PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Top Gun
Top Gun
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ray Nazarro
Screenplay by	Steve Fisher; Richard Schayer
Based on	the short story The Fastest Gun by Steve Fisher
Produced by	Edward Small (uncredited)
Starring	Sterling Hayden
Cinematography	Lester White
Edited by	Henry Adams; Dwight Caldwell
Music by	Irving Gertz
Production; company	Fame Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	December 21, 1955 (Los Angeles);
Running time	74 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Top Gun is a 1955 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro. The plot concerns an ex-gunslinger (Sterling Hayden) who arrives in a small town warning of an impending attack by his old gang. The film features Rod Taylor in one of his first American roles.^[1]

Plot

Rick Martin returns home to Casper, Wyoming, where he is unwanted because of his reputation as a gunslinger. He does have a few friends in town, including Marshal Bat Davis and hotel owner Jim O'Hara.

As Rick visits his mother's grave, he notices a marker beside hers with his name on it; there is also an open grave, ready for him. Bat arrives and Rick informs him that an outlaw they have both ridden with in the past, Tom Quentin, and his gang of fifteen men are on the way to take what they want from Casper. Bat tells the town council this and tries to rustle up a posse. Despite Rick wanting to stay and help, the officials insist he leaves town by midnight.

Rick rides to former sweetheart Laura Mead's ranch to ask her to marry him and move to California, but she is engaged to a wealthy council member, Canby Judd.

Rick learns his mother was cheated out of her ranch by Judd and murdered by him. After a fistfight, Judd hires gunfighter Lem Sutter to ambush Rick, but when Sutter ends up dead, and Judd lies about how it happened, Bat has no choice but to place Rick under arrest. Bat tries to head off Quentin on the trail but is shot. Townspeople now beg Rick for help. He is able to kill Quentin in a fair fight, and Laura kills Judd when he is about to shoot Rick in the back. Rick and Laura pack up and leave for California.

Cast

Sterling Hayden as Rick Martin
William Bishop as Canby Judd
Karin Booth as Laura Mead
James Millican as Marshal Bat Davis
Regis Toomey as Jim O'Hara
Hugh Sanders as Ed Marsh
John Dehner as Tom Quentin
Rod Taylor as Lem Sutter
Tom London as Casey (uncredited)

Production

Filming started in June 1955.^[2]

Female lead Karin Booth was married to the grandson of Allan Pinkerton—founder of the world-famous Pinkerton Detective Agency—and producer Edward Small announced plans to star her as a female Pinkerton detective, but no film seems to have resulted.^[3]

Based on the short story The Fastest Gun by Steve Fisher, the film was remade as Noose for a Gunman and The Quick Gun.

References

^ Stephen Vagg, Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood, Bear Manor Media 2010 p 50
^ "Hayden Next Will Star in Top Gun: Cole Porter 'Wonderland' Readying" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 Mar 1955: B9.
^ "Pinkerton Production on Hot Slate; 'Hired Guns' Speeds Project" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 June 1955: 19.