MovieChat Forums > The Gunfighter (1950) Discussion > "The Gunfighter" and "The...

"The Gunfighter" and "The Shootist"

posted 20 years ago by etsuo
5 replies | jump to latest

I'd seen this movie listed on TCM several times before watching it. An interesting comment by the TCM presenter (I wasn't a regular viewer of TCM until after this and other interesting films) concerned John Wayne, who passed on this role, fearing the damage it would do to his Macho Cowboy image. However, once he saw what kind of legend Gregory Peck created, he lamented passing on a role that "showed a little weakness." So, much later, John Wayne got to take on "The Gunfighter" again in "The Shootist," covering similar ground and "showing integrity beating weakness." (Like Jason Robards' character in "Once Upon A Time In The West"?)

[–] aspasic 20 years ago

All else being said, this is the saddest westerns I've ever seen
the ending just about put me to tears

[–] JimB-4 17 years ago

Wayne didn't pass on The Gunfighter, he wanted badly to do it. But at the time the story was owned by Columbia Pictures, and Columbia's head, Harry Cohn, was Wayne's bitter enemy, and Wayne refused to work for him, even though Cohn had bought the story for Wayne. So Cohn sold the project to Fox, which cast its own star Gregory Peck. Wayne had no fears at all about the nature of the role. Quite the contrary.

[–] ncmoviefan 15 years ago

This thread's title is a coincidence in that it contains the titles of my two favorite Westerns. I've never been a favorite of this genre, but these two movies go beyond the stereotypical 'rootin-tootin shoot 'em ups' attributed to Westerns.

Rules? In a knife fight? No rules.

[–] vinidici 9 years ago

As you've admitted, you're not a fan of Westerns in general but did like THE GUNFIGHTER and THE SHOOTIST; but have you seen another Gregory Peck Western, THE BIG COUNTRY? If so, I'd like to see your input in that film's message boards.

[–] redban (5157) 4 years ago

The Shootist outclasses this film imo

&quot;The Gunfighter&quot; and &quot;The Shootist&quot;

"The Gunfighter" and "The Shootist"