The Gunslinger - Yul Brynner

The Gunslinger

• Character: The Gunslinger
• Actor: Yul Brynner (1920-1985)
• Movie: Westworld (1973)
• Based on the book by: Michael Crichton
• Profession: Entertainment robot
• Hobbies: Having bullets removed
• Notable accessory: silver contacts
• Pros: Excellent shot, high endurance
• Cons: Vulnerabilties to acid, Richard Benjamin's mustache
• Best Quote: "Draw." (He doesn't say much.)

 

I have a soft spot for cheesy low-budget-ish 70's sci fi movies. Westworld is a perfect example. In the near future, robots are advanced enough to populate adult theme parks, where they can be shot, stabbed, and screwed with abandon. Something goes wrong with the computers though, and the robots become disobedient and downright murderous. Richard Benjamin ends up being stalked relentlessly across the three parks and into the control area by Yul Brynner, the "Gunslinger."

Some would say that Brynner's Gunslinger was an inspiration for the Terminator, an unstoppable gun-wielding robot. Or perhaps a descendant of the Golem, another human invention turned monstrous. Brynner's stomp is matched and enhanced by Fred Karlin's fabulous soundtrack in which instruments are pounded to the rhythm of the stalker's march.

The Gunslinger returned for a bizarre cameo in FutureWorld (1976) where he is the fantasy lover of an ?android? woman. Hardcore fans will want to check out this bad quality YouTube clip complete with barking dog.

Westworld - the Gunslinger

Of course, Brynner was more famous for earlier roles in The Ten Commandments, the King and I, and The Magnificent Seven. But I'll always remember him as the gungslinger in black with silver eyes.