"Gunless"

[PJ Hardtack]

Canadian actor/producer Paul Gross (Down South, Passchendaele) has recently released a western entitled "Gunless". I bought a copy and it's been on the tube as well. It's a spoof on westerns in general, with every cliche and borrowed scenario they could cram in. You'll see situations from many westerns you'll recognize - TGTBTU, Shane, etc. Of course he has a few run ins with the NWMP, guardians of the Queen's Peace.
The story centres around a US gunfighter (The Montana Kid) that survives an attempt to lynch him and stumbles into Canada. I enjoyed it as it was filmed in an area of southern British Columbia I am familiar with. There are a few gun boo-boos such as "45-40" and referring to a Colt Navy as a Paterson, but in the special features, they talk about that. The how's and why's of making the movie were as interesting and probably as entertaining as the film itself.
Gross took gun-handling instructions from a movie pro and was quite adept. He admits to it being a long process and nothing around him was safe at times. He relates how he was challwenged by a Toronto cop as he walked from his home to hs car, twirling his Colt prop gun. He was ordered to put it down and back away, which he did. He 'splained that he was an actor and it wasn't a real gun.
The cop picked it up and did a great job of twirling it, handing it back to Gross. He asked the cop to stick around and give him some pointers, but he said he had other calls.