Badman's Country
Director: Fred F. Sears
Year: 1958
Rating: 5.5
A little while back I watched nine
films in a row dealing with Wyatt Earp because there is a streak of masochism
buried deep down within me. That could explain a lot of my film choices.
I was sure I was done with Earp - enough for a lifetime - but habits are
hard to break and when I ran across two lesser-known Earp films, I could
not help myself. And this one wasn't bad at all. A solid B oater and coming
in at a civilized 68 minutes. A fine big shoot-out at the end. It is like
an All-Star Western with a bunch of legends all coming to Abilene. Earp isn't
actually the focus here - that would be Pat Garrett. He, Earp, Bat Masterson
and Buffalo Bill go up against two gangs - one led by the Sundance Kid and
the other by Butch Cassidy.
Garrett (George Montgomery) is on his way
to Abilene to get married to Lorna (Karin Booth) and move to California.
But his friend gets bushwhacked on the way and when he gets to town other
men - Sundance (Russell Johnson) - come after him. With the help of Buffalo
Bill (Malcolm Atterbury) who happens to be in town, he arrests them and tosses
them in jail. But worse is to come. The Wild Bunch headed by Butch Cassidy
(Neville Brand) are on their way with 40 men to rob the bank. Garrett sends
for Earp (Buster Crabbe) and Bat Masterson (Gregory Walcott). There is a
little High Noon with the town's folk but a nice ending. I don't expect
any of this is true other than the historical figures, but Cassidy did in
fact run a gang called The Wild Bunch with Sundance often a part of the gang.
They were famous train robbers. In 1901 Cassidy, Sundance and his girlfriend
decided to go to Argentina to escape the law. I hear they made a movie about
them. I should watch it sometime.
