There can't be more whodunit westerns out there, which makes 5 card stud unique. The plot is a watered-down westernised version of Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little....whatever', or 'And Then There Were None' to give it it's American title.
After a fellow poker player is exposed as a cheat, Van Morgan, (Dean Martin), tries to stop a lynching and only succeeds in getting blindsided by a gun butt for his trouble. The culprit and leader of the lynch mob is Nick Evers, (played by a slightly miscast Roddy McDowall).
Unable to go to the town Marshall he opts to leave town instead. It is only when he hears about the killing of two members of the lynching party he becomes suspicious that one of the other poker players are trying to cover their tracks by bumping off the others. Not happy about being a potential target, he returns to town to find the killer, before more deaths occur.
Robert Mitchum is the town's new arrival as Reverand Johnathan Rudd. Rudd's a Reverand with a difference, he's just as quick with a gun as he is to pull a quote from the good book. Van immediately takes a liking to this 'Pastor with a Pistol', and to all around he seems a pleasant amiable fellow if not a bit of a religious nut case.
With each death, Van knows that his odds of survival are shortening and uncovers the identity of both the killer and the guy who's been tipping him off just in time.
Even though Roddy McDowall had been in America for nearly 30 years at this point, he is still just too English to have been cast in a western. This was also not Robert Mitchum's first time playing the mad pastor. He'd done it before in 1955 in the gripping The Night Of The Hunter though his portrayal of Harry Powell in that movie had a more psychotic edge than Rev. Rudd's friendly persona.
Dean Martin happily sleeps his way through his role with relative ease, as only he could, and does it with style. However, we're given a love triangle sub-plot with Katherine Justice and Inger Stevens, which isn't really needed and thankfully doesn't detract from the main plot.
Another thing worthy of note is the Maurice Jarre penned theme tune sung brilliantly by Dean Martin, in my opinion the best singer of 'em all. However, the closing credit informing the audience that it was Martin singing seemed a little redundant as he had one of the most unmistakable voices in show business.
Great Western though a little outdated for the time given that Hang 'em High. The Wild Bunch and Butch & Sundance were it's contemporaries.
Enjoy.
After a fellow poker player is exposed as a cheat, Van Morgan, (Dean Martin), tries to stop a lynching and only succeeds in getting blindsided by a gun butt for his trouble. The culprit and leader of the lynch mob is Nick Evers, (played by a slightly miscast Roddy McDowall).
Unable to go to the town Marshall he opts to leave town instead. It is only when he hears about the killing of two members of the lynching party he becomes suspicious that one of the other poker players are trying to cover their tracks by bumping off the others. Not happy about being a potential target, he returns to town to find the killer, before more deaths occur.
Robert Mitchum is the town's new arrival as Reverand Johnathan Rudd. Rudd's a Reverand with a difference, he's just as quick with a gun as he is to pull a quote from the good book. Van immediately takes a liking to this 'Pastor with a Pistol', and to all around he seems a pleasant amiable fellow if not a bit of a religious nut case.
With each death, Van knows that his odds of survival are shortening and uncovers the identity of both the killer and the guy who's been tipping him off just in time.
Even though Roddy McDowall had been in America for nearly 30 years at this point, he is still just too English to have been cast in a western. This was also not Robert Mitchum's first time playing the mad pastor. He'd done it before in 1955 in the gripping The Night Of The Hunter though his portrayal of Harry Powell in that movie had a more psychotic edge than Rev. Rudd's friendly persona.
Dean Martin happily sleeps his way through his role with relative ease, as only he could, and does it with style. However, we're given a love triangle sub-plot with Katherine Justice and Inger Stevens, which isn't really needed and thankfully doesn't detract from the main plot.
Another thing worthy of note is the Maurice Jarre penned theme tune sung brilliantly by Dean Martin, in my opinion the best singer of 'em all. However, the closing credit informing the audience that it was Martin singing seemed a little redundant as he had one of the most unmistakable voices in show business.
Great Western though a little outdated for the time given that Hang 'em High. The Wild Bunch and Butch & Sundance were it's contemporaries.
Enjoy.