It was one early western DVD release around 2003 and l got my copy right way,this movie l'd watched in 1981 on TV and the possibility to have it eternally amazed me,this solid and tense western have all elements to make a good picture,a strong reason to make justice even against his best friend...a fine supporting casting and a pretty woman who decided to do a right choice...suspenseful and remarkable western compatible the High Noon! Goof: When the boy was running back home,sometimes he is up river and sometimes down the river...pay attention..Resume: First watch: 1981 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8.25

A Stiff and Super Clean Look is What You Get From the Overrated Director John Sturgess Once Again. The Man Wouldn't Know Grit if it Covered the Bottom of His Elevator Boots. The Strong Acting from Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn with the Radiant Beauty of Carolyn Jones Cannot Save Another Clunker from Sturges and His Bland Direction.There is Some Tension from the Script, Borrowed from and Almost Identical to Other Recent Movies of the Era, the Shallow and By the Numbers Style of So Many Fifties Westerns Renders the Suspense Somewhat Anemic.The First Act is the Best and it All Goes Down (Gun) Hill From There. The Cinematography is Lusciously Competent but Nothing Different from a Thousand Other Professionals, and the Dimitri Tiomkin Score is Intrusive and Overdone Frequently.Worth a Watch with Low Expectations but for Those Looking for One of the Better Westerns from the Many in the Decade of "The Western", Need Look Elsewhere.

Watching this was a tour to the land of nostalgia and an enjoyable one at that. This movie is really one of the god old classical Westerns telling the story of two brave men confronting each other. No special effects, no aliens, no choleric outbursts and no foul-mouthed brats.It was really enjoyable to watch Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn in this movie. Both were well suited for their roles and I have always liked them as actors. Maybe this is just some nostalgic connection I have though since I am sure that their performance would not wind them any Oscars today.The story is as classical as the movie. The young brat of a wealthy cattle owner gets himself in big trouble and said cattle owner tries to prevent him, being the only son, getting what he deserves. Unfortunately the other side is not only as tough as the cattle owner but also happens to be the law. The story is well executed by John Sturges. It has the usual elements that you would expect from this kind of movie, two men posturing against each other, a bad guy who also ends up being a prisoner, a girlie torn between the two men, a few gun and fist fights and of course a grand finale.I was enjoying every minute of this old classic.

Two best friends become bitter enemies out of revenge because of the bullying nature of one of their sons. Kirk Douglas (as a marshal from another town) and Anthony Quinn (as the self-made wealthy rancher who runs his town) are the old friends who come at odds when Quinn's son (Earl Holliman) brutally rapes and murders Douglas's wife as his son hears her screams while escaping to get help. That in itself is a plot for a movie, but here, the storyline concentrates on Douglas's revenge. He instantly recognizes the saddle which belonged to Quinn after the son wisely steals Holliman's horse. You can see the anguish in Quinn's face as he realizes the extent of his son's brutality, but is forced to try and get Douglas to change his plans for revenge. Douglas, on the other hand, is first lightly seen explaining his history with Quinn to a bunch of town kids as the son rides in, horrified by what he just saw. Douglas goes from calm, cool, and collected to shocked, saddened, and saddled with revenge. His issue isn't with Quinn; It's with Holliman and the buddy who committed the crime. But as it becomes clear that the two old friends cannot come to terms with each other's ordeals, the tension gets tighter and the performances really explode.The always wonderful Carolyn Jones gives a really outstanding fleshed-out performance as a self-described "woman who was born in trouble", a card dealer who is obviously Quinns' mistress. She obviously is modeled on "High Noon's" Katy Jurado. You know from the moment she sits down right next to Douglas on his train into Gun Hill that she knows more than she is letting on, and will provide much intrigue as the film goes on. Fortunately, there is no namby-pamby Grace Kelly character there to add an unnecessary overly fragile woman to the plot. With Douglas and Quinn, there is enough to focus on, and Jones provides enough spark to go around. The film does not lack on tension; Once Douglas gets Holliman in his grasp (handcuffed to a hotel bed), Quinn's men storm around waiting for an opportunity to move in. Douglas shows intelligence, compassion, yet a definite sense of justice in his decision to have Holliman tried for rape and murder rather than kill him outright. Outstanding photography, music and direction are also standouts. This should be noticed as one of the greatest westerns ever made that even non-western fans can enjoy.