The Lawless Breed

The Wild West in the post-Civil War years was synonymous with a lot of things, but maybe none more than the infamous gunslingers, gunfighters and pistoleros that roamed the country. Some are instantly recognizable like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, while others don't have that notoriety. Take John Wesley Hardin for instance, reputed to have killed more than 40 people depending on what you read. Stick with Wikipedia though for any facts because 1953's The Lawless Breed...well, it's a steaming pile of you know what.

It's the years following the Civil War in Texas and young John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson) has grown up under a strict, God-fearing father who's tried to instill his own strict beliefs in his son. Wes as he's called, he's not interested. He's worked long and hard to be fast with a six-shooter and wants nothing more than to marry his longtime crush, Jane (Mary Castle), and start working at building up a farm where he can care for and sell horses. That's his plan at least. His father's actions push him away to the point young Wes finds himself in a saloon in a card game that goes poorly quickly. A man across the table draws first, but Wes outdraws him, killing him. Witnesses say otherwise though, forcing Hardin on the run as he tries to prove his innocence. The rewards and bounties grow larger and so does the body count as Wes tries to put the killing behind him (sort of). Can he though or will his name and reputation be too much?

My timing here is interesting. I'm currently reading Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo, his sequel to one of my favorite books, Lonesome Dove. John Wesley Hardin is a supporting character in the western novel, portrayed as an unhinged killer with no qualms about shooting anyone for any reason. Then, I saw this pop up on a movie channel and thought I'd give it a try. I shouldn't have...

From director Raoul Walsh, 'Breed' is based off the autobiography Hardin wrote about his life while serving a prison sentence in the 1880s/1890s. To say it stretches the truth a little is a massive understatement. It portrays Hardin as a kid who ends up in the wrong place time and time again and has to kill people over and over again because there's just no alternative. Yuck. Gag me. It's like an anti-revisionist western, hell-bent on portraying one of the west's more dastardly killers as...well, a decent guy! The script is a mess, drifting along far too much even at just 83 minutes, and though the casting is interesting (at times), most of it falls short because that source material is just so weak. Both in character portrayal and visual look, 'Breed' is too clean, too polished and too manicured as it tries to make a killer into the unlikeliest of heroes.

A rising star by 1953, Hudson gives it a go, but this isn't great casting for John Wesley Hardin. It tries to portray him as misunderstood but the next second it shows him as a bit of a scamp, a liar and a gambler who doesn't intend to keep his promises. If we're supposed to feel sympathy for this fella, there's an epic misfire. No matter what happens, the character just keeps digging deeper and deeper, never realizing it's all his fault and that he's to blame. If you're not on our "hero's" side, then things are going to get rough before they get better.

The rest of the cast has some name recognition, but again, the script does them no favors. Julie Adams is Rosie, the saloon girl turned potentially more with Wes, representing herself fairly well with a script that has her wearing very little and leaning forward a lot seductively. I'm sure her back was bothering her, nothing sinister about being able to see down her shirt/dress/blouse. In the oddity department, John McIntire plays dual roles, one as Wes' Bible-thumping Dad and the other as his more fun-loving but hard-working uncle. The Uncle is better than the Dad, but still, it's odd to just go along with.  Also look for Dennis Weaver, Lee Van Cleef, Michael Ansara, Forrest Lewis, and Hugh O'Brian in supporting parts.

I kept waiting for something enjoyable, entertaining or interesting to come along but to no avail. By the time the framing device of Wes and his autobiography wraps up...well, it's not good. The newspaper editor looks longingly off-camera and when asked how the story ends says "I'm not sure. It's a story that hasn't ended yet." The ending itself is laughable compared to Hardin's real-life death, read about that HERE with SPOILERS obviously, to the point I actually groaned when "The End" popped up on the screen. It's a B-western, but it's a bad one with very little other than the lovely Julie Adams to recommend giving it a watch. Give it a big, old wide berth!

The Lawless Breed (1953): */****

Dangerous Mission

Having produced movies since the 1930s, RKO Pictures had to try different things to keep up with movies from other studios with more money to burn. They had to try something to keep up, giving audiences a reason to come out and see their films. Take 1954's Dangerous Mission, a generally pretty normal noir-ish film that capitalizes on some cool location shooting.

Witness to a mob killing in a night club, Louise Graham (Piper Laurie) is on the run with both mobsters and the police looking for her. She's hidden out in Glacier National Park, starting a job at a souvenir stand at one of several hotels offered to tourists. As the search intensifies -- the mob wanting to kill her, the police wanting to bring her in as a witness -- several newcomers have arrived in the park, including smooth-talking New Yorker Matt Hallett (Victor Mature), an ex-Marine. What are his intentions? Is he "visiting" to protect Louise or to kill her? Looking out for Louise's safety, Park Ranger Joe Parker (William Bendix) starts to investigate the newcomer, but keeps his eye on some others, including amiable photographer Paul Adams (Vincent Price).  Just what is everyone up to?

It doesn't take a nuclear physicist to figure what the appeal for me was in the 1954 RKO movie. The best thing going for director Louis King's film is the location shooting at Glacier National Park. Yes, I know it's not the same park, but I visited Yellowstone National Park with my family, and visually stunning doesn't begin to describe the place. The same goes for Glacier, especially a time capsule-esque look we get here to 1954 Glacier. Yes, indoor sets are clearly back in Hollywood, but we get enough of Mature, Laurie and Co. actually walking around in the park, including in and around Saint Mary Lake (I think, I could be way off). So while the budget was obviously limited and the scale kept on a smaller level, this B-movie makes the attempt to lure audiences in. It's a gimmick, but one that pays off in the end.

As long as we're throwing compliments out here, we might as well continue on. Clocking in at just 75 minutes, 'Dangerous' isn't too interested in deep back stories, any history at all. Here's the story, here's the characters, now deal with it. Of course, there's more to it than that. The opening 40 minutes is a gem because of a couple of key omissions. For one, that would be that no one is properly introduced. We never actually even see Laurie's Louise, just hear her scream upon stumbling into the murder scene. The same for Mature and Price. In a mobster scene, we see a man's arm draped in a chair -- but nothing else -- with orders to find and kill the witness as quickly as possible. Cue Mature driving into the park (packing a gun) and then the hotel where Louise works. Anyone with two working brain cells can no doubt deduce who's who, but it's another cool gimmick that went a long way. It's Clue: The RKO Film Noir Version.

And even in a small scale flick that doesn't hit the 90-minute mark, there's still some solid casting. I've always been a fan of Mature, and he looks to be enjoying himself here. Throw in Price, Laurie, and Bendix, and you've got a good mix. Also look for Betta St. John as Mary, an Indian girl and friend of Louise, Harry Cheshire as Elster, the guffawing, boozing Texan who may know more than he's letting on, and Steve Darrell as Katoonai Tiller, Mary's father who's wanted for murder. Also keep an eye out for Dennis Weaver in a bit part as a Ranger clerk.

While 'Dangerous' does have some surprising positives, there's some familiar negatives to boot. It is only 75 minutes long, but my estimation, there's probably about 45 minutes of actual story (and that might be generous). To flesh things out, we see an avalanche take out a house party, Mature's Matt getting a loose livewire under control. We get lots of goofing around and drinking and smoking, even a sighting of the dreaded love triangle as Matt and Paul battle -- in the goofy sense -- for Louise. Mature, Price and Bendix later have to put out an immense, fast-moving forest fire. It's ridiculous. They laugh and laugh, but at no point does Louise really question what's going on. She's running for her life but decides to keep a very high profile position in Glacier. Maybe......just maybe......one of these guys wants to kill her? I don't know, I could be way off base here.

And to counter balance the actual shooting on location in Glacier, we also some awfully cheap cutaways to indoor sets posing as Glacier. To say they stand out like a sore thumb is an understatement. It's pretty straightforward stuff, but I still liked it. The purpose seems to be entertainment -- however they get it done -- including a reliance on always dressing Piper Laurie in outfits that look like she's one sneeze away from popping out of her dress/shirt/skirt. Subtle it is not, but B-movies weren't meant to be. Not bad if you find a copy.

Dangerous Mission (1954): ** 1/2 /****  

The Man from the Alamo

One of the most well-known stories from the battle and siege of the Alamo is Colonel William Travis purportedly drawing a line in the sand and asking who among the defenders would stay, fight and certainly die in defense of the mission. The story -- and maybe history -- says that one man, Louis Rose, a Napoleonic War veteran, didn't cross the line and slipped away from the mission in the dead of night. Is it true? Opinions vary, but it has become part of the legend and myth of the Alamo. Having some fun with the what-if possibility that history offers, here we go with 1953's The Man from the Alamo.

Under siege by the Mexican army by General Santa Anna, the Alamo mission and garrison is in trouble. A messenger returns to the mission with the worst news possible; no reinforcements will come, leaving the defenders to fight it out themselves. He also tells of reports of raiding Mexican soldiers attacking, burning, destroying and killing Texan settlements where many defenders -- and their families -- lived. The small group decides that someone must go help protect the families, and John Stroud (Glenn Ford) draws the short stick. Leaving the garrison behind, Stroud slips out and returns home to find his family killed and house burned down. A young Mexican boy, Carlos (Marc Cavell), witnessed the attack and tells him Americans dressed as Mexicans led the attack. As he starts to track the men down though, Stroud finds out the Alamo has fallen, and a messenger from the Alamo, Lt. Lamar (Hugh O'Brian), identifies him as the coward who abandoned the mission, not knowing why he left. Can Stroud avenge his family while also clearing his name?

I like everything about the Alamo. I'll read anything, watch anything, talk about anything so for me, this 1953 B-western from director Budd Boetticher is a hidden gem. It's pretty standard stuff in terms of its western status, but instead of just telling the story of a coward who abandons his friends, it's a story of a coward from the Alamo. Using the basic premise of the famous 'Line in the Sand' speech, 'Man' runs with it. The Alamo portion of the story covers less than 20 minutes in a 79-minute movie, but it's a great bookend. The rest of the story is still interesting, playing fast and loose with the historical facts while always maintaining a high entertainment level. Stroud takes off on a journey through war-torn Texas in the Runaway Scrape, attempting to prove his innocence while taking an involvement in a wagon train trying to evade the chasing Mexican army. It's good stuff throughout, and for a sucker like me for anything even remotely Alamo-related, it's really good stuff.

Playing the titular character, Ford does a good job leading a pretty solid ensemble cast. He was always at home in the western, and he doesn't disappoint here. We don't learn a lot about him by seeing it, we simply here about it. As he leaves the Alamo, we hear from those left behind that his John "has always had bad luck." True, he won't be killed at the Alamo, but the tag of being the man that left the doomed mission will hang over him regardless of his intentions. We don't meet his family, only seeing him arrive at the charred remains of his home, Carlos having buried his own father along with John's wife and son. I liked the character a lot. He doesn't really care what others think of him because he knows the truth. Instead, he becomes obsessed with getting revenge on the men who killed his family. Not flashy for Ford, but very good, including handling many of his own stunts, including some impressive ones on horseback.

Because the story requires someone to believe Stroud is innocent -- at some point after the appropriate doubts -- Julie Adams stars as Beth, a young woman traveling with the wagon train away from the Mexican army. Oh, she's the love interest too. I know, I was stunned too. Chill Wills (who would star 7 years later in John Wayne's The Alamo) co-stars as Beth's father, a one-armed newspaper publisher, while Myra Marsh plays Beth's mother. O'Brian is a good quasi-bad guy, a Texan officer who's convinced Stroud is a coward, not knowing the entire story. Victor Jory is Jess Wade, the Texan/American working with a gang of cutthroats and killers on the Mexican's side to cause chaos, Neville Brand playing one of his thugs. Also look quickly in the opening scene for Stuart Whitman as a guard overlooking a Texan counsel.

Now for some Alamo analysis! Sure, the Alamo segment runs only about 20 minutes, but it's a worthy intro. The Alamo fortress seems to be only the fortified chapel -- nothing like the actual layout of the mission -- but it works in an odd way, giving a claustrophobic feel to the battle. Mexican cannon shells rain down on the condensed fortress, a living hell if there ever was. We meet Crockett, Bowie and Travis however briefly (even seeing Dennis Weaver as coonskin cap-wearing defender), but the focus is on the impending doom and Stroud's similarly doomed mission. I really enjoyed the intro, but I liked the whole movie a lot too. Well worth it.

Man from the Alamo (1953): ***/****

Seven Angry Men

One of the most controversial people in American history was a driven, even obsessed abolitionist who made a name for himself in the years before the Civil War, John Brown. I have always been fascinated by Brown mostly because his belief that all men should be free. The only problem was his extreme execution of these beliefs. His actions were those of an extremist, an individual who was going to get what he wanted no matter the cost. His reasoning was sound, but his actions bordered on the insane.

Complete hogwash in terms of historical accuracy, 1940's Santa Fe Trail is the only movie I can even think of that has Brown playing a major role. He played a huge role in starting the Civil War -- the bloodiest conflict in American history -- but has generally been forgotten in the pages of history books over the last 150-plus years. At the height of his popularity, actor Raymond Massey played the infamous abolitionist in a movie that while entertaining, is about as accurate as saying that the sun is green and the moon is made of cheese. It is a performance that is downright terrifying at times. Some 14 years later, once again bearing a striking resemblance to the real-life Brown, Massey reprised the role of John Brown in 1955's Seven Angry Men.

It's 1856 and brothers Owen (Jeffrey Hunter) and Oliver (Larry Pennell) are traveling to Kansas to work with their father, John Brown (Massey), in his efforts to help the territory enter the United States as a free state. Four other Brown brothers are already waiting as the family is reunited, all in hopes of making Kansas a place where slaves are illegal.  Their father, John, though is willing to do anything necessary to ensure that with the coming vote.  Sticking with his father through thick and thin -- even going against his wife, Elizabeth (Debra Paget), and her intentions -- Owen quickly realizes how obsessed the man really is. John has bigger, grander plans than just Kansas though. He has his sites set on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and the U.S. Military arsenal there where he hopes to arm an army of freed and escaped slaves.

The Civil War is one of the most interesting times in American history, but the build-up to the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil is just as interesting.  In the five years before the war, Kansas was dubbed 'Bleeding Kansas' as abolitionists fought pro-slavers over the future of the state, whether it would enter the United States as a free or slave state. Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry (read about it HERE) is similarly one of the most fascinating chapters in American history (to me at least). However miserably the raid failed, Brown's intentions are amazing when you think about it. The topic can be a touchy one (Kansas and Harpers Ferry) so it's easy to understand why movies have generally steered clear of it, but the history is incredibly interesting.

The tone of the two movies -- Santa Fe Trail and Seven Angry Men -- are basically polar opposites, but the positive you can take from both movies is Raymond Massey's acting performances as John Brown. As I mentioned earlier, he bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Brown. His acting though is so much more, bringing this obsessed, completely and blindly driven man to life. His intentions were genuine -- all men should be free regardless of color -- but his actions were deplorable, believing in an Old Testament form of justice. Making him more interesting/believable/frightening is that Brown (an ultra religious man) believes God is using him as his vessel on Earth to do what he needs to get accomplished. Scary much?

So director Charles Marquis Warren has those two great things working for him -- interesting history, more interesting historical person -- and what does he focus his story on? The budding relationship of Brown's son, Owen, his right hand man, and a fellow abolitionist, Elizabeth, who believes John's actions are despicable. Do you think there's a chance they might put their differences aside and get hitched? They talk about these problems a lot, and then share some very passionate 1950s movie kisses and some scandalous embraces. Because of that, Massey's John Brown gets pushed to the background far too often.  In the rest of the cast is Dennis Weaver, James Best, John Smith and Pennell as the brothers who actually make an impression. Also look for James Edwards as Green, a freed black man fighting with the Browns, and Leo Gordon in heavy mode as pro-slaver leader gunning for Brown.

I wanted to like this movie more than I did, but it just has so many things working against it. A B-movie or even an A-level movie on a smallish budget can overcome a lot with some basic things; avoid overacting, don't get too exaggerated, keep the music in a non-blaring mode. 'Angry' misses on all counts. Carl Brandt's score is painfully obvious, almost willing you to feel certain emotions. The love story is equally bad, and I can't decide if that's on the actors, the script or the director. Maybe worst of all is that the movie just doesn't know what it wants to say. Is John Brown a hero or a traitor? The ending has the Battle Hymn of the Republic playing over Brown's execution just minutes after vilifying the man. Which one is it? Massey is great, and the relatively forgotten history is interesting, but otherwise this one is worth passing on.

Seven Angry Men <--- TCM clips (1955): **/****        

A Man Called Sledge

After a string of successful movies throughout the 60s but still a couple years away from the success of The Rockford Files, James Garner was at a bit of a crossroads in the early 1970s. He had a failed TV show that lasted only a season and a couple of movies that have pretty much been forgotten. In other words, ripe pickings for a review because I love one of them, an odd spaghetti western from 1970 called A Man Called Sledge.

With so many spaghetti westerns, what makes them a so-called 'spaghetti' is the style, but there's also the cast, crew, locations and of course, the financial backing. 'Sledge' is a bit of a departure from that successful formula with four American actors in the lead roles and a former American TV star as the director in Vic Morrow (who also makes a quick cameo). There's nothing really dynamic or different about 'Sledge' but it's an enjoyable enough western, and it's always interesting to see a 'good guy' actor take a crack at playing a villain as Garner does here.

After a botched stagecoach robbery, Luther Sledge (Garner) and his partner, Mallory (Tony Young), head for a saloon where Sledge meets his girlfriend, Ria (Laura Antonelli), and Mallory gets involved in a high-stakes card game. Mallory is killed for supposedly cheating after an impressive winning streak so Sledge is on his own and rides out to find the rest of the gang. On the trail though, he notices someone following him and ambushes him. It's a saddle bum known only as the Old Man (John Marley), and he's got a proposition for Sledge. A prisoner in the fortress prison nearby for 20 years, the Old Man knows all about the gold shipments stored in the prison from the local mine.

Hearing that as much as $300,000 is contained in each shipment, Sledge is instantly intrigued by the news. But there's a catch; the shipments are guarded by 40 heavily armed soldiers (Morrow is the mountain man looking guard in the lead) and a wagon-mounted gatling gun. At the first site of trouble, the 40 guards close up ranks and prepare to defend the gold. Sledge and his gang will almost assuredly be killed in any attempt so what can they do? Get at the gold on an inside job, as prisoners at the prison, so they won't have to worry about the professional guards picking them off. It doesn't really matter what the plan is, Sledge is going to get this gold one way or another.

My fascination with spaghetti westerns is rooted in the fact that more often that not, these Italian westerns are incredibly cynical with no obligation to force a happy ending on the viewer. Good guys are killed all the times, these aren't the invincible gunslingers too often present in American westerns. 'Sledge' is one of the darker, more cynical Italian westerns both in terms of subject matter and the ending. Using the Treasure of the Sierra Madre company line on gold -- Greed is not good, Gordon Gecko -- Sledge's gang is ready to turn on each other at a moment's notice if it helps them get their hands on the other members' gold. This not so subtle message is there from the start when Mallory gets killed for winning too much money and continues right till the end with betrayals and double crosses coming left and right.

This all comes to a head late in a climactic card game -- it's more exciting than it sounds -- as Sledge plays the Old Man for the gold. This sequence done in slow motion and close-ups is aided by a truly awful and even more awesome song called 'Other Men's Gold,' a very 70s jazzy tune. It's as cheesy as possible, and I love it. I defy you to watch this movie and not have it running through your head for at least a couple days. The score in general, composed by Gianni Ferrio, is not the typical western soundtrack, but it completely works in the context of the story.

For many movie fans, the reason to see this flick will be Garner starring as a bad guy. Compared to the rest of his gang, he's not that bad but it's all relative. Garner usually played some version of a charming rogue so it's nice to see him tackle a straight-up villainous part. He's aided by McCloud himself Dennis Weaver and western stalwart Claude Akins as Ward and Hooker, two of Sledge's gang. Marley is probably most well known for this scene, but he's also very good here as basically the devil himself, the gold-hungry Old Man. Antonelli is given little to do as Ria, Sledge's girl, but she looks great doing it. Some recognizable faces, mostly Italian actors, round out the supporting cast.

About as different a spaghetti western as you're going to find, A Man Called Sledge is not a classic or really even that good of a movie. It's very dark in the outlook it takes on men and greed and what they'll do for some easy cash. But from the start, it's entertaining throughout including a real downer of an ending that works for the characters and the story. And come on, it's James Garner as a bad guy, and look at that mustache! He has to be a good bad guy with that epic monstrosity on his lip. An interesting spaghetti western worth checking out if you stumble across it.

A Man Called Sledge <----trailer (1970): ***/****