User Reviews

I couldn't get into this one. A cavalry patrol recaptures a stolen Gatling Gun, and must escort it (and the gun thieves) back to a safe location through hostile Apache territory. I noted the anti nuclear weapons subliminal message discussed early on in the movie's dialog. One scene I found baffling involved a pacifist preacher, who knew the hostile Apache chief, Two Knifes, coming out of a homestead while being restrained by the homestead family and the Cavalry patrol commander, yelling for Two Knives that his friend the preacher was in the homestead. Out of nowhere arrows hit the pacifist preacher, yet for some reason do not hit the cavalry commander and the other combatants....lack of realism. There are corny old school cinematic (what you see in black and white films) romantic subplots...I do not understand how one of the females who was part of this cavalry / civilian group, and involved in the corny romance sub plots, was able to untie one of the gun thieves being escorted in order to have their corny face touching moments...no one was watching the prisoner? Why didn't these people steal one of the horses and run, especially if the gun thief knew he was probably going to be executed anyway? I could not watch this film any longer, I had to end it there. It took a lot for me to give it a 3. Brian Ghilliotti

"The Gatling Gun" emerges as a pretentious, predictable, and pedestrian Cavalry versus the Apaches western about the eponymous weapon. Westerns about Gatling Guns had been made before this one. The most notable was the Gregory Peck cavalry movie "Only the Valiant" from 1951. "It Came from Beneath the Sea" director Robert Gordon and scenarists Mark Hanna of "Slaughter" and Joseph Van Winkle have penned a plodding adventure about a Cavalry patrol that retrieves a Gatling Gun which a misguided preacher had stolen to prevent wholesale violence between the Cavalry and the Apaches. Of course, one of these activists has ulterior motives that involve selling the weapon to a bloodthirsty Apache. Although this western was lensed in the early 1970s, the filmmakers portray the Indians as a sadistic bunch of savages. These redskins are neither downtrodden nor exploited by corrupt white officials on the reservation. Indeed, one white character does speak up in their defense, but "The Gatling Gun" amounts to a traditional John Ford western where every good Indian is a dead Indian. Mind you, nothing approaching subtlety ever hoists its sophisticated head in this 93-minute melodrama. Anything of thematic significance in the narrative is laid on as thick as a trowel by a loquacious lot of characters. The cast consists of several familiar names stuck in lackluster roles. Guy Stockwell is cast as a grim but insipid Cavalry commander. Most of the characters are stereotypes or just plain shallow. Patrick Wayne, Robert Fuller, and Barbara Luna are squandered in this military sagebrusher that takes place strictly in the desert. You never see a Cavalry stockade or an Indian reservation.

Basically, "The Gatling Gun" concerns a number of whites banded together who wander through the wilderness while the Indians attack them intermittently. The only suspense that Gordon and his scribes develop is when will the Cavalry succeed in repairing the titular weapon so they can administer staggering blows to the opposition. Most of the time characters are working their jawbones rather than the levers on their repeating rifles. Anybody who remembers the CBS-TV sitcom "Green Acres" will chuckle at the only source of humor in this tedious oater: amiable Pat Buttram who cracks the closest thing that comes to jokes. Legendary horror actor John Carradine shows up momentarily during the early minutes before he takes an arrow in the chest. The most brutal depiction of death occurs when a cavalry trooper is strung up in a tree and the Apaches set him afire. It takes several moments for the enormity of the man's predicament to sink in before the officer puts him out of his misery.

Once Lieutenant Wayne Malcolm (Guy Stockwell of "Tobruk") and his troops, including his black scout Runner (Woody Strode of "The Professionals"), recover the Gatling Gun, they learn that the firing pin is missing. They arrest Private Sneed (Robert Fuller of "Laramie") and keep him tied up by a wagon as they trundle the gun by wagon back to the fort. Malcolm has arrests Reverend Harper (John Carradine of "Billy the Kid Vs. Dracula") and his Apache stepdaughter Leona (Barbara Luna), too. Nevertheless, Leona and Sneed are allowed to move about without a guard with them. Meanwhile, the Native Americans led by Two Rivers (Carlos Rivas of "Topaz") keep tabs on the patrol. Of course, Two Rivers is not allowed to kill the horses which would effectively prevent our heroes from accomplishing their mission.

Malcolm and his men encounter some civilians, Luke Boland (Phil Harris of "The Jungle Book") and his family, including his son Jim (Patrick Wayne of "The Alamo") and his rifle-toting daughter Martha Boland (Judy Jordan of "The Boatniks"), who are holed up in a house. The Bolands join up with Malcolm's patrol. One of Luke's friends, Tin Pot (Pat Buttram of "Green Acres")fiddles with the Gatling Gun and later devises a replacement for the firing pin. Just with Two Rivers thinks that he has Malcolm and his men cornered, he sends in his braves, only to watch as they are cut down by the Gatling Gun. Earlier, Sneed escaped but Two Rivers captured. Sneed told him that the gun didn't work, and Two Rivers sacrificed the lives of many warriors. When Two Rivers strikes for the last time, he watches in horror as the gun mows down his army and he surrenders.

"The Gatling Gun" is for die-hard western fans only. Most of the action is filmed in master shots, meaning that once a scene starts, there are few instances of closer shots. The script is so predictable that you can figure out who is going to die. The problem with "The Gatling Gun" is that the characters lack charisma because you never felt sympathetic toward their plight, even after they stumble onto Phil Harris and his family. The Timeless Media Group DVD whittles down cinematographer Jacques Marquette's widescreen compositions.

The title of the movie, The Gatling Gun, is cited in the narrative within. It was said that the GGun was invented to prevent any future wars, due to its terrifying nature. Yet through the movie, there are schemers trying to get their hands on it. The Apaches want it to defend themselves, the Cavalry to enforce the will of the government. The minister seeks to have it destroyed so that no harm can come of it. The deserters and schemers get just what they deserve. But in the end what is apparent is the futility of war. Two Knives drops his weapons and leaves, and the Army officer lets him go. In the end, no one won, as the battles for the prize were won and lost with many lives. Peace may finally have come, bittersweet.

This is a really strange western and not very good. I expected more with the cast. Robert Fuller, John Carradine, Barbara Luna snd Woody Strode amongst others. It is about a Gatling Gun that he Indians want and that Lieutenant Wayne Malcolm ( Guy Stockwell) must protect at all costs. What happens? Spoilers Ahead:, A blood bath where every soldier except Malcolm and scout Runner ( Strode) die, as do most of Indians ( although the leader Two Knife ( Carlos Rivas) survives(. There is one excellent performance: Judy Jordan who plays Martha Boland. She is a tomboy expert rifle shot who you see later in a dress and you will say wow. She is actually the one who saves everyone ( she recovered a missing firing pin to the Gatling gun ( stolen by Luna) which allows Malcolm to defeat a hem), and guess what? She basically claimed Malcolm For her own, and you know he is giving in (he talked about taking leave with her). Again not a good movie. 3/10 stars all for Judy Jordan who made the movie watchable.

As you may have guessed by what I wrote in the above summary line, "The Gatling Gun" is far from the classics the western film genre has managed to produce. True, the movie managed to round up an interesting cast, from John Carradine to Woody Strode. But despite the talent on display, the movie stubbornly gives the majority of them precious little to do, and an even smaller amount that is actually interesting or compelling. Stronger characters would have helped, but the movie would still have suffered from a slapdash feeling. As I said, this movie is pretty cheap, from the tacky costumes to filming every scene on drab locations. Director Robert Gordon also seems unable to inject any excitement; the sporadic action is pretty flat. The only things that may raise viewers from a slumber are one scene involving fire (you'll know it when you see it) and John Carradine's hilariously hammy performance, though Carradine exits the movie pretty early before he can tickle us some more.

There's a surprisingly familiar cast in this pretty standard "Cavalry vs Indians" flick, with its one primary distinction being the focus on the title weapon. Stockwell plays a lieutenant whose Gatling gun, intended to ward off rampaging Apaches, has been absconded with by reverend Carradine, his step-daughter Luna and renegade soldier Fuller. As he and his men are recovering the weapon, the Apaches, led by Rivas, force them all to take shelter in an abandoned ranch house where they come upon Harris, his grown children Wayne and Jordan and their pal Buttram. Buttram is enlisted to help work on the gun when it's discovered that a key part (the firing pin) is missing. When they realize that the ranch is under siege and that they will likely be massacred if they stay there indefinitely, they take off across the desert, being ever pursued by Rivas who wants the gun badly. There's nothing particularly new or eye-opening about this story or the film, but the cast of veteran film and TV performers is able to make the whole thing go down relatively easily. Stockwell gives a fairly non-dynamic performance, but looks good in his uniform britches and is able to convey the toughness that a man in his position would need to possess. Fuller, sadly, is rather wasted in the role of a scoundrel. He spends the bulk of the film tied up in one location or another. Luna is adequate in her role, sporting the requisite pile of hair that most western women, especially senoritas, were expected to wear in films of the era. Tall, imposing Strode lends a nice bit of presence as Stockwell's scout. Buttram, of "Green Acres" fame, manages to rein in his zanier side and provides gentle comic relief without being ridiculous about it. Harris attempts to give a heartfelt and solid performance, but is hampered by a tendency to let long pauses occur before he speaks, as if he forgets it's his turn or can't remember the line. Handsome Wayne has very little to do here but protect the ladies as the film is quite crowded. Rivas (known best for his brief turn in "The King & I") has a menacing look about him and is a decent threat. Jordan has a very preposterous role and plays it preposterously. She's a red-headed tomboy and a sure-shot who still finds time during Indian attacks and piles of dead cavalrymen to doll up in an elaborate hairdo and low cut (and anachronistic) gown to try to seduce Stockwell. Why would someone on the run from Indians, who has to walk in order to avoid weighing down the horse-drawn cart, even pack such an item of clothing? Only those interested in the use of the Gatling gun (even though it stays inactive for the bulk of the movie) or those who appreciate the varied cast will want to bother with this otherwise routine movie. At least it isn't too long and has a fair share of action, including a harrowing death by pyre. Incidentally, some DVD's of this film only run 86 minutes and the film's credits indicate right on screen that it is a 1971 film, not 1973 as it is listed here.