The Fastest Guitar Alive
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| The Fastest Guitar Alive | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster by Frank Frazetta | |
| Directed by | Michael D. Moore |
| Written by | Robert E. Kent |
| Produced by | Sam Katzman |
| Starring | Roy Orbison Sammy Jackson Maggie Pierce |
| Cinematography | W. Wallace Kelley |
| Edited by | Ben Lewis |
| Music by | Roy Orbison Bill Dees Fred Karger |
| Color process | Metrocolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Fastest Guitar Alive is a 1967 American musical comedy Western film, directed by Michael D. Moore with singer Roy Orbison in his only starring role as an actor.
The film features Orbison performing seven original songs, which appeared on his 1967 MGM album of the same name. His song "There Won't Be Many Coming Home" is featured in the 2015 western film The Hateful Eight.
Plot[edit]
Near the end of the American Civil War, a Southern spy (Orbison) with a bullet-shooting guitar is given the task of robbing gold bullion from the United States Mint in San Francisco to help finance the ill-fated Confederacy's last-ditch war effort.
Cast[edit]
- Roy Orbison as Johnny Banner
- Sammy Jackson as Steve Menlo
- Maggie Pierce as Flo Chesnut
- Joan Freeman as Sue Chesnut
- Lyle Bettger as Charlie
- John Doucette as Marshal Max Cooper
- Patricia Donahue as Stella DeWitt
- Ben Cooper as Deputy Rink
- Ben Lessy as Indian Chief
- Douglas Kennedy as Sheriff Joe Stedman
- Iron Eyes Cody as First Indian
- Sam the Sham as First Expressman
Production and release[edit]
Filming began September 1966.[1] Although Orbison was pleased with the film, it proved to be a critical and box office flop. While MGM had included five films in his contract, no more were made.[2][3]
Soundtrack[edit]
| The Fastest Guitar Alive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | June 1967 | |||
| Recorded | August 9 – December 22, 1966 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 22:27 | |||
| Label | MGM (E 4475) | |||
| Producer | Wesley Rose & Jim Vienneau | |||
| Roy Orbison chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
The Fastest Guitar Alive is the soundtrack for the 1967 film of the same name – and Orbison's eleventh studio album – released in June 1967 on MGM Records. It was the only album to consist entirely of Roy Orbison/Bill Dees originals. Its single "There Won't Be Many Coming Home" reached #18 in the UK and entered the Australian chart at its highest position of #32 before slipping down the chart.
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whirlwind" | 2:10 |
| 2. | "Medicine Man, Medicine Man" | 2:43 |
| 3. | "River" | 3:02 |
| 4. | "The Fastest Guitar Alive" | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Rollin' On" | 2:15 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pistolero" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Good Time Party" | 2:23 |
| 3. | "Heading South" | 2:45 |
| 4. | "Best Friend" | 2:38 |
| 5. | "There Won't Be Many Coming Home" | 2:46 |
The track "Rollin' On" was covered on the Prague Radio Dance Orchestra album Famous Western Film Melodies.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- The Fastest Guitar Alive at IMDb
- The Fastest Alive at AllMovie
- The Fastest Guitar Alive Virtual Museum Archived 2007-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
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