Producer: Lester Welch. A United States/Spanish co-production between Lester Welch Productions (Hollywood) and Zurbano Films (Madrid).Copyright 31 December 1964 by Lester Welch/Zurbano Films. Released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 31 March 1966. U.K. release: 16 August 1965. 8,217 feet. 91 minutes. Spanish title: El Hijo del Pistolero.SYNOPSIS: On the Mexican-American border of 1877, a gang of outlaws headed by James Ketchum attempts to hold up a stagecoach carrying a shipment of gold. But they are driven off by the local sheriff and his deputy with an assist from one of the stagecoach passengers, a young sharpshooter called Johnny. Later, when the outlaws raid a cattle ranch belonging to Don Fortuna, Johnny is wounded in the shoulder while helping to fight off the attack. While recuperating, Johnny falls in love with Don Fortuna's daughter, Pilar, but he leaves her to track down Ketchum, whom he believes responsible for his mother's death years before.COMMENT: So far as M-G-M was concerned, CinemaScope had well and truly outstayed its box-office welcome by the time its 120th and final CinemaScope release was sent around the drive-in and action circuit in 1966. True, unlike the previous year's "Greed in the Sun", CinemaScope is actually mentioned all of twice in the Press Sheet and the process does figure in the advertising blocks, but the size of the type and the prominence of its lay-out has come down a long, long way from 1953's "Knights of the Round Table"."Son of a Gunfighter" itself is a presentable Spanish western which benefits from Manuel Berenguer's superb location cinematography. Mr Tamblyn is purposeful enough in the lead, Miss Granada makes an appealing heroine, and it's always good to see Fernando Rey — even if his role here, as the heroine's dad, rather limits his opportunities.

Why is this a great western? Because it requires you to think, because it is much deeper than most films. It is about Johnny Ketcham (Russ Tamblyn), an embittered 19 year old, with an extremely fast gun, who is hunting down the man he holds responsible for the death of his mother. Spoilers Ahead: It turns out that it is his father Ace a notorious outlaw, who abandoned the family years ago. In addition to him, Ace is being hunted down by Deputy Hace Fenton (Kieron Moore), who wants the $10,000 reward that was place on Ace, because he believes it will allow him to gain social acceptance. Why? Fenton has an American mother and Mexican mother and is despised by Americans and Mexicans alike. He is actually referred to as a Gringo by Juan Morales, the head of a group of Mexican bandits. The problem with Fenton, is he is simply an untrustworthy person, far worse than Ace and even Morales which is why. In the end he gets what he deserves by being tied to stakes in the desert by Morales and is left to die. Johnny is very different than Fenton, although he has hate in his heart, he does the right thing by saving people's lives, not once, but twice, and ends up getting shot in Mexico, and ends up at the hacienda of Don Pedro Fortuna (A man he took the bullet for) and is beautiful daughter, Pilar (I think she was around 16 or 17). The kindness of Don Pedro, and the love of Pilar, start to change him, so that when he has the showdown with his father (Also a very fast gun), he could not kill him. However, Fenton who made a deal with both Johnny & Morales for the reward of Ace, shoots Ace, but that act allows Johnny, the wounded Ace, and his gang to get away to Don Pedro's. It turns out that Morales has wanted to rob Don Pedro for years, and after dealing with Fenton, the plan is to capture Ace (Dead or Alive), and kill everyone else. At the end, Ace explains to Johnny that the family could never have peace, because of his quick draw reputation (Everyone wanted to test him), and it was the mother who suggested that he go. There was an episode of "The Twilight Zone" called "Mr Denton on Doomsday." Which was about Al Denton (Dan Duryea), who becomes a drunk because he killed someone after being challenged, and how a man named Mr. Fate, gives him a drink and gets his shooting abilities back, and at the end he and another man shoot each other in the arm (So neither could shoot again), and as Rod Serling said "Fate allowed one man to get out of his hole, and another man from falling into one." The fact that Ace could never have freedom from his past, is why he became an outlaw. In fact, his lieutenant Pecos, told Johnny "I rode with Ace for 10 years, and I never knew he had a family." Two other things that were important that were said to Johnny. 1: Ace points out to Johnny, is "there are a lot worse places to be than here" (Meaning with Don Pedro & Pilar, instead of living his life). 2: Don Pedro says "How we need you and your guns." (Otherwise they would all die). In the end, after Morales and his gang are defeated, Johnny stays with them, and you know that Don Pedro will mold him into the best man he can be, so he can be both a quality husband to Pilar, and take over the hacienda one day for Don Pedro (He had no other heirs except Pilar). For Johnny, the hacienda and Pilar offer the peace and freedom that his father, and even Fenton never had, because he gets a fresh start,and no one except Don Pedro & Pilar, will know about his past. The journey that Johnny had, from angry young man, to responsible adult, and how different it was from Ace (Including being able to settle down instead of moving from town to town), is what the film was about. 10/10 stars.

I switched on today before coming to work and saw the listed film 'Son of a Gunfighter' - never heard of the actors involved but stuck around to watch the adventure roll out. Bit of a giveaway film title though as it becomes apparent during the telling as to who is who and who is going to kill who. There could have been more chemistry in the blooming romance between Johnny and Pilar. But the music was really surprising - shades of the Rawhide them and when the action built up, so did the music. But what became of the bad guy laid out in stakes under the hot sun with a wet hide tied round his neck - i assume he met an inevitable agonising death as the hide dried and choked him quite slowly and painfully. Scenery was great and is the first time I have seen Maria Granada - quite a honey. For a movie now well over 40 years old, I found it quite entertaining genre wise.

The movie has a rather good typical genre revenge-story but the story gets almost completely ruined by the movie its poor directing and annoyingly bad dialog.It's not that the movie has a bad story but it's still a poorly written. And the things they say! Oh man, the spend 3 lines on things they could say with just 5 words. Some of the dialog is ridicules and at times completely redundant for the movie. Really some of the worst dialog writing I have seen in a long time. How did those actors ever agreed to say all those lines? Unfortunately the movie also feels the need to put in a female character and love-story. I mean no offense but women in westerns have just never quite worked out. Even in the best westerns, the women still felt out of place and did not worked out. I understand that it's PC and good for marketing reasons but some genres are just not created to have female characters in it. But on top of that the love-story in this movie feels rather forced and out of place and is just not quite believable, since Pilar seems like a complete bore and shallow character, that no tough gunfighter would ever fall for.It also seems silly that the biggest spoiler and surprise of the movie is also in the movie it's title. What's up with that!?The musical score for the movie was unexpectedly great. I liked it surprising much! One of the very few highlights of the movie.The directing was very poor and it ruined some of the potentially good moments of the movie. It also made some of the action seemed bad and ridicules. It's the sort of clumsy action you would normally expect to see in a '30's movie or a "The A-Team" type of series. Characters come and go in the movie and evil and good guys keep switching constantly. The main character isn't even introduced until 10 minutes into the movie. The main villains are disappointing and underused. Never fully showed in the movie why they are being considered such legendary and bad villainous characters in the West.Also non of the actors are really any great ones but then again, they also aren't really helped by the dialog in the movie.Still some of the action makes the movie worthwhile to watch, at least for the genre fans. Some action sequences are surprisingly big (seemed to me they'd watched "The Magnificent Seven" before making this movie?) and even though some of the action seems to constantly repeat itself, it's still great to watch!4/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/