Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, one of the fastest draws in the West but desperately sick of killing and lonely traveling. This gripping tale surrounds Ringo's efforts to build a new life, creating a powerful drama instead of the standard shoot-‘em-up--the only gunfights in THE GUNFIGHTER are those that open and close the film. Throughout encounters with old friends, new enemies, his estranged wife, and his first meeting with his only child, Gregory Peck offers an intricate portrait of a man harboring deep regrets about his own past. Arthur Miller's black-and-white photography is excellent, and director Henry King deserves a heap of credit for creating a masterpiece that drops the typical Hollywood clichés in favor of a quiet, suspense-driven drama. Elements of THE GUNFIGHTER have been duplicated many times since its release, but the fine-tuning of the original prevents the pretenders from marring its appeal.