Death of a Gunfighter

The film "Death of a Gunfighter" is a 1969 Western that faced significant directorial issues. Don Siegel was brought in to replace the original director, Robert Totten, but both ultimately had their names removed from the final product. The film was released under the pseudonym Allen Smithee, a common practice for films disowned by their directors.1

The movie stars Audie Murphy, a decorated World War II hero who transitioned into acting after the war, appearing in films like "The Red Badge of Courage" and "To Hell and Back". "Death of a Gunfighter" was one of Murphy's later films before his untimely death in a plane crash in 1971. The film's troubled production and directorial credit issues make it a notable, albeit perhaps for the wrong reasons, entry in Western cinema.21