me of a made-for-television movie: The story is forever being interrupted by messages from the sponsor. In this case the sponsor is Billy Jack ... every so often the action grinds to a halt when Billy-as-Gunfighter delivers a sanctimonious lecture on fidelity, honor, or racial injustice. The speeches are outrageous, funny, embarrassing, and insulting by turns." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Stunningly photographed by veteran Jack A. Marta, 'The Master Gunfighter,' a splendid period re-creation, is awash with striking imagery that finds beauty even in chaos—just as in a samurai movie. Sometimes young Laughlin's pacing verges on the static, but the action sequences are excitingly staged." Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote, "You know you're in for a long, slow evening when the picture begins with a preamble of several hundred words, recited by Burgess Meredith over shots of the sun coming up. The opening sequences set a pattern of confused, incoherent action and stilted acting that is adhered to with a kind of kamikaze devotion for the duration of the movie. By the time Laughlin rides into the sunset most of the audience will be in a coma or already back home, trying to laugh off a bad investment." Time Out magazine was also critical, writing, "The film could have worked but for an excess of formula ingredients and muddled preachings. Adapted from a Japanese film, the transposition dubiously retains much samurai sword fighting and semi-Oriental costumes. Meanwhile, the over-mannered camerawork pays its dues to the Italian Western. In the resulting cultural hash, the plot with its strong anti-religious theme is too often disregarded." Filming locations Monterey, California La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, Lompoc, California Awards Nominations Golden Globes: Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture—Female, Barbara Carrera, 1976. See also List of American films of 1975 References External links 1975 Western (genre) films 1975 films American remakes of Japanese films Films directed by Tom Laughlin Films set in California Films set in the 1850s Films scored by Lalo Schifrin Films critical of religion 1970s English-language films