The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Michael D. Moore

Writer:

Robert E. Kent (writer)

Release Date:

1 September 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Musical

Plot:

The South is losing the Civil War and the coffers are nearly empty. A group of Confederate spies steals...

Cast

Roy Orbison	...	Johnny Banner
Sammy Jackson	...	Steve Menlo
Maggie Pierce	...	Flo
Joan Freeman	...	Sue
Lyle Bettger	...	Charlie
John Doucette	...	Marshal Max Cooper
Patricia Donahue	...	Stella DeWitt
Ben Cooper	...	Deputy Rink
Ben Lessy	...	Indian Chief
Douglas Kennedy	...	Sheriff Joe Stedman
Len Hendry	...	Deputy George
Iron Eyes Cody	...	1st Indian
Domingo Samudio	...	1st Expressman (as Sam the Sham)
Wilda Taylor	...	Emily
Victoria Carroll	...	Margie
Maria Korda	...	Tanya
Poupée Gamin	...	Carmen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sammy Davis
Vince Barnett	...	Celebrating drunk (uncredited)
John Hart	...	(uncredited)
Jack Perkins	...	Burly Man (uncredited)
Vince St. Cyr	...	Indian Brave (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael D. Moore		(as Michael Moore)

Writing credits
Robert E. Kent		(writer)

Produced by
Jerome F. Katzman	....	associate producer
Sam Katzman	....	producer

Original Music by
Fred Karger

Cinematography by
W. Wallace Kelley

Film Editing by
Ben Lewis

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Merrill Pye

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Joseph J. Stone

Makeup Department
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bobby Stone	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald C. Klune	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Fred Karger	....	musical director

Other crew
Robert G. Stone	....	production coordinator (as Robert Stone)
Wilda Taylor	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Four-Leaf Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Four-Leaf Productions

Trivia:

Final film of Douglas Kennedy.

Soundtrack:

Good Time Party

a warm and entertaining movie!

I LOVE Roy Orbison! I saw him perform live on four different occasions and I own tons of his records, tapes, CD's and this movie. He was not handsome enough to become a matinée idol like Elvis, but he was the GREATEST singer ever, even Elvis said so! This movie is a light hearted comedy with singing. A few of the songs are not so great by Roy's standards, but most are good and a few are really good e.g. "Pistolero" and "Roll On Mighty River". I especially love the the title song, "The Fastest Guitar Alive". The plot of the movie is not that bad. Has anybody besides me noticed the similarity between this movie and the Errol Flynn/Randolph Scott western "Virginia City"? I love that movie and those two actors too. Roy's movie was not looking for critical acclaim. It was just a good "B" flick, certainly better than a thousand other grade "B" westerns out there. It had some very funny scenes and it was good clean fun. You could watch it with your children and not have to worry about sex and violence. Roy might have become a better actor if he had made a few more movies, but since this is his only movie and if you are a true Roy Orbison fan, treasure it!