In this classic noir-influenced Western, Gregory Peck stars as an aging gunslinger, sick of killing but haunted by punks wanting to make a name for themselves by slaying a legend. After being warned by his old friend the Sheriff, Peck decides to return East to see his estranged wife and the child he left behind. Knowing his death is an inevitability if he stays, Peck leaves but before he can reach his destination his past catches up with him in the form of a young outlaw. A showdown-cum-Greek tragedy follows and the film ends on a haunting, bleak note. Nominated for an Academy Award in Best Motion Picture Story, The Gunfighter was often imitated by other Westerns, most notably by High Noon, and its minimalist, morally difficult, and compelling tale made it one of the most important films produced in the 1950s.
