INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER

US, 1964, 92 minutes, Colour.
Yul Brynner, Janice Rule, George Segal, Alfred Ryder, Mike Kellin, Brad Dexter, Pat Hingle Bert Freed, John A. Alonzo, Strother Martin, Clifton James.
Directed by Richard Wilson.

Invitation to a Gunfighter is an interesting western. The focus is on George Segal, at the beginning of his career, as a veteran of the confederacy coming home after the civil war to claim his home which has been sold by the town boss (Pat Hingle) and his woman, Janice Rule (who appeared in Welcome to Hard Times in the following year. Brynner plays a Cajun gunfighter who is brought in by the mayor to gun down George Segal.

The film is not predictable in its plot, complications concerning the personality of the hard mercenary, his falling for Janice Rule, his alienation from the intentions of the mayor.

The film is interesting in its variations on the revenge western and post-civil war themes. Direction is by writer-director Richard Wilson who made only a few films, mainly small-budget, which included Raw Wind in Eden, Pay or Die and Al Capone with Rod Steiger.

1. The irony of the title, the references to the various gunfighters, to the townspeople’s' invitations?

2. How enjoyable a western was this? Which western conventions did it rely on? How well did it use them? Action, psychological western?

3. How much value was put on locations, sets, colour etc in comparison with dialogue, psychological conflicts, significance?

4. How well was the town situation presented in the film: the fact that it was a Union town, the subservient people? Northern feeling versus southern feeling? The anti-slavery feeling, yet the plight of the Mexicans? The violence inherent in the town, the culmination in deaths? What comments on western towns and traditions did the film make?

5. How central a character was Matt Weaver? As an individualist in the town, first introduction to him, sympathies, audience changes of attitudes? The reason for his supporting the Confederates, his being swindled of his farm, the accidental death, his being besieged? His relationship to Brewster? His attitudes towards Ruth and to Crane? The significance of death for him, fighting back, his sense of
freedom and of independence, his attitudes towards slaves? The
reality of friendship and of love?

6. How significant a character was Ruth for the film? How well did she fit into the town and its background? Her marriage to Crane and her pity? Her relationship to Matt, loving and helping him? Her relationship to Jewell? Her love for Matt having an impact on Jewell? Her role in the redemption of Matt? in the condemnation of the town?

7. How central was Jewell for the film? The stranger fascinated by the conflicts in the town? His New Orleans background? Creole background? Aristocratic name, his accomplishments, pronunciation, as a gunfighter, his attitude to his? name, playing the spinnet? His card playing with the townspeople? His hard defensiveness of his deep feelings? His searching for the truth about the town? The examples of his taunting the townspeople? His hope of love from Ruth, his friendship with Matt and not killing him? His humiliation of Brewster? His demanding of forgiveness? His changing the town? His willingness to leave after saving people, the significance of his death?

8. Brewster as evil and the villain in the town? As a typical western villain, his greed, buying the town, rousing the rabble, especially in the Church sequence? His unwillingness to repent? The irony of his death?

9. The significance of Crane: northern sympathies, his marriage to Ruth, his feelings, being pitied, his one arm, drinking, taunting, his death?

10. How well drawn were the people of the town: in their support of Brewster, the Church sequence, the invitation to the gunfighter, the arrival of the real gunfighter and his fear, their reaction to Jewell?

11. How well explored were the major issues of the film: the west itself, the west in American society, justice, life and death, relationships?

12. In so far as Jewell redeemed the town and gave his life for people for their future, was he a Christ-figure? Was this made explicit in the film? How successfully?

13. A good western, or did it rely too much on cliche? Or was it an interesting western exploring values?