Shoot Out [Shootout] *** (1971, Gregory Peck, Pat Quinn, Robert F Lyons, James Gregory, Rita Gam) – Classic Movie Review 3,500

Gregory Peck stars in the intense 1971 revenge Western film Shoot Out from the True Grit team of director Henry Hathaway, producer Hal B Wallis and screenwriter Marguerite Roberts.

The intriguing and dramatic though slow-moving 1971 Western film Shoot Out comes from the True Grit (1969) production team of director Henry Hathaway, producer Hal B Wallis and screenwriter Marguerite Roberts, and brings intensity if nothing particularly fresh to a familiar revenge theme.

It‘s just a routine old-style Western that comes from the time when Westerns were going out of fashion and needed to provide that bit more impact.

Trusty star Gregory Peck does his best clenched acting as the former bank robber Clay Lomax, just out of jail after seven years for robbing a bank, who goes after his double crossing partner Sam Foley (James Gregory), the bad guy who betrayed him, shot him in the back as they ran from the bank and left him for dead.

While Lomax also has to look after a seven-year old girl (Dawn Lyn as Decky Ortega), Foley then hires young thugs Pepe (Pepe Serna), Skeeter (John Davis Chandler) and Bobby Jay Jones (Robert F Lyons) to ensure his own safety by tracking Lomax.

The supporting players, cinematography (Earl Rath), score (Dave Grusin) and locations (New Mexico and California) are very considerable assets in a conscientious, carefully handled film, which involves and entertains, even it doesn’t quite hit the target bull’s eye.

Based on the 1930 novel The Lone Cowboy by Will James, the screenplay by Marguerite Roberts is a remake of 1933’s Lone Cowboy with Jackie Cooper, Lila Lee and Addison Richards.

Also in the cast are Pat Quinn, Robert F Lyons, Susan Tyrell, Jeff Corey, Rita Gam, Arthur Hunnicutt, Paul Fix, Dawn Lyn, Nicolas Beauvy, John Davis Chandler [John Chandler], Pepe Serna, and Willis Bouchey in his final film.

Peck was not a natural Western actor but was a good one anyway, as The Gunfighter (1950) shows.

Peck and Gam previously starred together in Night People in 1954.

Locations: Cerrillos, Los Alamos and Chama, all in New Mexico; Hot Creek at Mammoth Lakes, Lake Crowley, Round Valley and Inyo National Forest, all in California.

It was shot from October 12 1970 to December 16 1970, and was released in Los Angeles on August 25, 1971.

Rita Gam (born Rita Eleanore MacKay; 2 April 1927 – 22 March 2016) 

Sultry star Rita Gam died on 22 March 2016, aged 88.

She appeared first in the 1952 film noir The Thief and was notable as Herodias in 1961’s King of Kings.

The cast

The cast are Gregory Peck as Clay Lomax, Pat Quinn as Juliana, Robert F Lyons as Bobby Jay, Susan Tyrrell as Alma, Jeff Corey as Trooper, James Gregory as Sam Foley, Rita Gam as Emma, Dawn Lyn as Decky Ortega, Pepe Serna as Pepe, John Davis Chandler [John Chandler] as Skeeter, Paul Fix as Brakeman, Arthur Hunnicutt as Homer Page, Nicolas Beauvy as Dutch Farrell, Lane Bradford as Prison Warden, and Willis Bouchey as Stationmaster.

Shoot Out is directed by Henry Hathaway, runs 94 minutes, is made by Hal Wallis Productions, is released by Universal, is written by Marguerite Roberts, is shot by Earl Rath, is produced by Hal B Wallis, and is scored by Dave Grusin.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,500

Link to home page for more reviews derekwinnert.com