Change Your Image
pendoc-1
Reviews
The Last of the Fast Guns (1958)
One of my 10 best westerns, with qualifications
After viewing the fast draw at the waterhole many times in freeze-frame, I think it was faked. Looks like Mahoney started his draw with his gun out of his holster, and the sound of the gun clearing the holster was added post-production. Just my take on it.
Superior-to-great script, charged dialog. Hate to say it, but the ending was a disappointment. The anticipated gunfight was short and the fight was resolved by other means. Better if Mahoney had just shot him dead. No film is perfect.
When I was in Japan, this film was shown a number of times on their TV. The Japanese were big on things like friendship/betrayal.
Give it a 9 because of the way it ended. Highly recommended.
The Richard Boone Show: A Tough Man to Kill (1964)
Have Gun Will Travel: 1964 version
Updated Paladin transports a former convict wanted by the mob to safety by car and train. The Paladin personality and role are unchanged from the original series. Bethel Leslie is the reporter doing a story on the Boone character. Harry Morgan is Hey Boy. Morgan's bar replaces the Carleton Hotel.
Full auto weapons, rifle grenades, fights, stunts, explosions. Could have been a homage to Boone's Have Gun series or a pilot for a new series.
Either way, a must see for Have Gun fans. Hope it will surface some day.
P.J. (1967)
Re-release this film!
This is a film about a smart, irreverent PI who gets pulled into a conspiracy and sorts it out. Excellent script, dialog, and plot.
This film, in its theatrical release version, may have been suppressed. There's a fair amount of non-PC gay bashing which could have ruffled some feathers.
The film was cleaned up for TV in the mid-70's. It was heavily re-edited, objectionable portions were removed, and possibly there were new scenes shot that were not in the theatrical release -- some of the plot twists are different. The TV version lost much of the punch of the original and is deservedly forgotten.
I've been looking for a print/tape/DVD of the theatrical version for years, but I doubt one will ever surface.