In the good old days of justice in the west, a policeman needed just three things – his horse, his gun, and unwavering loyalty to his badge. Lesley Selander’s Shotgun (1955) seizes on this seemingly simple paraphernalia of a western hero to make an entertaining picture off the script by Clarke Reynolds, Rory Calhoun, and John C. Champion.
Marshal Clay Hardin (Sterling Hayden) is our hero on his horseback with his shotgun as he is out to bring weapon trafficker and gang leader Ben Thompson (Guy Prescott) to justice for killing Hardin’s fellow marshal. Along the way, Hardin makes acquaintance with voluptuous and wild Abby (Yvonne De Carlo) and is joined by bounty hunter Carleton (Zachary Scott). The trio encounters Thompson’s men and Apaches as it pursues Hardin’s hunt for Thompson.
Shotgun would be our classic western that plunges directly into action with the inciting incident spared any extended prologues or long takes to induce a mood of conflict. It starts right with the conflict and then keeping it straight and natural till the end. The dialogue is short and dramatic moments are not overdone – a merit that lends credibility to the scenes.
The sidekick in a western is sometimes allowed his moment to steal the show from the hero and in Shotgun, Carleton has his moment in fighting the Apaches when he and Abby are encircled by them. A wounded Carleton pinned to a tree delivers a lasting impression as he talks to Clay and asks for a gun. Arguably, it’s more impactful a scene than the final shotgun duel between Clay and Thompson.
Shotgun is more action and adventure than drama with some good old style fight scenes and strong male characters. For those who grew up watching the classic western, it’s a nostalgic break from today’s entertainment scene.
