Fastest Actors with a gun in Westerns
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Who was really the fastest actor with a gun in westerns? I’ve searched the web. I don’t have a definitive rated list. This video is assembled from various comments online, some hearsay and rumor. These entries are based on witnesses, not comparisons. So no documentation or video of actual witnessed draw. So not ranked. Let me know what you think, and who was missed.
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Audie Murphy was not "one of the most decorated American soldiers of WW2" he was THE most decorated American soldier EVER!
Most decorated in WWII, however there are there are several with more honors. That is not to diminish his accomplishments, he was an incredibly brave soldier.
@@petersearls4443
He received EVERY medal for bravery the US Army offered as well as the French Croix de Guerre and the Belgian Legion de Merit. I don't think any other American soldier has done that. Especially not in a single war.
@@txgunguy2766 you said ever. I understand all of the awards he won. There are several soldiers from different wars/conflicts who have been awarded 2 Medals of Honor. David Hackworth was awarded medals of valor for over 18 different events.
Awards
Distinguished Service Cross (2)
Silver Star (10)
Legion of Merit (4)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal (8) with "V"
Purple Heart (8)
Air Medal (34) with "V"
Army Commendation Medal (4) with "V"
@@petersearls4443
Audie won 24 medals.
@@petersearls4443
I know that there have been a number of men who have earned multiple Medals of Honor, such as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Thomas Custer who died with his brother and nephew at Little Bighorn. George was always jealous of "Tom's baubles".
I grew up in the 60's when westerns dominated TV and films and I remember that Glenn Ford was considered the fastest for many years.
Yes my understanding also
@@notfiveo four tenths of a second is not slow.
You are right Glenn Ford was the fastest in Hollywood ever. Second fastest was Jerry Louis and under him was Sammy Davies JR. What gave me a laugh anybody saying they can draw in a 6th of a second is lying or his name is Bob Mundon. Anybody who can draw that fast would be the fastest man alive. The very fastest now since Bob past away are around a 4th of a second and that speed would beat anybody in Hollywood at any time.
@@famouspeople63 Unless you was Bob Mundon a 6th of a second like Hollywood is make believe. Around a 4th of a second is what top fast draws are doing today and that is pushing it to the max. Look up fast draw speeds in contest and you will see what I'm taking about.
@@neganrex5693ford was in the group of best fast draw actors. Audie Murphy, Ben Cooper, Sammy Davis and probably Robert Fuller and Peter Brown were faster.
There was a rumour that Hugh O’Brien challenged Audie Murphy to a fast draw match, and Audie’s reply was “ Let’s use real bullets”. Hugh backed down.
I saw other actors who worked with Murphy said he was lightning fast with his hands. Michael Dante said his movements was fast as a cat.
Not just a rumor. It was a true story.
Of course O’Brian "backed down". That made him the more mature of the two. Only a moron would play childish games with real ammunition.
@@terryv O’Brien had been pestering Audie a lot to draw against each other. Audie finally got fed up with Hugh continuing to prod him after he had already declined, so that is when he made the comment about live ammo. Not because he really wanted to use it, but because he knew it would shut it down.
The version I've heard: Hugh O'Brien bragged as fastest and offered $500 bet for anyone in Hollywood. Audie Murphy responded upping the ante to $2500 using live ammo. I think he truly meant an actual face off. Murphy no doubt had PTSD and slept with a 1911 under his pillow. This guy was always armed and ready!
The man who was reputed to be the fastest draw and who also trained other actors was Jack Elam, I remember seeing him give a demonstration on television and boy was he fast. Cheers
TheMrbillh ..Jack Elam ! really ? that is a surprise to me. Loved JE in his movies.
@@steiny3353 Jack Elam was a fine dramatic actor and a great comedic one as well. His work in the James Garner films "Support your local..." is legendary. Never knew he was fast on the draw but he only had one working eye so his depth perception in aiming would have been non-existent. Lost his eyesight in his left eye at age 11 at a Boy Scout function when he got into a fight with another boy.
@@kronos5385 ..Yeah mate, he could do it all. Drama, comedy. The depth of field with one eye though ? I have a mate who has been slowly losing sight in one eye over many years. He was in our social motorcycle club and he could ride like you wouldn't believe. When I asked him about that he said that when you lose it slowly, the other eye naturally compensates. I find that hard to believe, but I wasn't going to argue with him
he was so fast he put his eye out.
@@bobbys4327 Was that with a Red Ryder BB gun?
Major Audie Murphy held a commission in the Texas National Guard after he saw all that combat during WW2. He is America's most decorated hero ever. His 3rd Division shoulder patch still indicates a hard - charging , gung ho outfit during both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. The legend of Major Audie Murphy , Texas National Guard will live forever .
Look up Lt.Col. Matt Urban, the "Ghost". From what I read he had as many medals including the MOH and 7 Purple Hearts.
You left out Jack Elam, Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson.
You mean the "broken TV" patch. My youngest was in third army.
I heard that Audie Murphy's wife was a hero too she worked the rest of her life for the VA constantly battling the system to get better treatment for the veterans.
I heard that all the veterans loved and respected her, but not the paper pushing beuracrats who she was constantly battling.
@@johnchandler1687- Don’t you mean “3rd Division?”
Third Army was in an entirely different location in the European Theater of Operations than was the 3rd Division during WWII.
While leading his men he commandeered a machine gun on the top of a burning tank destroyer. Shooting enemies from behind the smoke he called in an artillery strike basically on his own position. He was asked how close the the Germans were to his position, he joked ( yeah joked ) , "Hold on , I'll let you talk to one of them " . That is balls.
Watch Paladin and realize that Richard Boone did his own draws. No cutaways, no effects, he stood there and "pulled that hogleg". He was very, very quick.
Interesting, thanks
Hehehe. Read up on him. He was slow and wasn’t proficient trying to draw fast. The article I read said that when they had to shoot a fast draw it was a 50/50 chance the gun would fly across the stage. 😂
Watch him draw, always from behind as he turned away from the draw, damn stupid and slow. He also telegraphed every punch when he wasn’t wrestling on the ground
@@petersearls4443 Yeah, I liked the series and still watch it on Saturdays (METV), but he was a lousy quickdraw. His crouched posture looked badass, but it's ergonomically all wrong for a quick draw. But if you look at quick draw contests today, it's become ridiculous. I think there should be rules about how far one can lean backward. Maybe the ear within so many inches of the heels, etc.
@@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244 if you want to see a fast draw. Find my reply on here with a link to Ben Cooper making a fast draw in Outlaw’s Son.
I've also heard Dean Martin was quick as well, and he worked hard at it, wanting to beat Jerry's speed. More recently, Mel Gibson is rumored to be fast on the draw as well. He trained hard for his role in Maverick.
Yes there is a scene in Maverick where he was showing of with a gun. Was pretty fast.
So was James Garner .
A friend of my family that I called uncle was a founding member of the quick draw association and held the world record for a couple decades, he was a well known exhibition shooter that traveled the country putting on shows, his name was Gay Lewis, he was probably the person that spent the most time working with Sammy Davis Jr. on quick draw and gun handling. Before Davis got involved with drugs he spent a lot of time at my uncles house including most Sundays. He had many stories about Davis and other stars he worked with, he always said Davis had more raw talent than anyone he ever worked with or shot against! Davis did complete in the quick draw events for several years and was not only fast for Hollywood he was fast in the competitions as well! My aunt Mildred said he seldom showed up for Sunday dinner without a bouquet of flowers for her and something for the pantry! They thought a lot of him!
I never heard anything about Sammy and drugs, but back when Thell Reed was winning bunches of competitions, I also heard that Sammy Davis Jr. was the fastest at the time.
It wasn't hype either. Sammy Davis Jr. would routinely demonstrate his quick draw for a live audience.
Who else but Sammy could sing a love song to his machine guns.
I can vouch for this.
Glenn Ford was really quick.
The fastest in my opinion was Robert Fuller. He was lightening in his prime.
Sammy Davis Jr was no slouch either. He participated in quick draw contests
Robert Fuller was great as Jess Harper in Laramie.
Robert Fuller guested in an episode of Hugh O'Brian 's Wyatt Earp series and in that episode the shootout scene had to be refilmed several times BECAUSE Robert Fuller kept beating Wyatt Earp to the draw!!! I believe the episode was titled The Scapegoat. Only two people could startle me into jumping at the speed of their draw: One was Robert Fuller in Laramie and the other one was Peter Breck in The Big Valley. One other perhaps: There was an episode of Alias Smith and Jones in which Pete Duel suddenly drew his gun in a scene to protect his partner and it was like lightning.
The fastest in my opinion was Jack Elam.
My favorite cowboys where Robert fuller and Anthony Steffan,Clint Eastwood imitated Steffen in all his movies.
Dale Robertson "Tales of Wells Fargo" appeared quick. Economical drawing effort it seemed.
In addition to his other talents, Arvo Ojala was a master leather craftsman who made very fine fast draw rigs. I met him and his beautiful actress daughter in the 1980s and found him to be a true gentleman. I ended up ordering one of his cowboy Hollywood rigs which I still have. When it comes to true action heroes, Audi Murphy was the real deal and noted for his exceptional handling of firearms and horses. No doubt the former had a lot to do with his surviving so many harrowing firefights during WWII. I don't know how fast they were on the draw, but Lee Marvin, Robert Culp, and Steve McQueen handled their firearms very professionally and comfortably.
Sammy Davis was pretty quick in his day, I heard..
I just read Audie Murphy's biography "To Hell And Back". He describes the terror of the front line soldier and how he reacted. Most notably, after his Medal of Honor battle he felt totally drained.
German soldiers said his rifle never missed
Re: "Most notably, after his Medal of Honor battle he felt totally drained."
That sort of experience is not unusual in men who have been involved in life-or-death situations such as combat. Our biochemical/endocrine response to stress - what is termed the "fight or flight" response - is complex and mobilizes the entire body's resources for survival. When these biochemical defenses or enhancements, for lack of a better term wear off, four to six hours after the stress has passed, profound exhaustion and fatigue is the norm. It takes 24-36 hours for the body to fully return to status normal after such a stressful event. It's a big deal, it really is - even for a young and strong man in the prime of life.
I hear that most of the fastest guns on film were actually stuntmen. Between shots (pun intended) they would hold fast draw contests. Audie Murphy never lost. He was not only fast he was an excellent shot. I once saw Bob Munden do a demonstration on TV, I believe it was the Tonight Show. The guns were loaded with ground corn. The host stood next to a balloon with his gun already cocked, finger on the trigger, and aimed at the balloon. Bob Munden, standing next to his balloon, told him when you see me move pull the trigger. Munden drew and fired so fast the host didn't even pull the trigger, he never saw Munden move. I saw another video of Munden in action on a tv show about him. Munden, a short, fat man, drew and fired 5 shots in literally the blink of a eye and got 5 hits on a target the size of a paper plate. If Munden said Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr. were that fast I believe him.
He could really only judge the people he helped train. I’ve never been able to find a clip of Jerry making a fast draw. Sammy was very fast and a good gun handler. He was in the top few actors for speed.
Agreed! If Bob said it was so, it was! I've seen many interviews and demonstrations with Mr. Munden, simply astonishing!
@@jedironin380 yes Bob was amazing. Only one problem. Ben Cooper and Sammy were friends. Sammy would have Ben over to parties and they would compete against each other for the guests entertainment. Sammy rarely won. Here a fast draw by Ben in Outlaw’s Son. czcams.com/video/iAMgkiR4Dxw/video.html
@@petersearls4443 Thanks for mentioning Ben Cooper . I've always heard that he was one of the fastest draws, but he's overlooked most of the time.
@@BluesmanDizzy thanks. I do have ulterior motives. Ben was my uncle. I feel a duty to keep the hard work he put into gun handling, alive. 😀👍
I remember back in the 50s I watched an exhibition by Rodd Redwing. I never saw him even reach for the gun, let alone notice the draw and shoot. He was literally faster than the eye could see. BTW, Jerry Lewis was a hell of an athlete. He even practiced with the Houston Astros. I guess he'd have to be athletic to perform all those pratfalls and antics during his film career.
other actors in passing conversation i believe on tonight show...., mentioned that Jerry Lewis was considered by fellow actors to be the fastest quick draw artist in hollywood....too bad there was never a contest to showcase these talents....
He was also a drummer, which trained his hands to be fast.
He taught Chuck Connors how to shoot that rifle, too.
I heard Sammy Davis Jr.was fast
I saw a story years ago. Clint Eastwood used to enter quick draw competitions and did well.
I guess so, he had some practice. But one of the fastest, not sure?
CORRECTION:
Audie Murphy was THE MOST decorated soldier of WW2. [ not just “one of the most”]. He was IT❗️
[ He earned (and suffered for) each and every one].
📻🙂
This limmy would not recognize Murphy because of bias.
@@jimlee188😂he recognizes fakes though May he trying to sell his channel to fools😂
Look up Lt.Col. Matt Urban, the "Ghost". From what I read he had as many medals including the MOH and 7 Purple Hearts.
Watch Audie Murphy's autobiography movie To Hell and Back (1956) .
Audie Murphy didn't need any camera tricks. For a while, he was genuinely the fastest draw in films.
My uncle Ben Cooper agreed with that. Ben was very fast. Actually I think he might have been faster than Audie but he wasn’t the kind of guy to toot his own horn. They were definitely comparable. Ben made two westerns with Audie including Arizona Raiders.
It would seem odd considering the current year politics in Hollywood but a lot of the older generation of stars were quite interested in combative sports like boxing and quick draw as a form of recreation. With the number of westerns being shot back then it was also a useful skill that added to the credibility of the performance, just like fencing for a Shakespearean actor.
And today?
@@famouspeople63 Today if you refuse to give your pronouns (Gina Corano) you get fired. If you advocate for gun rights (Charlton Heston) you get labelled a lunatic.
A few ex-professional wrestlers are tolerated so long as they bring in enough box office but they're expected to disavow anything too "violent". I believe Dwayne Johnson has even said he won't appear in films with guns anymore.
@@silverjohn6037and he made a fortune off his earlier movies that had guns and violence, typical hollyweird hypocrisy. I’ll bet there’s quite a few of actors who believe in the 2nd Amendment and like firearms but are too afraid to admit it due to the threat of being black listed
Per Wyatt Earp, speed was entirely secondary. It was absolute control of the gun and accuracy.
He said, "You need to take your time... in a hurry."
THAT is "Gun Control"... hitting the target.
i thought that was bat masterson ??
Louis L'Amour, who grew up in a time when many of those old western pistol packers were still around to talk to, made that same point in many of his books. The fastest draw didn't always win, but the one who shot straightest did, and it was better to take a half second longer to actually hit the other guy, than it was to shoot holes in the dirt, the sky, or some innocent bystander.
Like one of my bumper stickers says: GUN CONTROL IS BEING ABLE TO HIT YOUR TARGET.
At the time. Sammy Davis Junior was the fastest draw in Hollywood. He was also accurate. And ambidextrous. And could twirl his guns like nobody else
Ben Cooper was slightly faster. But if they ever had a real gunfight they would probably end up shooting each other. Ben used to go over to parties at Sammy’s house and they would put on a show for the guests.
So glad to see Sammy Davis Jr at the end of this video, it corroborates a recollection my uncle imparted to me about seeing SDJ in California at a quick-draw exhibition back in the late 60’s. Says SDJ had one of, if not the fastest draw times at the event.
He was on some western t.v. shows and would handle the six gun...
He was super fast and was also great at fancy gun twirling.
Did 2 Riflemans showed his talent on the shows
@@edprince9079 There are clips on CZcams of his twirling. Watch those, then watch Michael Biehn (Johnny Ringo) twirling in Tombstone and tell me that Sammy Davis Jr wasn't the model on which that was modeled.
Peter Breck from Big Valley was known to be a fast gun and has won in several competitions.
Heard that as well..
Peter Breck was the only one other than Robert Fuller who could startle me with the speed of his draw.
@@sylviapatterson3643if you can find a clip of Breck making a fast draw would you please post it? I haven’t had any luck randomly searching for one.
Heath was faster
I have to add up ten more actors who were quick in draw in western films. They were: Gary Cooper in High Noon, Rory Calhoun in Utah Blaine, Clint Walker in Yuma, Don Murray in From Hell to Texas, Alex Cord in Stagecoach, Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West, Cohen Holloway in Good for Nothing, Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter, and Sterling Hayden in Top Gun.
Peter Breck on the Big Valley had a quick draw that was hard to beat. In-between shooting they would challenge each other.
Thats interesting, will see what I can find on him
Peter Brown (Lawman, Laredo) was noted as a fast draw. He also could twirl his six-shooter around and place it smoothly back in his holster. You can see him do that on the opening credits of the second season of Laredo.
Too heavy of a trigger pull.
I agree, I saw him quick draw against other actors from the 50s and he was considered the fastest. My favorite was always Robert Culp from Trackdown.
Wasn't Neville Brand on that show. With the gravelly whiskey voice. Anyway Neville Brand was the 4th most highly decorated U.S. soldier in the European theater of WW2.
Yes, Neville co-starred on Laredo (1965~1967) and played Texas Ranger Reese Bennett.@@johnchandler1687
Peter Brown was a guest star at a Wild West theme park in NC called Ghost Town in The Sky where live performances occurred 10 times a day, 7 days a week for 6 months out of the year. He and many other Hollywood guest stars got to perform in the mock gunfights using real single-action revolvers but loaded with blanks. A local man there name of Bill Leatherwood played the Marshal there for 39 years. They all found out how slow they were against him. I performed there off and on between 2001-2015 as a gunfighter. I had practiced and practiced with my own gun and holster and thought I was quick enough but it only took me 1 show to realize what I did not know about fast draw would fill a Farmer's Almanac.
An interesting and eclectic list! It's fun to realize that some performers we would never associate with fast-draw are actually gifted in this area (and likely better through hard work too).
So true! Seems if you were funny and could sing had a lot to do with it. :)
@@famouspeople63 Probably because they were the most high-strung performers, therefore had heightened nervous systems to accelerate their responses.
Greatest line up, and most accurate ratings of actor's I have watched from the 1950's forward. Thanks for sharing with us all. Also Countless thanks for mentioning Bob Munden, who I have met at a Cowboy Shooting match decades ago. He truly is faster than the blink of an eye, and could accurately fan out 6 shots, faster than a Semi-Auto. 👍👍 10⭐
I've seen Bob a couple times in person and he is very fast. His first shot is so amazingly fast how he gets it off without shooting himself is a testament to his ability.
I remember seeing Sammy on the rifleman and was impressed with his abilities.
These actors were forgotten. James Arness Gunsmoke, Ben Murphy Alias Smith & Jones, Scott Glen, Kevin Kline, & Kevin Costner Silverado
In Rio Bravo, starring John Wayne and Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson is in a supporting role as a very young gun hand. He rides guard for a cattleman and is introduced early in the movie. Ricky does a scene where he confronts a card shark and ends up drawing on the shark. He is so fast and his motion is clean as it gets. Hammer cocked and all. I've watched many a western in my life and that one draw is the fastest I have ever seen.
I love to hear good news about Ricky. He has been a favorite since ''OZZIE & hARRIET'' back in the 50s.
As actors in general, I heard that Jerry Lewis was one of the fastest draws in Hollywood.
Dave.
You don’t actually see him make the fast draw. There is a poker player who blocks the view of Ricky’s holster. It appears to allow him to grip the gun before doing the draw so that all he has to do is pull it out and cock it.
I was glad to see you mention Jerry Lewis, I understand he won national championships in pistol spinning. Watch the end of “Partners” and see what I mean. BTW Martin said he learned the routine from Jerry.
I saw James Drury "The Virginian", in a shooting exhibition, fired three shots from a single action revolver that sounded like 1 shot! He used wax bullets and was accurate too.
A rare combination. Quick and accurate
my dad was a good friend of Rodd Redwing and as of today I still use a fastdraw holster that he invented back in the late 50s
Well, you did you’d homework. I lived ‘next door’ to Arvo Ojala in the then rural San Fernando Valley. Ojala was at the time the fastest draw ever recorded. Arvo said that Jerry Lewis was the fastest actor and John Wayne the slowest. On Wayne he commented ‘You can have a burger and a malt in the time it takes him to pull his pistol...’ Funny how so many got their panties in a twist about Audie Murphy. My favorite quote of his was told to me years ago by a older friend who knew Murphy. The two were out one evening and some fellow really pissed Murphy off. Murphy walked away from the conflict saying to my friend Caylor ‘I have to remind myself every day that my license to kill has been revoked...’
I love to hear personal connection stories, thanks
Arvo’s daughter (who’s name I’m intentionally withholding) and I were the same age. She was breathtakingly beautiful and more attractive than any model or actress you could think of. More than a bit of a Tomboy she raced in girls motocross known then as ‘Powderpuff’. Arvo had a company called ‘The Flying Finn’ one of if not the first to offer plastic and fiberglass aftermarket motor cycle components and parts. For his daughter to race he built a cut-down Huskavarna 400 with a titanium frame. A real monster of a dirt bike stock lightened and modified it was unGodly. I didn’t have the stones to ride a Husky 400 while she fearless and very competitive on it always placed high often winning in her class. Though Arvo always friendly and kind towards me she wouldn’t give me the time of day LOL!
I remember as a young Kid seeing Bob Mundan on the Mike Douglas Show.
Very memorable exhibition.
I believe that against the clock the two fastest were Glenn Ford and Sammy Davis Jr. with very little difference between them.
Strangely, Jerry Lewis was up there as well. For someone that only made one western.
5:29 Glenn Ford! The Glenn Ford Westerns Playlist czcams.com/play/PLA9dyopf8noOImQtbxbvXZhvUyVDbFHC8.html
Audie Murphy was very fast.
My understanding is, in the late fifties, the fastest draw from TV, was Peter Brown, the Deputy in the series "Lawman."
Thanks, will look him up.
Try Robert Fuller.
Many gun fights in the Old West ended not in a face to face fast draw showdown, but in someone being shot in the back. They were skilled bad men but not stupid.
Yes that much filmed man to man shootouts where a myth, not a reality in the real Wild West.
It is said that 7 of the men Billy The Kid was drunken Indians (Native Americans).
Audie Murphy was the fastest I heard.
You didn't mention Robert Fuller of "Wagon Train" & "Laramie" TV show fame. Now he was fast.
Peter Brown, Jonnny McKay in Lawman was reported to be extremely fast!!!
I believe Dale Robertson in Wells Fargo was very fast .
Every one of those actors used Hollywood holster rigs, not actual old west holsters and belts. An actor not on the list shown was Hugh O'Brien, who practiced for months to get the role in the Wyatt Earp television series. He became quite fast.
If you look closely, you can see that Glenn Ford had a piece of wood sewn into his gunbelt, just above the holster. This was for his second shot. After the first shot, he would just use that piece of wood to cock the hammer. I've seen the set up in several Glenn Ford movies, but you can reallly see him use it in "The Fastest Gun Alive."
Cool info, thanks
5:29 Glenn Ford! The Glenn Ford Westerns Playlist czcams.com/play/PLA9dyopf8noOImQtbxbvXZhvUyVDbFHC8.html
James Drury had a metal plate on the side of his gun belt. For his 3 shot trick, he cocked the revolver in the holster, fired his first shot from the hip, held the trigger back and raked the hammer against the metal plate for his second shot, then fanned the hammer with his left hand for the third shot. He was kind enough to do it slowly to show us how he did it. It was impressive!
I'm so happy you mentioned Sammy Davis, Jr. in this lineup.
I saw "The Rifleman" Episode with Sammy's fast draw -- and, even as a kid, I recall to this day that that was fastest draw I'd ever seen.
Of course, it does not compete with the guy who draws & fires two shots, where you only see & hear one shot -- that is Superhuman -- he has to open the gun to show you he fired two shots! But for a single shot, I pick Sammy!
Glad you noted Sammy Davis. In the episode of The Rifleman in which he played a fast draw artist, you could see he knew what he was doing with a gun.
Orley Fudd lol
I expected to hear you mention Steve McQueen. A story I heard was that his skill at quick draw had Yul Brynner upset that it made him look bad during the filming of The Magnificent Seven.
Actors back in the day knew guns and practiced with them. Unlike some actors today don't try to get to know guns and how to use them.
nope, the azzhat libs just whine about them
Some do. Keanu Reeves is competition level competent.
@@jasongcrow5313 yeah, and live fire at that
My uncle Ben Cooper made a lot of westerns in the 50s and 60s. In the beginning he practiced 2 to 3 hours a day over a 2 to 3 year period. He ended up one of the fastest. You can tell because in most of his scenes there are no edits.
B-western actor Tim McCoy was known for his draw speed. A film editor once timed it on 35mm film with 24 frames per second. The interval between his start of drawing to when smoke appeared at the muzzle was said to be six frames. McCoy was also known to be an expert in sign language.
Another six-frame guy (according to a TV Guide article during the time his show was on) was Clu Gulager. He played Billy the Kid to Barry Sullivan's Pat Garrett on The Tall Man.
This is what I was going to suggest ... assuming they ran the cameras at 24 frames per. It would give you a pretty good indication of how fast someone actually was.
Thanks for this. Must have taken you a lot of time and effort to get together these clips, and do the research. Well done, I will be looking at your channel with interest from now on.
Robert Fuller on Laramie could pull it pretty fast.
There was a group of actors who would meet and practice their gun handling techniques somewhat regularly among them Was Glenn Ford. Henry Fonda was said to be so well practiced that he had to slow down his draw for filming in the movie "Warlock".
I keep hearing that about various actors. If they asked to slow down it might have been because another actor was supposed to win. However it wasn’t because of the cameras. Film runs at 24 frames per second. That means approximately .04 seconds per frame. For example GlennFord was timed at .4 seconds. That would mean 10 frames of film would have caught the action.
Glad you mentioned Bob Mundun ! He was totally awesome. AND he hit whatever he wanted to.
Audie Murphey was my favorite actor ever to grace the screen. He is a real mans man. Audie is a role model and a great human and saved a lot of American lives in WW2.
The actors mentioned in this video is an accurate list of fast draw coboys and excellent gun handlers. I know this because my Dad was a stuntman and extra for a handful of westerns in the 60s and 70s
Ask him if he ever worked with my uncle Ben Cooper.
Audie Murphy was known as the fastest quick draw in Hollywood! He even our drew John Wayne!
my grandma could out draw John Wayne.
I mildly surprised. That this guy didn't have Don Knotts From the movie. Shakyest gun in the West.😂
@@timuren1541 yeah he would only need one bullet!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@bobbys4327 it's not easy...... I sort of can do it!
I was glad that you mentioned Jerry Lewis. A lot of people don't know that. Comedian Buddy Hackett was also extremely fast.
And funny!
Many thanks for listing the actors with fastest draw. Yet film is a film and shooting someone dead is a different case, which shown as a justified act of settling disputes or taking a revenge. Not for everyone. Paul,68, retired teacher.
Honorable mention shout out to Hoppy, Gene and Roy for being fast with their fists:))
I grew up in the era of the western and have always liked and admired lee van cleef, being the baddie to me is just as important to a film as being a hero, and he did an outstanding job against some hugely popular stars..kirk douglas was also a huge favourite of mine,the vikings is one of my all time faves.
See my video on him in my channel, also in a video Villains in Westerns
What a shame you slept through most of your English classes. People's names are 'proper nouns' and as such, the first letter is always capitalized, like Lee Can Cleef and Kirk Douglas. You're welcome!
I'm glad someone mentioned him ..
Kid Curry (Ben Murphy) - Alias Smith & Jones was the fastest draw out of all the TV series and movies. I've been watching westerns for decades. The gun 'was just in his hand'
You missed missed him, sure as shoot'n. No disrespect, it was nice of you to put this together for us to view.
Hehehe. You never saw Ben make a draw in the show.
Excellent video. Great to see clips from so many fine films. Audie Murphy was the Greatest, maybe no the fastest gun but a straight shooter. And proved it in combat. Will look forward to a video on him. Thanks for an informative and interesting video.
The ironic thing the quick draw rig of the movies is a Hollywood invention.
Very true. There were hardly any documented cases of a man on man draw in the street. Ironically one of them did involve Wild Bill Hickok.
Character actor John Doucette was reported to have won a fast draw contest in Las Vegas where a number of western actors participated. Another actor who was considered the fastest of all the TV western actors was Peter Brown. I believe he also participated in v that contest.
Many reports of John Doucette, was among the fastest ever.
Back in the 1970's I had a retired Hollywood movie cameraman for a neighbor. He dated back to the days of hand-cranked cameras. When filming the 'good guy' drawing he would under-crank just a little so that when the film was projected it made the draw look faster.
Amazing video Sir, more please.
Robert Fuller, Laramie and Wagon Train had a blazing draw!
I've got to say that Jerry Lewis was quite a surprise. But not Sammy Davis jr. Anyone who ever saw Sammy in Little Moon and Jud McGraw got to see Sammy's fast draw and gun handling skills! I've seen a few better, but he was impressive nonetheless.
They just speeded the film up.
@@jimlee188😂😂😂
@@jimlee188Sammy was legitimately a fast draw. He was in a small group of actors at the top of the list.
This is my first look at one of your videos, and I am impressed. You just got a new sub. I was not surprised to hear Sammy Davis Jr as high up as he is, what did stun me is hearing Jerry Lewis anywhere in the group. Thanks for this video, of to look at your other works.
Arvo Ojala was the one who drew against Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke in the opening of each episode.
Yeah. He did it for the first few seasons.
@@petersearls4443 He was the one for the first 9 of 20 seasons.
If Bob Mundun said Jerry Lewis was the fastest, then he was as far as I'm concerned.
Remember, Bob was referring to the people he taught. I’ve tried a number of searches to find a clip of Jerry making a fast draw, but I haven’t been able to find one. If you know of one would you please post it. I have seen the clip of Jerry’s stage show but it doesn’t have a really fast draw. Thanks.
there was competition and Glen Ford won he really was very fast
Audie Murphy & Glen Ford I heard were two of the fastest.. & can't say enough bout Mr. Murphy how he was the "REAL DEAL" In real life & in western movies
The TV station METV runs a lot of westerns. Years ago they timed the filmed draws of several actors. They didn’t say what unit of time they used, but these were the results.
Richard Boone :16
Steve McQueen :12
Clint Walker :12
Gene Barry :10
James Arness :10
Clint Eastwood :08
Hugh O'Brian :08
James Garner :05
Those times don’t look very accurate. Boone was really slow. Here are some calculations I made, with an explanation of how I did it.
1. Ben Cooper - .23 seconds. (Outlaw’s Son)
2. Audie Murphy - .27 seconds. (Ride a Crooked Trail)
3. Ben Cooper - .27 seconds. The Westerner (Hand on the Gun
4. Sammy Davis Jr. - .30 seconds (Rifleman. 2 ounces of tin)
5. Glenn Ford - .33 seconds. (Fastest Gun Alive. 2 coins)
6. Glenn Ford - .33 seconds. (Heaven with a Gun)
7. Scott Glenn - .40 seconds. (Silverado practice)
8. Steve McQueen - .43 seconds (Magnificent Seven)
9. James Arness - .50 seconds (Gunsmoke opening)
10. Jeff Osterhage - .50 seconds. (Sacketts)
Here is an idea to settle the discussions about which actor is faster than another.
I calculated the speed of the draw using Adobe Rush software which provides frame counts.
I started the calculation when the actor’s hand reaches the butt of the gun, since an actor’s hand can be anywhere when they start going for the gun. I ended the calculation when a flash of smoke is coming out of the barrel or if the gun isn’t fired, once the barrel levels out.
Most videos that we deal with online run at 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second. The speed of the draw will be calculated by dividing 1 by the frame rate and multiply that times the ending frame number minus the starting frame number.
Example: if the video is 30 frames per second and the actor’s hand reaches the gun butt in frame 5 and flames are coming out of the barrel at frame 15 the calculation would be. (1/30)*(15-5)=(.033)*(10)=.33 seconds.
I have listed the actors at the top of the post with the fastest first.
Burt Lancaster Had a Quick Draw Too.
Alec Baldwin may not have been the fastest, but certainly among the deadliest.
Thank you for that maybe chuckle appreciate it😅
Priceless. He would have taken Murphy up on using real bullets, well just him
I could remember Alec Baldwins name. Thanks I think I was bawled out for mentioning him in this thread and threatened with being banned.
@@glennso47 I believe I remember that. Didn’t understand why though as you weren’t wrong
Oh, that was bad! Funny, but not funny
Great content and presentation. 😊
I really enjoyed that video! Westerns are my favorite movies to watch. Jerry Lewis was a big surprise.
Any thoughts to Michael Landon ? I watched him in Bonaza and it appears he is very fast and left handed . I saw an episode of Sammy Davis jr. on the Rifleman and he is incredibly fast and has a lot of trucks tossing around his six shooters in this episode. I enjoyed the film
Landon is frequently ignored on these lists but he was pretty fast. Although I have noticed that some of his fast draws were probably other people because they were filmed from the waist down.
Glenn Ford seemed fast. Also, Matt Dillon in his intro, and he used the longer 7 1/2" barrel, impressive. Saw Sammy Davis Jr. was quite the pistoleer but also heard that Jerry Lewis was the actual fastest. Bob Munden was the real fastest draw I've ever seen though.
Munden could actually hit everything as well
I expected to see Robert Fuller on the list. Thanks for your research and effort.
I love all the old westerns, and I really loved Audie Murphy, he was one of my favorite actors in them, the Lone Ranger was my favorite tv series with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. There were many actors who were fast draw shooters, one that surprised me though was Jerry Lewis, awesome. HIGH 5 to all of them….may their talents and abilities inspire others…..👍❤️🙏🏼🥰🐴
You need to research for Thell Reed. His is an amazing career with a gun. As a kid I often saw the giant bear mounted in his family restaurant, I believe the bear charged camp on Kodiak Island. Everybody froze except for the 13 year old Thell who grabbed a bold action to drop the beast.
Sounds like a tale tale. But theres a grain of truth in every story
I've seen that 6 foot bear so many times.
In the early days of Combat Pistol Shooting, Reed would compete using single action Colts. He competed against guys using the latest tricked out semi-autos, and win!
@@famouspeople63 you might try actual looking into Reed, before calling it a tall tale.
I had known of Sammy Davis and Jerry Lewis. I believe James Garner should also be on the list.
Everyone Knows Maverick never used a gyn. LOL!
I was brought/dragged up on Westerns by my Father. This list contained a few pleasant surprises and quite a lot that I already knew. As mentioned in the comments below, I'd like to have seen Terence Hill get a mention but, one Actor who allegedly was surprisingly fast, was Gene Hackman in "The Quick and The Dead". Not sure if that's true but I hit Subscribe pretty fast because of the video (I didn't hit it anywhere as fast as Sammy Davis Jr. though) Keep up the good work!
Terence Hill in the trinity films used adjusted camera speeds to create the impression of a fast draw. There are a number of articles online where they explained how they did it.
Back in the late 50s early 60s they had celebrity Quick draw contest on TV. I think it was on Wide world of sports believe it or not. The forerunners were Sammy Davis jr. Michael Landon and Guy Lewis. That's all that I can remember. I hope that this helps.
Kirk Douglas displayed his gun skills in last train from gun hill
He was not what you could call a western star but Sammy Davis JR had a hell of a quick draw.
Quick Draw McGraw? 😊
Well I dont know if TV westerns were being counted because Peter Breck (big valley and Black Saddle)was known as a fast gun draw either way loved the video hope to see more
Thanks
Sammy Davis also did an episode of Wild Wild West. Actually one of my favorite episodes. I am a big fan of WWW
I've always heard that Jerry Lewis was the fastest draw in Hollywood.
Seems like there was something to it
I’ve heard that Bob Munden said it, but I have never seen a clip of him making a real fast draw. I’d need to see it to believe it.
I thought it was a cartoonist for Warner Brothers.
I'm surprised that Clint Eastwood isn't on the list or Ricky Nelson as Colorado in Rio Bravo
Fastest in their character role or really off screen?
@@famouspeople63
Good point
@@famouspeople63 I remember reading a article back in the early seventies where they timed draws in the movies, and they claimed Clint Eastwood wood have been the fastest!
I always loved western and still do at 75 yrs old. I was really surprised at some of these! interesting!!
It's one thing to be fast on the draw. But it's another thing to be fast and hit what you're aiming at!😮
If Bob Munden says it I'll call that a fact.
Hard to argue
Remember he was judging the people he trained. He worked with many actors but not all of them. I can’t count Lewis because no one can find a clip of him making a fast draw. Ben Cooper was slightly faster than Sammy. They were friends and had contests between themselves over the years.
you missed Randy Travis, and Tom Sellect.
Dale Robertson from Tales of Wells Fargo one of my faves. A fellow lefty to boot!
I had heard he was right handed but he was so fast his draw looked faked, especial with the cheaper film they used on the B westerns so he used his left hand.
Audie Murphy offered to settle this argument by shooting it out with live ammo
This video only reinforced what I already knew...that Lewis and Davis jr where the fastest guns in Hollywood. It's a shame that they weren't able to put those skills to more use on the big screen.
I'm subscribed for future videos, Well done.
Thanks, appreciate the support
And Glenn Ford was a close 3rd.
Glen ford,,the fastest gun alive,. Stewart granger,.gun glory. Robert taylor,. The law and jake wade,. Three of my favourites
5:29 Glenn Ford! The Glenn Ford Westerns Playlist czcams.com/play/PLA9dyopf8noOImQtbxbvXZhvUyVDbFHC8.html
True he was the fastest gun alive but there were several actors who were faster.
Sammy Davis Jr. was a guest star on several westerns and had the reputation of being extraordinarily fast.
awesome work!!!!