Roger Corman, who died a little under a year ago, is a legend of American cinema. He was a low-budget film producer and director, noted as a trailblazer in independent film. He had an impressive knack for finding and fostering new talent, and had a real appreciation for creativity and risk. It is suffice to say that without Corman – who received a lifetime achievement Oscar in 2009 – American film would be somewhat diminished.

He got his start in the 1950s, initially producing two features but then taking on direction for his third. That third film is Five Guns West, an independent western released in April 1955. It is an extremely cheap production, with one estimate putting its budget as low as $60,000. It is also tensely developed, pivots on a killer concept, and turns its limitations of cast and location into palpable strengths.

In the dying days of the American Civil War, the Confederate army pardons a group of death-row prisoners in return for their undertaking a dangerous new mission. Led by the stoic Govern Sturges (John Lund), a five-man squad ventures into Apache-dominated territory to intercept a Union stagecoach loaded with gold. Camping out at the ranch of Shalee (Dorothy Malone) and her alcoholic Uncle Mike (James Stone), tensions simmer as the criminals begin to take sides against one another.

There is a level of genius to the set-up of Five Guns West. A few early scenes aside, the film keeps itself anchored to an isolated ranch. The five-man team cannot leave until the stagecoach arrives. Shalee and Mike are trapped until they leave. Left unsupervised, the criminals begin to reconsider their mission: why recover the gold for the Confederacy when they can steal it for themselves? The flashy Hale Clinton (Mike Connors, credited here as Touch Connors) fancies himself as a romantic suitor to Shalee, which the impulsive Billy Candy (Jonathan Haze) figures he can simply take her by force.

There is a deep and growing sense of menace to the film, with Billy and Hale clearly planning their individual assaults on Shalee and Govern doing his best to keep them separated and under control. Meanwhile Billy’s more sensible – yet much more dangerous – brother John (Bob Campbell, who also wrote the screenplay) bristles under Govern’s self-assumed leadership. The breakout of violence within the group feels inevitable, with the overriding question being who is going to draw their weapon first and who is going to die.

The film was completed in a nine-day shoot, which gives the performances an unavoidable rough quality. Despite the rush, it remains surprisingly watchable. Both Lund and Malone give solid, professional performances. James Stone injects some levity as the comic drunk Uncle Mike. Mike Connors shows off a lot of charisma: a talent that served him well a decade later when he played television detective Mannix in the series of the same name. It is also worth noting Paul Birch as Haggard, the fifth member of Govern’s team. He is an older, seemingly more reluctant figure, and as the men take sides it is difficult to foresee which way Haggard will turn.

Five Guns West is a cheap film, and cannot quite escape the limitations that brings, but Roger Corman has done a remarkable job of finding original flourishes and moments of tension within it. There is a reason Corman became so appreciated and feted internationally. With the smallest of resources he was capable of putting together real cinema.

1955 West is a review project to watch as many western features from 1955 as possible, in order to gain a ‘snapshot’ view of the genre at its height. According to Letterboxd, there were 72 westerns released that year. You can see all of FictionMachine’s reviews of them to date by clicking here.