Money, Women And Guns (1958)

After a goldminer (Edwin Jerome) is murdered, a detective (Jock Mahoney) is hired to find the five heirs to the man's goldmine but also to find his killer. Directed by Richard Bartlett, this western was a nice surprise. It doesn't have much of a reputation (if any at all) so my expectations were low. But it's a well crafted mixture of western and murder mystery, a marriage of Zane Grey and Agatha Christie so to speak. There are several suspects and the movie doesn't overplay its hand so we're never quite sure until the big reveal although the film gives us a major clue early in the film that I could have kicked myself for overlooking. Its lurid title is misleading, suggesting a typical western of gunfights, saloon girls and bank or stagecoach robberies. Instead, we get an engaging oater about second chances with an interesting cast of characters. If you're into westerns, this one is definitely worth checking out. With Kim Hunter, Tom Drake, Gene Evans, Tim Hovey, James Gleason, William Campbell, Judi Meredith, Richard Devon, Jeffrey Stone and Lon Chaney Jr.