I've seen Chill Wills as a villain before, but Man, he really takes it to the limit here as outlaw Ike Slant. In an opening scene, not only does he torch a rancher's home, but shoots a woman and a crying child (off screen) before his crew makes a getaway. That was cold.
Seeking revenge for the murder of his family, former bounty hunter Talion (Robert Lansing) teams up with young gunslinger Benny Wallace (Patrick Wayne) to track the killers and bring them to justice. Talion makes no pretense of what he really feels - "I just want to make sure they all die, son". This is the first time I've seen Lansing in a lead role and I thought he had the perfect look for other Western portrayals, though I don't think I've caught him in any before. As other reviewers have noted, he has that Steve McQueen look going for him, the first thing I thought of when he showed up in the picture.
The story pretty much plays out by the book, with a nominal love interest for Talion in the person of Gloria Talbott's character, Bri Quince. It seems to me the writers miscalculated with the tease because at the end of the story, Talion rode off into the proverbial sunset leaving the disappointed girl behind. There was really no reason why the picture couldn't have pulled it off, it seemed like a loose end that should have been tied up.
The main plot element here has to do with Talion becoming the eyes for partner Benny when the up and coming bounty hunter is blinded by an Ike Slant ricochet. Some time is spent on Talion being patient with his protégé as he learns to handle his gun visualizing the minutes on a clock. That seemed a little odd to me because clocks aren't linear, but the strategy managed to work for the final showdown.
It's always cool to see Paul Fix and Strother Martin in support roles, but I have to admit, I could never get used to seeing Clint Howard as a character actor. At least as a kid; he has the perfect look as an adult for any number of roles calling for a deranged individual. Let's just say he was the complete opposite of his brother Ron.
Seeking revenge for the murder of his family, former bounty hunter Talion (Robert Lansing) teams up with young gunslinger Benny Wallace (Patrick Wayne) to track the killers and bring them to justice. Talion makes no pretense of what he really feels - "I just want to make sure they all die, son". This is the first time I've seen Lansing in a lead role and I thought he had the perfect look for other Western portrayals, though I don't think I've caught him in any before. As other reviewers have noted, he has that Steve McQueen look going for him, the first thing I thought of when he showed up in the picture.
The story pretty much plays out by the book, with a nominal love interest for Talion in the person of Gloria Talbott's character, Bri Quince. It seems to me the writers miscalculated with the tease because at the end of the story, Talion rode off into the proverbial sunset leaving the disappointed girl behind. There was really no reason why the picture couldn't have pulled it off, it seemed like a loose end that should have been tied up.
The main plot element here has to do with Talion becoming the eyes for partner Benny when the up and coming bounty hunter is blinded by an Ike Slant ricochet. Some time is spent on Talion being patient with his protégé as he learns to handle his gun visualizing the minutes on a clock. That seemed a little odd to me because clocks aren't linear, but the strategy managed to work for the final showdown.
It's always cool to see Paul Fix and Strother Martin in support roles, but I have to admit, I could never get used to seeing Clint Howard as a character actor. At least as a kid; he has the perfect look as an adult for any number of roles calling for a deranged individual. Let's just say he was the complete opposite of his brother Ron.