The Master Gunfighter is mainly a remake of the 1969 Japanese film Goyokin, although the story revolves around a true incident in the early 1800s involving massacred Indians that occurred in the vicinity of Goleta, California.

[1] One of Laughlin's marketing stunts involved the rental of an electric sign in Times Square attacking film critics as failed writers who couldn't make it in the movie business.

"[5] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 1 star out of 4 and wrote, "'The Master Gunfighter' reminds me of a made-for-television movie: The story is forever being interrupted by messages from the sponsor.

"[6] 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.

"[7] 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.