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Western

Death of a Gunfighter (1969): Cast & Plot

Death of a Gunfighter (1969) movie poster

Death of a Gunfighter is a 1969 western directed by Alan Smithee and Robert Totten, starring Richard Widmark as Marshal Frank Patch, Jimmy Lydon and Jacqueline Scott. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes.

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Death of a Gunfighter (1969) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 34m (94 min)
Directors
Alan Smithee and Robert Totten
Genre
Western
Original language
English
Studio
Universal Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Death of a Gunfighter About?

The premise of Death of a Gunfighter without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Marshal Frank Patch, an old‑style lawman, serves the turn‑of‑century Texas town of Cottownwood Springs. After killing drunken Luke Mills in self‑defence, the town’s modernizing leaders demand his resignation. Patch refuses, citing his contract, and the city fathers, fearing his knowledge of their secrets, plot violent means to remove him.

Death of a Gunfighter Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • shot to death
  • pistol duel
  • gunfight
  • showdown
  • gunshot wound
  • firearm
  • gunfire
  • blowing out a candle
  • drunkenness
  • newlywed couple
  • teenager fights an adult
  • classical western
+38 more
  • revisionist western
  • widmark and carey jr.
  • gun
  • scene during opening credits
  • city council
  • siegel and widmark
  • marshal
  • violence
  • cattle pen
  • racial slur
  • sheriff
  • mayor
  • newspaper publisher
  • tearing up a letter
  • sheriff's office
  • county sheriff
  • dead body in the street
  • leaving town
  • interracial romance
  • scene during end credits
  • shot multiple times
  • white suit
  • councilman
  • priest
  • church
  • street
  • train
  • horseback riding
  • council
  • black woman
  • african american
  • revenge
  • train station
  • hired gun
  • shot in the chest
  • forced retirement
  • young love
  • mature romance
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Cast & crew

Death of a Gunfighter Cast & Characters

Richard Widmark leads the cast as Marshal Frank Patch, with Jimmy Lydon as Luke Mills and Jacqueline Scott as Laurie Mills. Directed by Alan Smithee and Robert Totten; 24 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Death of a Gunfighter

· 20 more
Show all 24 cast members
From the directors

More from Alan Smithee and Robert Totten

More films directed by Alan Smithee and Robert Totten, best-rated first: Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Anatar and Enai Noki Paayum Thota.

Plot

Death of a Gunfighter Plot Summary

What happens in Death of a Gunfighter from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the small town of Cottonwood Springs, Texas, around the turn of the 20th century, Marshal Frank Patch embodies the rugged, old-fashioned spirit of the American West. As a local lawman, he upholds the law with a stern and sometimes violent approach, aiming to keep peace in a community eager to leave its lawless past behind and embrace a more modern era. When Patch is involved in a self-defense shooting, killing a drunken man named Luke Mills, the town council begins to see him as a liability. They decide it’s time for him to retire and introduce a more contemporary police force.

Full summary

The whole story of Death of a Gunfighter, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Death of a Gunfighter Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Death of a Gunfighter.

Death of a Gunfighter - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Death of a Gunfighter?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the town where the story takes place?
Details

Death of a Gunfighter Also Known As

16 alternative titles, including “无法无天” and “A morte de um pistoleiro”.

Also known as
  • 无法无天
  • A morte de um pistoleiro
  • Une Poignée de Plombs
  • La ciudad sin ley
  • Ultima notte a Cottonwood
  • A törvény éber őre
  • Frank Patch - Deine Stunden sind gezählt
  • Ατσαλένιος γίγας
  • مرگ یک تیرانداز
  • Só Matando
  • 义侠本色
  • Śmierć Rewolwerowca
+4 more
  • Smrt pistolníka
  • En handfull bly för sheriffen
  • 건파이터의 최후
  • ガンファイターの最後

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FAQ

Death of a Gunfighter FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Death of a Gunfighter, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Death of a Gunfighter?

Death of a Gunfighter runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).

When was Death of a Gunfighter released?

Death of a Gunfighter was released on May 8, 1969.

Who directed Death of a Gunfighter?

Death of a Gunfighter was directed by Alan Smithee and Robert Totten.

More films by Alan Smithee

Who is in the cast of Death of a Gunfighter?

Death of a Gunfighter stars Richard Widmark as Marshal Frank Patch, Jimmy Lydon as Luke Mills and Jacqueline Scott as Laurie Mills, among 24 credited actors.

Does Death of a Gunfighter have a post-credit scene?

No. Death of a Gunfighter has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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