Wow! Such a good movie.

That was an excellent one.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Good dramatic western. I was skeptical when I saw Tab Hunter's name in the cast. But he does well as the semi-psychotic elder son. As the tyrannical father, Heflin is more animated than usual, having to contain his two restless sons. Seems the two sons represent Dad's conflicting sides, one that he embraces, the headstrong Ed (Hunter). The other, weaker, son, Davy (Darren), he only tolerates, especially when Davy takes up with the half-breed Clee (Grant). So Dad's got his own internal conflict to resolve. At the same time, it seems Ed is trying to out- macho his father by shooting first and thinking later. So Dad's really got his hands full.The script merges the various themes—family rivalries, Indian discrimination—in fairly seamless fashion, along with some vivid supporting roles, Simon and Teal, especially. Of course, for movie buffs, seeing Gidget's boyfriend Jimmy Darren as a cowboy takes some getting used to. But as the more sensitive brother, he does well enough, even if the malt shop never quite leaves. Unfortunately, Kathryn Grant has little more to do than stand around and look pretty, which she does in fetching fashion. And for scenery buffs, there are some arresting panoramas to entertain the eye. My only gripe is Dad's sudden turnaround at the end. But then I guess his internal conflict has finally been resolved, even if violently.All in all, it's an engaging Technicolor western, efficiently directed by cult helmsman Phil Karlson, but without his trademark emphasis on raw violence.

Van Heflin and Tab Hunter both deliver commanding performances in this quite gripping western about a hard as nails, old- time rancher father who wants both his son's to be tough and gun savvy. Trouble soon arises as the son played by Tab Hunter becomes too headstrong while the other son played by James Darren, insists he doesn't need a gun to prove his manhood. Problem is for some reason Van Heflin makes no bones about his approval for the son who is basically spoiled and ruthless. Grim reality sets in when Heflin realizes his son has become an out of control animal with no morals and basically must be put down by him. Although James Darren's role isn't quite as active as Hunters, he finely portrays the kind and gentler brother who falls in love with a half breed, played by Kathryn Grant. Even though the end of Hunters life is violent, there is a very touching scene between Heflin, Darren and Grant to close out the story. It is hard not to give a full synopsis of this powerful story, full of conflicts, tension and violence. I appreciated the story and strongly recommend the reader to watch this western film and decide for themselves.

"Gunman's Walk" is not only outstanding on the entertainment level, it also presents what could be clichéd material in a superbly directed and written comment on many issues. The story is an action Western first. Van Heflin, easily one of the greatest of all Western actors, plays a rugged Western hero of the old pioneer days, who participated in many wars against the Native American. Unlike the more sugar coated stories of many Westerns, he is not forgiving of his enemy, and his character is still much the same man when he enters a new era. Heflin's character is now a big man in his territory, respected and feared by all. Heflin gives this character an incredible likability, which in retrospect, makes him even scarier. It is easy to compare this man with Anthony Quinn in "Last Train to Gun Hill", another impressive performance by another great actor. Except this man is much friendlier and less menacing, yet he commands the respect for his abilities with guns, fists, and bravery. Heflin now has a big ranch and two sons. The older one, Tab Hunter, wants to be the big hero his father was, but lives in an era when the Native American is not at war with them. In fact, Ed Platt plays an Indian agent who tries to protect the native population from Hunter's outbursts, to no avail. The younger son, James Darren, is perfectly cast as the dove of the family, who abhors violence. To make matters worse, he is attracted to a beautiful Native American girl, which puts him as the one bearing the brunt of suffering in the middle from both sides. Heflin is going along with the times, but not by conventional means. he hangs on to his valor by recalling his feats in the past. Hunter constantly hears the exploits with other older men in the saloon, speaking as if they were in Floyd's Mayberry RFD barber shop. Exploits against the native Americans that aren't allowed any more, but Hunter wants to have such stories told about him some day. Heflin's character hasn't moved with the times. He simply laughs at them. He raises his sons to be fighters and the end result is that the oldest son steps way over any civilized line. The climax is not exactly hidden. We know that Heflin must confront himself, and he does this by confronting his sons. One he admires, and the other he disowns midway through the movie. By the end, he realizes his mistake. But all through the movie, characters remind us that Hunter isn't the one who caused it all. It is actually Heflin. Yet Heflin's performance is so great that instead of seeing him for the evil man he is, we pity him, and don't blame him. Much like the crafty Fred March in "Hombre", one of the evilest men in Westerns, yet able to snake oil his way through it. Heflin's attitude and character is in the oldest son, and he was responsible. In the end, Heflin admits this, and we forgive him at first, when we see him break down. However, this movie requires much thought. It gives a very frightening picture of the truth about prejudice, and about the evil that is allowed to pass on through cultures and generations, and the way it is done. It is a movie we should watch and learn from, and it is done in a very sneaky way. A must see movie.

Van Heflin played second lead in a score of pictures over 3 decades. In this excellent western he gets to play the lead, and his performance is one of the greatest of his long career. He displays a completely believable fatherly range of emotion and makes the audience identify with his 'how the west was won' mentality. Phil Karlson's deft direction keeps the pacing of this picture very crisp and poignant. The settings and western scenes are also quite excellent. All of this has been said without mentioning Tab Hunter's taught performance, which is really the defining touch that makes this movie great. Surprisingly, Hunter was a teen idol especially developed by the movie studio to be just another screen image. He defied the studios by delivering this amazing performance as a wild and reckless young man growing up in the shadow of his father's hard nosed old western legacy, determined to leave his own stamp on the developing times in the west. Gunman's Walk may be the most underrated western in screen history. It almost feels like a real metaphor for the western motif, and the changing civilization that beckons just over the horizon.