Review of Guns in the Dark

After believing that he has accidentally shot and killing his pal in a poker room brawl, Johnny Mack Brown swears off of guns, only using his fists when necessary. He finds he might need more than that when he goes to work for pretty landowner Claire Rochelle who is putting a dam in the area to the objection of some vicious thugs. Enjoyable poverty row western with a sincere performance from Brown, feisty romantic support from Rochelle, comic relief by stuttering Syd Saylor and slithering villainy by Ted Adams as a phony accented Mexican. As creaky and slow moving at times as it is, this is more enjoyable than other similar Z grade westerns I've seen, mainly because the conflict is unique and the pacing solid. Brown and Rochelle find some clever way of dealing with the various bad guys, finding in a very funny scene that bar trays make great Frisbee weapons when confronted by men with guns. Saylor's stuttering seems rather cruel and pointless until the end when several plot twists which you won't see coming are revealed, including one about Adams that comes as a relief.