The Gatling Gun (1971; Robert Gordon)

Genre fans tend to dislike this low-budget western, but I have an irrational fondness for it... probably because it was purchased for the princely sum of one dollar. Early in the DVD revolution, when players and movies had become more wallet friendly for the average consumer, there also came the glut of "dollar DVDs", usually featuring public domain movies, cartoons or vintage TV shows. They often came in no-frills packaging, usually nothing more than a thin cardboard sleeve that was glued shut on one side, and one had to carefully pry them open so not to scratch the disk inside. And of course, the movies were in bare bones presentations: zero effort put into remastering, no extras, and sometimes they didn't even bother with chapter stops! Well? What did you expect for a buck? Criterion?

Even so, when these dollar disks hit the market, of course people grabbed them. To the die hard collector, the thrill derived from not knowing what they would find! To the average consumer, it meant a night's entertainment for less than a bad cup of coffee. 

The Gatling Gun was one title from a weekend haul of "cardboard movies" purchased at an Everything For A Dollar outlet. I always had an attraction to cheap movies, as the thrill was in the discovery. But at the time of the "dollar DVD" fad, I was recovering from a nervous breakdown, and hoarded these things as "comfort food". Their soft, imperfect transfers from well-used prints, reminded me of when films looking just like this would play late at night (before the late late movie was replaced by all those rotten infomercials). This film stood out from the rest of that particular haul, which revealed to be mediocre at best, and perhaps that is why I value it more than others. But, because I've voluntarily watched it three times or more since, it obviously has something else going for it.

In the film's opening, duplicitous Private Sneed (Robert Fuller), Reverend Harper (John Carradine) and his daughter Leona (BarBara Luna) attempt to destroy a stolen Gatling Gun, but are thwarted by a Calvary regiment, led by Lt. Wayne Malcolm (Guy Stockwell). Sneed and the Harpers were paid to bring the gun to Apache leader Two-Knife (Carlos Rivas), but instead betrayed both the Apaches and the Calvary in an attempt to destroy the gun, for the reason that such a powerful weapon would create mass destruction no matter who owned it. The outfit then encounters a family also besieged by the Apaches: Luke Boland (Phil Harris), his son Jim (Patrick Wayne) and daughter Martha (Judith Jordan). Two-Knife and his army of braves attempt to steal the gun, in a battle that resolves in casualties and loss of horses. Then the ragtag group of survivors (Calvary men and civilians alike) attempt to pull the Gatling Gun across rugged terrain, with Two-Knife in pursuit.  The gun is in a wagon but everyone else travels on foot!

The gun in the title is the "McGuffin" that puts this cat and mouse narrative into motion. As a weapon, it is wisely used very little, thanks to the mildly suspenseful notion that the gun may not be operable, therefore putting our "heroes" in greater danger.  The Gatling Gun was made in 1969, also known as King Gun (which is how Two-Knife refers to the weapon), before bigger and better films such as Little Big Man or Ulzana's Raid, which portrayed natives as far more sympathetic and sophisticated people. Although this film feels like it was made in a different era, when any story featuring natives as the villains can now appear problematic, the Calvary isn't necessarily portrayed as heroic. In the downbeat conclusion, both sides reflect on the price paid for acquiring this weapon.

I've always liked stories where a disparate group of people are thrown into a situation together. Mark Hanna and Joseph Van Winkle's screenplay has interesting undercurrents of Native sympathies, and of the ongoing hostilities between northern and southern characters post-Civil War, but still I wish it gave its interesting ensemble more to do. Robert Fuller (soon to be Dr. Kelly Brackett on TV's Emergency) is good as Sneed, but there needed to be more of a dynamic between his character and Malcolm's. Instead, he spends most of his screen time tied to a wagon, and in an underdeveloped relationship with Leona. Patrick Wayne, a supporting player in his father John's vehicles, was soon to be a star in his own right, with the well-remembered fantasies The People That Time Forgot and Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger, which made full use of his perfect matinee idol looks. Alas, this role is a stepping stone for things to come. As the reverend, Carradine typically hams it up (did they let him improvise his own dialogue?), but thankfully his role is not long enough to destroy the tone.

The most interesting characters are in the smaller roles. Woody Strode doesn't say much as The Scout, but he doesn't have to. The 55-year-old actor shows incredible screen presence and is still formidable in action scenes. (His son Kalai has a brief onscreen appearance, and also did stunts for the film.) Judith Jordan (billed as "Introducing Judy Jordan", although her subsequent film Bigfoot was released before this) has a very good role as a frontier woman who can fight and shoot as good as the Calvary, but still wants to feel like a woman now and then. (Her character is a bit reminiscent of Michele Carey's in El Dorado.) Pat Buttram (best remembered to our generation as Mr. Haney on TV's Green Acres) provides comic relief (although not overdoing it) as the resident cook and Gatling Gun expert.

Low-budget westerns can be more appealing than higher-budgeted oaters, because their lack of studio polish lends a gritty authenticity to the story. Director (and former actor) Robert Gordon (in his final feature) proves himself no action director, as some of the battle scenes are poorly staged, and rely too much on uncertain blurs and pans. (This is why the film is more interesting when there is no gunfire.) On the other hand, this ham-fisted approach shows how sloppy combat can be, and indirectly captures the film's scruffy appeal.

And sometimes, that authenticity is enhanced further if shown in less-than-pristine prints. Because The Gatling Gun is in the public domain, it is doubtful that some boutique company will issue a remastered edition of it. (Of course if they did, I'd probably buy the darn thing.) I'm all for everything being restored to its original, intended luster, but sometimes, the medium is the message. For all I know, the cinematography by the prolific Jacques Marquette may be splendid, but this is the kind of movie meant to be seen in a warm, spliced print.

The Gatling Gun is no classic, but it is perfectly suitable entertainment for a Sunday afternoon, or a slow evening. To coin a phrase from my friend Bill Shute, if I had seen this back in the day on the midnight movie or as the bottom of a drive-in double bill after a hard day's work, I'd have felt I had gotten more than my money's worth. It has an engaging idea, and is worthwhile for the fine cast of familiar faces that appear as old friends to us now. Comfort food, indeed! Because it's in the public domain, it has always been easy to find on numerous VHS and DVD budget labels (such as good old Front Row Entertainment), and sometimes in its alternate title, King Gun. What the heck? Give it a try! It's still a pleasant way to fill 90 minutes.