The Last Hunt

directed by Richard Brooks
Category: "Western"
Year of Release:1956
Date Added:08/20/2024
Date Watched:08/20/2024
Description:Retired buffalo hunter Sandy McKenzie (Stewart Granger) loses his cattle herd in a stampede and has to go on one more hunt to make back his money. He partners with Charles Gilson (Robert Taylor), a gunslinger who gets kicks from killing buffalo and Indians. Along with the partners is skinner Woodfoot (Lloyd Nolan), and Jimmy (Russ Tamblyn) a young half-breed. Indians steal the partners' horses one night, so Gilson goes after them, kills them, and returns with a young Indian woman (Debra Paget). Gilson considers her his property, but she wants nothing to do with him. She and Sandy fall for each other, and when Gilson starts slapping the girl around, Sandy takes her and rides off. Gilson follows, and when Woodfoot tries to stop him, he kills him too. A winter storm catches them outdoors. Sandy and the girl take refuge in a cave. Gilson stays outside to kill Sandy when he comes out in the morning, but he freezes to death in the night. Sandy rides off with the girl.
My Rating:5

Reviews for The Last Hunt

Review - Last Hunt, The

Included actual footage of buffaloes being shot as part of the annual herd culling at Custer State Park. That made for a pretty gritty movie. Taylor was truly insanely despicable as Gilson. Granger was good as a guy who had done enough killing and was tired of it. It was a fine idea, but I felt that somewhere along toward the end, it jumped the shark. The end just didn't feel realistic, especially the part about Gilson freezing to death.
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