Think about a western where the hero goes after a bad guy along with a 7 year old girl, and the bad guy stooges follow the hero along with a woman who cooks for them and has sex with them whenever they feel like it. That is "Shoot Out" for you.I must admit that I have never seen a western quite like this. And even the ending is a bit of a twist. We are waiting for the grand showdown between Lomax and Foley (Lomax's fellow bank robber who then decided to take all of the loot, shoot Lomax in the back and leave him to rot in a prison). But that showdown never happens. Instead the showdown is actually between Lomax and Bobby Jay Jones - the head stooge.Clay Lomax is played by the formidable as always Gregory Peck. A gentle guy, who can be tough as needed. On the other hand, the villains Bobby Jay Jones and his fellow stooges are portrayed as dangerous buffoons, who spend their time cracking silly jokes but fully capable of murdering innocents. Lomax is kind of stuck with 7 year old Decky (who is probably his daughter, but the movie never says it for sure). Decky's mother had died just days ago when they had set out to meet Lomax and return his money after he had gotten out of jail. Decky's sad plight melts Lomax's heart and he lets her tag along, though off and on he tries to get someone else to take care of her. But Decky strikes you as the kind of girl who is fully capable of taking care of herself and then some. A tough cookie just like her father.Lomax and Decky eventually meet a widowed mother called Juliana who cares for them on a rainy night. It is pretty late in the film when she makes an entrance. The only reason for her existence in the film to provide a hint to viewers what will be Lomax and Decky's fate once they get rid of the bad guys.Overall, a good fun-filled film which shows a strong man who is reformed after a stint in jail, and a plucky girl who is determined to let nothing bring her down.

I much enjoyed this unusual western, although I think the title is not appropriate. It's sort of like a cross between a Shirley Temple movie and "The Cowboys", with John Wayne leading a group of boys on a cattle drive. It works for me. The relationship between Gregory Peck, as Clay, and Dawn Lyn, as Decky, serves as comic relief between the sinister aspects of the film. At the adult? level, prostitute Alma serves a similar purpose. Arthur Hunnicutt provides a little 'backwoods' flavor in one scene. Even 'the Gang of 3' camp followers occasionally provide some humor. Newly released from an 8 year prison stay, the first thing that Clay wants to do is 'pay back' his bank robbing partner Sam Foley(James Gregory) for betraying him. But, his plan of action is unexpectedly complicated by the arrival by train of a 7 year old girl claimed to possibly be his daughter by a prostitute old girlfriend. He hesitantly accepts this responsibility , taking her along on his search for Foley. Meanwhile, Foley has hired 3 young men(Bobby Jay, Pepe, and Skeeter) to keep an eye on Clay's movements, with instructions not to kill him. Eventually, Clay and Decky are temporarily taken in by widow Juliana(Pat Quinn). during a rain storm. Being lonely, except for her son, she suggests that Clay and Decky might want to stay on and help her run her ranch. But, their romantic progress is interrupted by the Gang of 3, looking for their firearms which Clay had confiscated in a previous altercation. Holding their "hosts" hostage, Bobby Jay plays a dangerous shooting game. A while later, Bobby Jay is the only one of the 4(including prostitute Alma) still alive. He gallops back to Foley to tell him what's happened. The final gun duels and shooting games happen in Foley's office. Clay and Decky are then reunited with each other and with Juliana and her son.Hope you like it. Available in color at You Tube

This film from a novel titled ¨The last cowboys¨ and adapted by Marguerite Roberts (True grit) deals with Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck) , he leaves the prison and seeking vengeance of his former partner named Foley (James Gregory) who double-crossed him . He carries the revenge in his heart after suffering the treason . He embarks on his vendetta and during his quest he gets stuck an eight-year-old little girl . Meanwhile , Foley contracts a young gunfighter (a violent , savage Robert F. Lions) who along with other gunmen (Pepe Serna and John Davis Chandler) abduct a prostitute (Susan Tyrell) and after that , they go out in pursuit Lomax .An average Western revenge story plenty of violence , action and shoot'em up ; though the veteran director Hathaway is uninspired and the ending is pretty predictable . The film relies heavily on the continuous relationship between the tiring gunslinger and the orphaned girl . The picture is well played by Gregory Peck in one of his last Westerns (he starred ¨McKenna gold¨ , ¨Big country¨ , ¨Stalking moon¨ , ¨The gunfighter¨). The movie displays a wide plethora of secondary actors usually seen in Western genre : Jeff Corey (True grit) as an old brawler in wheelchair , the usual Arthur Hunnicutt (El Dorado), Paul Fix , Rita Gam (Tomahawk) , Willis Bouchey's last film and the habitual cocky nasty named John Davis Chandler . Evocative and imaginative musical score by Dave Grusin . The motion picture was regularly directed by Henry Hathaway in his last film along with ¨Raid on Rommel¨ , both made in 1971 . Hathaway hired Ben Johnson for the lead role but he turned it down . Henry was an excellent filmmaker who directed several classic Westerns , such as ¨True grit¨ , ¨Sons of Katie Elder¨ , ¨Nevada Smith¨ ,¨Rawhide¨ , ¨How the west was won¨ (also with Gregory Peck) , among others . The film will appeal to Gregory Peck fans.

This film barely held my interest, mainly because it was fun identifying the same locations where "True Grit" scenes were filmed. The most glaring was the spot where Gregory Peck and the girl camped before he got the drop on the three outlaws. That was the same place where John Wayne, et al. raided the shack where Moon and Quincy were waiting for Lucky Ned Pepper. It even looked like the same camera angle for the initial shot. Could have been cribbed from "True Grit", who knows? Other than playing "what happened on this spot in "True Grit", there wasn't much else to recommend this film. Gregory Peck looked like he was sleepwalking, and Dawn Lyn as the little girl was annoying, at best. The music was awful - it was like something out of a TV western, or even a crime show. One plus was the performance of John Davis Chandler (credited as John Chandler here), playing yet another whiny, heavy lidded heavy. He wasn't given much to do, unfortunately, since most of the bad guy attention went to Robert F. Lyons. Not worth a second look, IMHO.