Gunman’s Walk is a merciless story about the relation between father (Van Heflin) and his two sons, one of them (Tab Hunter) a memorable rebel figure typical of 1950s imagery. The title of the film relates to the village sidewalk where those who can’t rid themselves of the curse of violence – to some the only way to be independent – will perish. It’s a wonderful western which enriches the great 1950s cycle of gunfighter films, full of the nerve and graphic force, typical of the director of The Phoenix City Story, and yet there is a sense of tenderness expressed by both sides, against this backdrop we get a picture of the father who piled his fortunes in a pioneer time well before the law existed, a sense of deep understanding with moments of amazing emotion, as in the end in which Van Heflin, the father, weeps.

Peter von Bagh