Tuesday's Forgotten Films: Roger Corman's Gunslinger

I hesitated to review this short, offbeat 1956 Western directed by Roger Corman. It was a slight disappointment because I have enjoyed watching other Corman movies. Film critic Leonard Matlin gives it 1-1/2 stars, and IMDb.com clocks in at a paltry 2.9 stars. Those ratings might be a bit harsh. The premise is intriguing enough. A small town sheriff is gunned down, and his enraged widow pins on his sheriff's badge and goes after the bad guys. She knows how to use a six-shooter and rifle and isn't afraid to fire when she sees the need for it. The talented Beverly Garland (I liked her as Fred MacMurray's second wife on the TV series My Three Sons) plays the pistol-packing, gunfighter widow. She does a fairly good job. John Ireland plays the hired gun Cane Miro paid by the saloon owner (Allison Hayes) to bump off Garland. He does a sturdy enough job. I had trouble following the overall plot, especially at the beginning. Scenes didn't make sense to me. Other parts were entertaining enough. At any rate, it only runs for an hour, so I didn't feel too bad after watching Gunslinger. Fans of Roger Corman might want to check it out.