Movie Review: Noose for a Gunman (1960)

Synopsis: Five years after being exiled from his hometown of Rock Valley for killing Carl Avery's sons, Case Britton returns to warn the sheriff about a gang of outlaws looking to steal $75,000 from a stagecoach. The sheriff believes Britton and arranges for the money to be kept in the town's bank instead. However, with many of the townspeople still unable to trust the gunman, Britton's offer to help is refused and he is instead locked up in the jail. Meanwhile, Britton's fiancée, Della, believes he should just walk away and not put his life in any more danger, despite Britton believing Avery both killed his brother and is the one who the outlaws are working for.

Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Davis, Lyn Thomas, Ted de Corsia, Barton MacLane and Harry Carey, Jr.

Review: It's been a while since I last watched a classic western and since Noose for a Gunman looked somewhat interesting, I decided to give it a try this morning. While nothing I would describe as overly unique, it ended up being an entertaining watch.

The thing I liked best about this movie was how Britton (Davis) faced somewhat overwhelming odds. The incoming gang could easily outgun the townspeople and possibly him as well. At the same time, he wasn't even safe walking down the street because most of the people in his hometown wanted to see him swinging from a noose. 

Then, of course, there was Avery (MacLane), who both made it clear he intended to kill Britton and since the entire town was relying on his wealth, could have easily done it in cold blood without anyone standing in the way. Britton being locked in a jail cell with no way to defend himself potentially made that easier.

I wasn't overly sure about the part relating to his fiancée, Della (Thomas), which just seemed like it would be an additional piece of the plot that wouldn't get enough time to be of any importance. However, I had to admit she was as important to the plot as anything else. At minimum, Della making it clear she disapproved of the way Britton was always getting into trouble and always looking for a fight was something that could have been a distraction.

In the end, there weren't any real surprises, with Britton getting the chance to save the day and even Della suddenly changing her mind in support of her man. However, I did enjoy watching the final gunfight, which put Britton up against some difficult odds, including facing two able gunslingers at the same time. While the outcome was a bit predictable, it was still fun to watch.

Final Opinion: As I mentioned, it's not a film that is overly unique and has a plot that you could probably find in dozens of similar movies. However, the execution was solid, and it still proved to be a fun movie to watch.

My Grade: B+

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Here are some reviews of other classic westerns:

Movie Review: A Lawman is Born (1937)

Movie Review: The Broken Land (1962)

Movie Review: Day of the Bad Man (1958)