In Bajo Rio, they pay to see a man kill a bull. Today, they'll pay to see a man kill another man.
Will Tenneray and Abe Cross are two aging, famous gunfighters, both in need of money. Tenneray comes up with the idea to stage a duel to the death in a bullfight arena, with the ticket proceeds going to the winner.
A Gunfight (1971) is a western and drama film directed by Lamont Johnson, released on August 25, 1971 with a runtime of 1h 29m. It stars Johnny Cash, Kirk Douglas, Jane Alexander and Karen Black. Viewers rate it 5.8 out of 10 across 40 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for A Gunfight before you stream it.
Johnny Cash
as Abe Cross
Kirk Douglas
as Will Tenneray
Jane Alexander
as Nora Tenneray
Karen Black
as Jenny Simms
Dana Elcar
as Marv Green
Robert J. Wilke
as Marshal Tom Cater
Keith Carradine
as The Young Gunfighter
Eric Douglas
as Bud Tenneray
Paul Lambert
as Ed Fleury
Raf Vallone
as Francisco Alvarez
James D. Cavasos
as Newt Hale
Philip L. Mead
as Kyle Briggs
Directed by Lamont Johnson, written by Harold Jack Bloom, produced by Harold Jack Bloom and A. Ronald Lubin.
Average viewer score of 5.8/10 from 40 ratings.
Whoever wins loses. A Gunfight is directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Harold Jack Bloom. It stars Kirk Douglas, Johnny Cash, Jane Alexander, Karen Black and Raf Vallone. Music is by Laurence Rosenthal and cinematography by David Walsh. Will Tenneray (Douglas) and Abe Cross (Cash) are two ageing gunfighters who after meeting each other in town hit it of straight away and actually like and respect each other.…
Reviewed on February 9, 2017
Hmmm, I’m not sure this is really anyone’s finest hour nor does it really pay much of an homage to it’s genre as we see two ageing shootists struggling to make ends meet. “Cross” (Johnny Cash) fancied his chances pan-handling but all he got was backache; “Tenneray” (Kirk Douglas) satisfies his days trading on his reputation whilst poncing drinks from the gullible and the easy impressed. With two such famous…
Reviewed on September 19, 2025
**_Two aging gunmen meet in a Southwest town_** The quick-draw contest was mostly an invention of dime novelists and moviemakers. Sure, you can cite the Wild Bill Hickok and David Tutt gunfight over a pocket watch in the town square of Springfield Missouri in 1865, a few months after the Civil War ended. Good luck finding any other documented examples. In the Old West, if you wanted to shoot someone, you just did…
Reviewed on March 20, 2026
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The main cast of A Gunfight (1971) includes Johnny Cash, Kirk Douglas, Jane Alexander, Karen Black and Dana Elcar. The film was directed by Lamont Johnson. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
A Gunfight was released on August 25, 1971 and runs for 1h 29m.
A Gunfight (1971) holds an average rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 40 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy western and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official A Gunfight trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
