Bugles in the Afternoon" as well as many episodes of "The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp," handles the action expertly and doesn't allow anything to interfere with the momentum of the plot. Sure, it takes 18 minutes for Tom Early to out draw his first adversary. Clocking in at a lean 89 minutes, Rowland doesn't waste a moment in this standard-issue oater, and "Oklahoma!" scenarist William Ludwig comes up with some memorable dialogue to keep the interpersonal relationships interesting. The theme of the gunfighter who cannot hang up his gun is done with skill and Stewart Granger acquits himself serviceably in the role. Rhonda Fleming is the woman who doesn't want him to sacrifice his life. Rowland would make a couple of westerns in Spain during the Spaghetti western crazy, and "Gun Glory" has all the marks of an exciting Spaghetti. To thwart Grimsell and his bunch, Tom Early resorts to dynamiting the terrain and stampeding the villain's cattle. Particularly striking is Harold J. Marzorati's cinematography; when he shoots a long shot, it's a long shot. Spectators who enjoy hell-bent-for-leather westerns with a lot of dust and tough talking will enjoy this sturdy if stereotypical saga. You can tell that this is a 1950s' western because Chill Wills warbles the title tune, which isn't too bad. This is an unusual western is some respects because it endorses the use of violence. Tom's son admits, "There are times when you have to use a gun. There's no other way."

I'm a big fan of the old westerns, and do not believe that Hollywood is capable of capturing its old glory. But not even Ronda Fleming and Stewart Granger can help this 1957 movie which carries nearly all the trite characteristics of westerns of the reformed gunfighter turned good guy. fallen but virtuous woman, bigoted townspeople who must turn to gunfighter for salvation, etc. I can't help but notice the last names of the writer and young "actor" who plays Granger's son. Any nepotism there? I've seen better acting in high school plays. Chill Wills plays a cartoon characterization of Chill Wills. Have I reached the 1000 words yet?

Stewart Granger as gunfighter Tom Early rides back into his home town tired of life on the trail. He'd like to settle down with his wife and kid. A lot like Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter. But his wife is dead and his kid is sullen and resentful.There's a cattle baron played by James Gregory who's looking to drive a herd through the valley where Granger's and other ranches are. If he needs to Granger is more than willing to lend his gun in defense of the valley like Alan Ladd. But the others want to try it peaceful.Granger and his kid played by Steve Rowland also have Rhonda Fleming living with them now as a housekeeper. Another reviewer likened that to Rachel and the Stranger, but in that one Loretta Young was forced by convention to marry Bill Holden.So we've got parts of three previous films and I probably could think of more. Yet it's three good films and while this one isn't great, it's enjoyable.One theme that was thrown in there for reasons I don't understand. At one point Steve Rowland, feeling his teenage oats, tries to take advantage of Rhonda Fleming. She stops his advances and there's no more made of it. I'm not sure why that was included in the film, since there was no confrontation with the father over Fleming.Two other key roles are Arch Johnson as Gregory's hired gun who's on his own mission against Granger. And Chill Wills plays the town preacher. The town is too small to have any kind of organized governing body, so the preacher is the unofficial town political as well as moral leader. Theocracy in the old west.Chill Wills also sings in this film. During a scene at his unfinished church he leads the congregation in When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. Chill Wills was a singer in fact before he became a character actor. His screen debut was in Bing Crosby's first Anything Goes as part of the Avalon Boys Trio. Not a great western, but a mix of a few films to create a good afternoon's entertainment.