ironhorse_iv
Thank God! This movie was entertaining. Based off, Jack Ehrlich's 1972 novel, 'The Fastest Gun in the Pulpit', this television film directed by Daniel Petrie was watchable. Made for the ABC Network, the movie is about a top gunslinger Ernie Parsons (Marjoe Gortner) who escapes from a lynching mob for a crime he did not commit, by taking the identity of a dead corpse of a preacher, he found in the desert. With his new identity as a fast-gun preacher in the dirtwater town of Castle Walk, he helps the town folks overcome the tyrannical rule of a local rancher, Ross (David Huddleston), whose killers, bullies & enforcers ranch hands been terrorize the town with an iron fist. This made-for-TV film seen to be tailor made just for the main actor, former evangelist, Marjoe Gortner. Marjoe first gather up fame, when he was a kid. His parents arranged for him at age four to be ordained as a preacher, due to his extraordinary speaking ability; he was the youngest known in that position. As a young man, he preached on the revival circuit, until the late 1960s, where the teenager Gortner experienced a crisis of conscience about his double life. He decided his performing talents might be put to better use as an actor or singer. When approached by documentarians, Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan, he agreed to let their film crew follow him during 1971 tour of revival meetings in California, Texas, and Michigan. It was there, that he gave "backstage" interviews to the filmmakers between sermons and revivals, explaining intimate details of how he and other ministers operated, exposing that it was just a money scheming machine. The resulting film, Marjoe, won the 1972 Academy Award for best documentary. Being a controversial figure, Marjoe struggle to get good actors roles after the documentary. Marjoe Gortner was an unappealing main star even before this film and that hurts the film's success as not a lot of people bother, watching the TV special. Don't get me wrong, he's not the worst actor in the world, he's just mediocre. He does have some charm to his character, whenever he making good-natured jokes against the villains or trying to act the part of the preacher to the doubtful town folks. He does have a good pistol prowess that really make it seem like he would be a season gunslighter. There's was a cool duel halfway through the movie that you can't miss with a mysterious gunslighter (Geoffrey Lewis). I kinda wish Geoffrey Lewis was more in the film. His brief screen time was worth it. Probably the best part about the film. There are pretty good 'call to arms' speeches to the townfolks that Marjoe does that. With that you would think the citizens would rise up against Ross, but you'll be greatly disappointed. The town folks remain cowards throughout the film, until the end. They're probably the most annoying thing in the film. In my opinion, this movie is probably Marjoe's best role besides 1974's Earthquake. The movie is probably more famous now, for its supporting cast. Most of them would end up starring in Mel Brooks' master comedy 1974 hit, "Blazing Saddles". It's weird to see both Danny Huddleston and Slim Pickens in a serious western film. Danny Huddleston was great as the villain, but rarely used in the film. Nor was he was menacing. Slim Pickens stars as Ernie's right hand man, One-Eye Joe AKA Billy. He protects Ernie's secret. Like Danny Huddleson, Slim Pickens's talent was very overlook, here. Both characters could had stand out more. There's a romantic sub-plot between Parson Frank AKA Ernie and eighteen year old, Sally (Pamela Sue Martin) but in his preacher's garb can't seem to follow through on a move. While, Pamela Sue Martin is pretty as hell. The whole romantic sub-plot was a bit waste of time, and forced as hell. The main plot, while giving us nothing new, does work as a B-movie western film. It remind me so much of the 1975's God Gun. I just wish, it had that mysterious spirituous feel to his character after Ross's men thought they kill him. I would love the film makes Parson Frank look like somewhat a revengeful fallen angel out to get the gangs for their sinful acts. Sadly, we don't get that. While often clichés as hell, the movie does have enough meat of violence, love, and twist and turns to get us through the 74 minute run time. Sadly, the television made film had very little attention and end up being one of those films in the public domain, so beware of some of the video prints out there. The budget was so low, that they just reused the old set from 1939's Arizona, Old Tucson studios for filming. Any fan of Westerns, could see that, they didn't bother adding anything new to the location. Despite production values are definitely made-for-TV, the lord works in mysterious ways and it got made. Overall: it wasn't a bad movie. It could had been better. Sadly, my prayers wasn't answer.
Wizard-8
It's pretty obvious that the made-for-TV movie "The Gun and the Pulpit" was a television pilot in disguise. It didn't get picked up by any network for a series, and maybe that's for the best. Not that this movie is awful, but I think writers would have soon run out of ideas for this gunfighter- disguised-as-a-preacher character. I think this idea works best as a one- shot, and the movie does a fairly good job at that. Marjoe Gortner is pretty good as the main character, showing a sense of humor as well as a lot of enthusiasm. (Though his resemblance to B movie actor Michael Dudikoff is unintentionally funny.) There are some genuinely funny moments here and there, and the movie unfolds at a brisk clip and never outstays its welcome. This movie isn't hard to find - it's apparently fallen into the public domain, so many video companies are selling it - so keep an eye out for it.
MARIO GAUCI
Of the various Westerns included in the 2-Discer I rented in order to view THE JACKALS (1967), this made-for-TV outing seemed to me to be the least promising or, if you will, the most disposable. However, it seemed silly to me to consciously pass on it as long as it was in my hands and, funnily enough, it turned out to be the most satisfactory of the lot! The cast list was decent enough, actually – Slim Pickens, Geoffery Lewis, Jeff Corey and Estelle Parsons – so I had that to look forward to from the outset. However, it was the winsome performances of the youngsters – Marjoe Gortner and Pamela Sue Martin – which was the most pleasant surprise. The latter was familiar to me from THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) and her signature role of Fallon Carrington Colby in the TV-series DYNASTY (1981-84) but the former I only had vague knowledge of i.e. that he appeared in the disaster epic EARTHQUAKE (1974) and the notorious Euro-Cult item, STARCRASH (1979; which, incidentally, I recently acquired as a DivX). Gortner’s amiable personality – playing a hounded gunfighter opportunistically taking on the identity of a dead parson in a one-horse town – managed to carry the film throughout its brisk 74-minute running time.Frankly, the above-mentioned character actors don’t have all that much to do in the film – apart from Slim Pickens who appears as Gortner’s cynical observer of a sidekick – but Geoffrey Lewis scores as another famed gunfighter out to take Gortner in a face-to-face shootout which sees both duellists missing each other (out of respect for one another)!
Woodyanders
Former real life child evangelist Marjoe Gortner gives a solid and engaging performance as Ernie Parsons, a shrewd gunslinger who's forced to assume the identity of a dead minister in order to elude being captured by an angry posse. Parsons winds up in a dusty little hamlet where the cowed townspeople are under the cruel reign of evil powerful despot Mr. Ross (a wonderfully wicked David Huddleston). Director Daniel Petrie, working from a clever and witty script by William Bowers, keeps the offbeat narrative lively and engrossing throughout. Richard C. Glouner's handsome, agile photography, George Aliceson Tipton's rousing, flavorsome score and several exciting gunfights are all likewise up to par. The bang-up cast constitutes as another major plus: Estelle Parsons as a feisty widow, Pamela Sue Martin as Parson's sweet pretty young thing daughter, Slim Pickens as a rascally old coot, Geoffrey Lewis as a formidable rival gunfighter, Jon Lormer as the local undertaker, and Jeff Corey as the ornery posse leader are all uniformly excellent. A really fun and satisfying little made-for-TV sagebrush flick.
