Hostile Guns ** (1967, George Montgomery, Yvonne De Carlo, Tab Hunter, Brian Donlevy, John Russell, Leo Gordon) – Classic Movie Review 11,112

Director R G Springsteen’s 1967 Technicolor and Techniscope Western film Hostile Guns stars George Montgomery as town marshal Sheriff Gid McCool, who conducts a coach of prisoners across the Texas plains to the state jail, hindered by saloon gal Laura Manon (Yvonne De Carlo) and treacherous young gun new deputy Mike Reno (Tab Hunter).

This decent enough support Western gets the usual A C Lyles Sixties production, cheap and cheerful, and full of game performances by welcome old faces, who do well here though they did better in their prime.

Notably, Richard Arlen appears as Sheriff Travis, 40 years after achieving stardom in Wings. The film is full of well-deserved nostalgic affection for its old-time cast.

Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; later Gelien; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018).

Also in the cast are Brian Donlevy, Fuzzy Knight in his final film appearance, John Russell, Leo Gordon, Robert Emhardt, Richard Arlen, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, James Craig, Emile Meyer, Don ‘Red’ Barry, Roy Jenson, William Fawcett, Joe Brown, Regis Parton, Jack Catron, Reed Morgan and Eric Cody.

Hostile Guns is directed by R G Springsteen, runs 91 minutes, is made by A C Lyles Productions, is released by Paramount, is written by Steve Fisher (screenplay), James Edward Grant (story) and Sloan Nibley (story and screenplay), is shot in Technicolor and Techniscope by Lothrop B Worth, is produced by A C Lyles, is scored by Jimmie Haskell, and designed by Hal Perreira and Budd S Friend.

The main cast are George Montgomery as Sheriff Gid McCool, Tab Hunter as Mike Reno, Yvonne De Carlo as Laura Mannon, Brian Donlevy as Marshal Willett, John Russell as Aaron Pleasant, Leo Gordon as Hank Pleasant, Robert Emhardt as R C Crawford, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez as Angel Dominguez, James Craig as Ned Cooper, Richard Arlen as Sheriff Travis, Emile Meyer as Uncle Joe Reno, Don ‘Red’ Barry as Ed Johnson and Fuzzy Knight as Buck.

Tab Hunter’s films include Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left Behind (1956), Gunman’s Walk (1958) and Damn Yankees (1958).

George Montgomery is best remembered in Western films and TV. He starred as Mayor Matt Rockford with John Smith and Audrey Totter in his own 26-episode NBC Western series Cimarron City in the 1958–59 season, through his own production company Mont Productions.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,112

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