BEST OF THE BADMEN - 1951
An action packed RKO western with a top flight cast that seems to just miss the mark. The cast includes, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Robert Preston, Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Cabot, Jack Buetel and Barton MacLane.
Bruce Cabot is the leader of a group of Confederate troops who refuse to surrender after the war ends. The men were part of Quantrill's Raiders and there is still a reward out for their capture. Robert Ryan is the Union officer in charge of tracking the Confederates down. This he does, and brings the group in. After they swear allegiance to the Union, they are released.
This does not sit well with Jayhawker, Robert Preston. He runs a large detective agency and wants to hang the men for actions they took while with Quantrill. This quickly leads to trouble as Preston's men arrest the just released from Army service, Ryan. He is given a jumped up trial and sentenced to death. It is only the help of Preston's estranged wife, Claire Trevor that allows Ryan to escape.
Ryan soon hooks up with the Ex-Confederates, and starts a war against Preston and his detective agency. They hit every bank and stage line that hires Preston's men as guards etc.
Plenty of gunfights and chases abound throughout the film, but it really seems to go nowhere. As much as I like Robert Ryan, and I do, I think someone like Randolph Scott would have been better in the role.
Bruce Cabot as the Confederate leader and Lawrence Tierney as Jesse James, are both seriously underused, while Claire Trevor seems to be just window dressing. Robert Preston is good in his bit as the carpetbagger lawman, as is the always reliable, Walter Brennan.
Not by any means is this a bad film, but it could have been better with a firmer hand at the controls.
This was the last feature film from director, William D. Russell who moved to television the next year. The d of p was Edward Cronjager. His work includes several decent westerns and film-noir. These include, CIMARRON, WESTERN UNION, I WAKE UP SCREAMING, CANYON PASSAGE, DESERT FURY, RELENTLESS, THE CAPTURE and POWDER RIVER.
An action packed RKO western with a top flight cast that seems to just miss the mark. The cast includes, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Robert Preston, Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Cabot, Jack Buetel and Barton MacLane.
Bruce Cabot is the leader of a group of Confederate troops who refuse to surrender after the war ends. The men were part of Quantrill's Raiders and there is still a reward out for their capture. Robert Ryan is the Union officer in charge of tracking the Confederates down. This he does, and brings the group in. After they swear allegiance to the Union, they are released.
This does not sit well with Jayhawker, Robert Preston. He runs a large detective agency and wants to hang the men for actions they took while with Quantrill. This quickly leads to trouble as Preston's men arrest the just released from Army service, Ryan. He is given a jumped up trial and sentenced to death. It is only the help of Preston's estranged wife, Claire Trevor that allows Ryan to escape.
Ryan soon hooks up with the Ex-Confederates, and starts a war against Preston and his detective agency. They hit every bank and stage line that hires Preston's men as guards etc.
Plenty of gunfights and chases abound throughout the film, but it really seems to go nowhere. As much as I like Robert Ryan, and I do, I think someone like Randolph Scott would have been better in the role.
Bruce Cabot as the Confederate leader and Lawrence Tierney as Jesse James, are both seriously underused, while Claire Trevor seems to be just window dressing. Robert Preston is good in his bit as the carpetbagger lawman, as is the always reliable, Walter Brennan.
Not by any means is this a bad film, but it could have been better with a firmer hand at the controls.
This was the last feature film from director, William D. Russell who moved to television the next year. The d of p was Edward Cronjager. His work includes several decent westerns and film-noir. These include, CIMARRON, WESTERN UNION, I WAKE UP SCREAMING, CANYON PASSAGE, DESERT FURY, RELENTLESS, THE CAPTURE and POWDER RIVER.