Peck began the 1950s with two westerns, the first being "The Gunfighter" (1950), directed by Henry King, who had worked with him previously on "Twelve O'Clock High". Peck plays an aging "Top Gun of the West" who is now weary of killing and wishes to retire with his alluring but pragmatic wife and his seven-year-old son, both of which he has not seen for many years. Peck and King did much photographic research about the Wild West Era, discovering that most cowboys had facial hair, "bowl" haircuts and wore beat-up clothing; Peck subsequently wore a mustache while filming. The studio's president called for re-shoots upon seeing the initial footage due to the mustache, but backed out due to costs inflated by the production manager at King and Peck's persuasion. "The Gunfighter" did fair but disappointing business at the box office, earning $5.6 million in receipts, the 47th most for 1951. 20th Century Fox's studio chief Darryl Zanuck blamed Peck's mustache for the lukewarm reaction from Peck's typical fans, stating that wanted to see usual handsome, clean-shaven Peck, not the authentic-cowboy Peck. "The Gunfighter", received "solid reviews" upon release, with particular enthusiasm from some critics, and Peck's performance "bringing him some of his best notices." "The New York Times" wrote, "..through Mr. Peck's fine performance, a fair comprehension is conveyed of the loneliness and the isolation of a man with a lurid name ... an arresting and quite exciting film." The movie has grown in critical appreciation over the years and "is now considered one of the all-time classic westerns" Critics of recent decades uniformly praise Peck's performance, with David Parkinson of "RadioTimes" saying "Peck gives a performance of characteristic dignity and grit."