Shoot Out is a 1971 Universal western movie directed by Henry Hathaway and
starring the incomparable Gregory Peck. Peck plays Clay Lomax, a rehabilitated bank robber. The
film adaptation was from the 1930 novel, “The Lone Cowboy,”
written by Will James.
The
story: upon Lomax completing a seven year prison sentence for bank robbery,
he is set free. The warden is certain he'll be back, however. Lomax walks out of prison and goes on a quest seeking the partner who
had betrayed him during the heist. But soon he is burdened with a
young orphan girl who he feels obligated to look after. She, unwillingly at first, tags
along on his journey. When Lomax and the girl happen upon a farm
house occupied by a widow, Juliana Farrell, and her son, Dutch, they
take refuge with the intent of waiting out an intense rain storm.
After supper, the two kids are put to bed while the adults proceed to
get acquainted. Both lonely, they seemingly fall for each other.
But
late that night a gang bursts in on them with ill intent. The gang
leader holds them at gunpoint and demands to know who else is in the
cabin.
He
kicks in the door of the boy's bedroom and orders him out. Young Dutch rouses himself from bed in his union suit and joins his mom, Lomax
and the girl.
Dutch is told to go out and take care of the mens'
horses. His mother is threatened with sure death if the boy does not do exactly as
told. Dutch pulls a slicker on over his long underwear, grabs his
boots...
...and out the door into the night he goes...
