''Showdown at Abilene'' is a 1956 American

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referre ...

directed by

Charles F. Haas Charles Friedman Haas (November 15, 1913 – May 12, 2011) was an American film and television director. Biography Haas was born in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Harvard University. In 1935, he began his career at Universal Studios - ...

and starring

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, ''The Range Rider'' and '' Yancy Derringer''. He ...

Martha Hyer Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924 – May 31, 2014) was an American actress who played Gwen French in '' Some Came Running'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her autobiography, ''Finding My Wa ...

and

Lyle Bettger Lyle Stathem Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was an American character actor who had roles in Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the ci ...

. The film was produced and distributed by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

. In 1967 it was remade by Universal as ''

Gunfight in Abilene ''Gunfight in Abilene'' is a 1967 American Western film starring Bobby Darin in a non-singing role. It is the second film based on the short story "Gun Shy" by Clarence Upson Young, the first being ''Showdown at Abilene'' (1956), starring Jock ...

'' with

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie Fran ...

playing the lead.

Plot

Jim Trask, former sheriff of Abilene, returns to the town after fighting for the Confederacy to find e