Movies about the Old West usually follow a pretty predictable rhythm. You’ve got the dusty town, the nervous sheriff, and the inevitable showdown at high noon. But then there’s The Last of the Fast Guns, a 1958 flick that sort of dances on the edge of the genre’s golden age while trying to say something a bit deeper about the death of the frontier. Honestly, if you’re a fan of Jock Mahoney or just obsessed with how Universal International handled their B-movie slate in the late fifties, this one is a weirdly essential watch. It’s not just another "cowboy shoots bad guy" story. It’s a transition piece.
Directed by George Sherman, a guy who basically breathed Westerns for decades, the film stars Mahoney as Brad Ellison. Now, Mahoney wasn’t your typical Hollywood lead. He was a stuntman first. He was lean, moved like a cat, and brought a physicality to the role that made the gunfighting feel less like a stage play and more like a dangerous athletic event.
The plot kicks off with a wealthy industrialist hiring Ellison to find his long-lost brother in Mexico. It sounds simple. It’s not. Ellison is one of the "fast guns" referenced in the title—a man whose entire identity is wrapped up in his ability to draw a revolver faster than the guy standing across from him. But the world is changing. The 1880s are fading. The "fast gun" is becoming an anachronism, a relic of a violent past that the coming 20th century doesn't really have a place for anymore.
Why The Last of the Fast Guns broke the standard mold
Most people think of 1950s Westerns as black-and-white morality plays. Good hat, bad hat. Simple. But The Last of the Fast Guns leans into the "Western Noir" territory that started popping up after World War II. It’s cynical. It’s moody.
The cinematography by Alex Phillips is actually gorgeous, especially considering the budget constraints. They filmed on location in Mexico, which gives the whole thing a gritty, authentic texture you just don't get from a backlot in Burbank. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the screen.
Ellison isn't exactly a hero. He's a mercenary. He's looking for a payday. Along the way, he encounters Miles Lang (played by Gilbert Roland), and the dynamic between these two is where the movie really lives. Roland brings this suave, dangerous elegance that contrasts perfectly with Mahoney’s rugged, blunt-force approach. They aren't just fighting over a missing brother; they're representing two different ways of surviving a world that's outgrowing them.
The Mahoney Factor and the physicality of the Western
Jock Mahoney doesn't get enough credit. Before he was Tarzan, he was the guy doing the falls and the fights that made other actors look good. In The Last of the Fast Guns, he does his own stunts, and it shows. There's a scene involving a brush with a river that feels genuinely perilous.
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When you watch modern Westerns—think Yellowstone or the True Grit remake—the violence is often stylized or hyper-realistic. In 1958, it was about the "quick draw." The movie obsesses over the mechanics of the holster and the speed of the hand. It’s a bit fetishistic about the weaponry, which was a huge draw for audiences at the time. They wanted to see the "fastest."
But the title is a bit of a spoiler, isn't it? It tells you that this era is ending. By the time the credits roll, the realization hits that being the fastest doesn't mean much when the law, the railroad, and "civilization" are moving in.
The Mexico locations and the "South of the Border" trope
A lot of Westerns used Mexico as a shorthand for "lawless playground." In this film, it’s a bit more nuanced. The landscape is a character. The rugged terrain of San Miguel de Allende provides a backdrop that feels ancient. It makes the gunfighters look small.
Sherman uses the environment to mirror Ellison’s internal struggle. He’s a man looking for a ghost (the missing brother) while slowly realizing he might be a ghost himself. The search for Edward Forbes (the brother) leads Ellison into a web of deceit where he can’t just shoot his way out. He has to think. He has to change.
If you look at the supporting cast, you see staples of the era like Linda Cristal and Eduard Franz. They fill out the world, but the movie is really a character study of Ellison. Is he capable of being more than a hired killer? Can a "fast gun" ever really retire, or is the only exit strategy a bullet?
Technical specs and the Universal "Look"
Universal International had a very specific way of making these films. They were efficient. They knew how to stretch a dollar. Using Eastmancolor, they captured these incredibly vibrant, almost lurid oranges and blues. The Last of the Fast Guns looks better than it has any right to.
- Director: George Sherman (The Comancheros, Big Jake)
- Writer: David P. Harmon
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (CinemaScope)
- Runtime: 82 minutes (tight, no fluff)
The script by Harmon doesn't waste time. It’s a lean 82 minutes. In an era where every blockbuster feels like a three-hour marathon, there’s something deeply satisfying about a movie that knows exactly what it wants to say and says it in under an hour and a half.
What most people get wrong about 50s Westerns
The common myth is that these movies were all pro-colonialist or simplistic. The Last of the Fast Guns complicates that. It’s actually pretty skeptical of the "heroic" gunfighter. It portrays the life as lonely, dangerous, and ultimately fruitless.
Ellison’s journey isn't a triumph; it’s a reckoning. When he finally uncovers the truth about the man he's hunting, it’s not a grand revelation. It’s a quiet, somewhat tragic moment that forces him to look at his own hands. They’re covered in blood, even if it’s the blood of "bad men."
The film also avoids some of the more egregious stereotypes of the era by giving Gilbert Roland a role with actual agency and intelligence. He’s not a caricature; he’s the most sophisticated person in the room.
The legacy of the "End of the West" theme
This movie paved the way for the "Revisionist Westerns" of the 60s and 70s. You can see DNA from The Last of the Fast Guns in things like The Wild Bunch or Unforgiven. It’s that nagging feeling that the party is over and the bill is coming due.
The trope of the "aging gunfighter" became a staple, but in 1958, it was still relatively fresh. Mahoney plays it with a certain weariness. His eyes look tired. Even when he’s moving fast, you get the sense he’d rather be sitting down.
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Real-world impact and the collectors' market
If you’re looking to watch this today, it’s a bit of a hunt. It doesn't pop up on streaming services as often as The Searchers or Rio Bravo. But for physical media collectors, the Blu-ray releases (often as part of Western box sets) are highly prized because the color restoration is usually top-notch.
Movie historians often point to this film as the end of an era for Universal. Shortly after this, the studio began shifting more toward television production, and the mid-budget theatrical Western started to disappear. It truly was one of the "last."
Actionable insights for Western fans
If you want to actually dive into this world, don't just watch the movie and move on. To really appreciate the context of The Last of the Fast Guns, you should look at the broader career of George Sherman. He was the guy who directed John Wayne's later films, and you can see him honing his craft here.
- Check out "The Tall T" or "7 Men from Now": These Budd Boetticher films were coming out around the same time and share that lean, mean, psychological edge.
- Look for Jock Mahoney's TV work: If you like his movement in this, find his episodes of The Range Rider. It’s incredible to see a guy that size move with that much grace.
- Study the San Miguel de Allende locations: If you're a traveler, visiting the filming locations in Mexico offers a cool glimpse into how much (and how little) has changed since 1958.
- Compare the "Fast Gun" trope to modern "John Wick" styles: There’s a direct line from the 1950s obsession with "the draw" to the modern obsession with "gun-fu." It’s all about the technical mastery of a weapon as a form of character expression.
The Last of the Fast Guns isn't just a movie for your grandpa. It’s a well-crafted, moody, and physically impressive piece of cinema that captures a very specific moment in American film history. It marks the point where the cowboy stopped being a myth and started being a human being with a very limited shelf life.
If you’re tracking down a copy, look for the anamorphic widescreen versions. Watching this in a cropped 4:3 format is a crime; you lose all the scale of the Mexican desert and the tension of the wide-shot duels. The film demands the full width of the screen to show you exactly how lonely the life of a fast gun really was.
Ultimately, the movie serves as a reminder that every "fastest" eventually meets someone faster, or worse, a world that doesn't care how fast they are anymore. It’s a somber note to end on, but it’s what makes the film stick in your ribs long after the smoke clears.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
To get the most out of this era of film, your next step is to research the "Universal-International Westerns" of the late 1950s. Specifically, look into the transition from Technicolor to Eastmancolor during this period, as it fundamentally changed the visual language of the genre. Additionally, seek out the filmography of Gilbert Roland to understand how he broke barriers for Hispanic actors in leading, non-stereotypical roles during the Hollywood Golden Age. Finally, compare the stunt choreography of Jock Mahoney in this film to his later work in the Tarzan series to see how he adapted his "Fast Gun" physicality to different environments.