Rock Hudson made his starring debut in Raoul Walsh's western saga "The Lawless Breed" about the life of notorious gunman John Wesley Hardin. "Circus World" Bernard Gordon penned the screenplay ostensibly based on Hardin's autobiography. Hudson delivers a robust performance, even to the point of playing Hardin as an older man. Nevertheless, not even a veteran director like Walsh who knew his way around oaters could do much for this solemn, rather dreary affair about the evils of lawlessness. The supporting cast is good, especially John McIntire who plays a duo role, and Julia Adams plays Hardin's dancehall girl wife. Glenn Strange, Hugh O'Brien, and Lee Van Cleef are a devilish trio that dog Hardin for the first half-hour until things settle down. The second half deals with Hardin being imprisoned for his crimes.
"The Lawless Breed" opens at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, as an older, but wiser John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson of "Bend of the River") leaves jail Sentenced to 25 years, Hardin has been paroled after 16 years. Before he climbs aboard a train to take him back to Alabama and his horse breeding ranch, Hardin stops off at the local newspaper office. He gives the editor a copy of his handwritten autobiography and asks him to read it and get back to him. Consequently, "The Lawless Breed" reverts from a chronological sequence of events to a flashback and remains that way for most of its 83 minutes.
During the first half, we learn that John Wesley is a reckless boy who doesn't get along with his preacher of a father that loves to wield a bullwhip on his son. Wes Hardin's father was a preacher and a circuit rider. According to Wes, his father "was a strong, God-fearing man who carried his Bible like a six-gun and fought with the devil wherever he found him." When his intolerant father discovers that his son has purchased a revolver from his winnings at poker, he whips him and then storms out of the barn. An orphan who lost her family during the Civil War, Jane Brown (Mary Castle) has been living with the Hardins and cooking for them. Wes and she grew up together and he calls her as "the prettiest girl in Texas." Wes promises Jane that he wants to get a place of their own with green grass, water that runs all year around and a white painted house.
Later that evening, after curfew, Wes rides into Bonham to sell his law books after his father has given him a whipping. He sits in on a card game with three fellows, among them Gus Hanley, and beats them. Gus objects that he didn't deal him a certain card. Gus (Michael Ansara of "Soldiers Three") pulls his pistol, but Wes beats him on the draw and kills him. Holding the shotgun-toting barkeeper at bay, Wes exits with his winnings. No sooner does he leave the saloon than he runs into trouble from the army of occupation. The Yankee troops try to corner him in town, but he eludes them. Gus' three brothers, Ben (Glenn Stranger of "House of Frankenstein"), Ike (Hugh O'Brien of "Red Ball Express"), and Dirk (Lee Van Cleef of "High Noon") show up to claim Gus' corpse. The U.S. Army vows to bring John Wesley to trial. Dirk steps forward and warns the army officer. "Mister, you ain't going' to need no witnesses," Dirk stipulates," 'cause there ain't going to be no trial." After he escapes from Bonham, Wes rides out to his Uncle John's ranch. John Clements is half brother to John Wesley's father. Wes joins Clements and his sons Jim (Dennis Weaver of "Gunsmoke") and Joe (Richard Garland) on a cattle drive to Abilene. The Hanleys Brothers trail Wes to Abilene and Wes kills Dirk in a gunfight. Walsh stages this brief shoot-out in a way bolsters the drama because the wind is blowing hard and objects attached to the surrounding buildings are making a lot of noise. Afterward, Wes resumes gambling in the saloon while he awaits the completion of a wedding dress for Jane. Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Anderson of "High School Hellcats") gets the drop on Wes, but Wes outfoxes the legendary lawman and Hickok allows him to stay in town for an hour.
An hour later, Wes pulls out and returns to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to elope with Wes because she has promised Wes' father that he will marry them. Wes' father refuses to marry them until Wes is cleared of killing the Hanleys. The Army is pulling out and J.C. Hardin calls on a judge to clear things up. Wes agrees to turn himself in, but Ike prods a lawman, Sheriff Charlie Webb (George Eldredge of "Dead Reckoning"), into arresting Wes. When Wes resists arrest, Webb shoots him in the back. Wes kills him and Ike Hanley and heads back to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to have anything to do with Wes because he is a killer. The posse shows up at the Hardin ranch. The wounded Wes manages to escape but one of the posse kills Jane by accident. Hardin and his new girlfriend settle in Alabama under assumed names and live peacefully until certain Texans decide that Hardin must be found at any cost and incarcerated. Hardin receives a 25-year sentence, but the governor releases him after 16 years.
Presumably, Universal Studios didn't give "The Lawless Breed" a big budget because there are no major set-pieces. The narrative plays out in saloons, ranches, and on the trail, but there aren't any sprawling scenes of carnage, etc. Formulaic pretty much summarizes the narrative. John Wesley is presented as a man wronged for a murder that he did not commit. His youthful vigor got him into later trouble and somebody in his life important to him died when a posse attacked his home.
"The Lawless Breed" opens at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, as an older, but wiser John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson of "Bend of the River") leaves jail Sentenced to 25 years, Hardin has been paroled after 16 years. Before he climbs aboard a train to take him back to Alabama and his horse breeding ranch, Hardin stops off at the local newspaper office. He gives the editor a copy of his handwritten autobiography and asks him to read it and get back to him. Consequently, "The Lawless Breed" reverts from a chronological sequence of events to a flashback and remains that way for most of its 83 minutes.
During the first half, we learn that John Wesley is a reckless boy who doesn't get along with his preacher of a father that loves to wield a bullwhip on his son. Wes Hardin's father was a preacher and a circuit rider. According to Wes, his father "was a strong, God-fearing man who carried his Bible like a six-gun and fought with the devil wherever he found him." When his intolerant father discovers that his son has purchased a revolver from his winnings at poker, he whips him and then storms out of the barn. An orphan who lost her family during the Civil War, Jane Brown (Mary Castle) has been living with the Hardins and cooking for them. Wes and she grew up together and he calls her as "the prettiest girl in Texas." Wes promises Jane that he wants to get a place of their own with green grass, water that runs all year around and a white painted house.
Later that evening, after curfew, Wes rides into Bonham to sell his law books after his father has given him a whipping. He sits in on a card game with three fellows, among them Gus Hanley, and beats them. Gus objects that he didn't deal him a certain card. Gus (Michael Ansara of "Soldiers Three") pulls his pistol, but Wes beats him on the draw and kills him. Holding the shotgun-toting barkeeper at bay, Wes exits with his winnings. No sooner does he leave the saloon than he runs into trouble from the army of occupation. The Yankee troops try to corner him in town, but he eludes them. Gus' three brothers, Ben (Glenn Stranger of "House of Frankenstein"), Ike (Hugh O'Brien of "Red Ball Express"), and Dirk (Lee Van Cleef of "High Noon") show up to claim Gus' corpse. The U.S. Army vows to bring John Wesley to trial. Dirk steps forward and warns the army officer. "Mister, you ain't going' to need no witnesses," Dirk stipulates," 'cause there ain't going to be no trial." After he escapes from Bonham, Wes rides out to his Uncle John's ranch. John Clements is half brother to John Wesley's father. Wes joins Clements and his sons Jim (Dennis Weaver of "Gunsmoke") and Joe (Richard Garland) on a cattle drive to Abilene. The Hanleys Brothers trail Wes to Abilene and Wes kills Dirk in a gunfight. Walsh stages this brief shoot-out in a way bolsters the drama because the wind is blowing hard and objects attached to the surrounding buildings are making a lot of noise. Afterward, Wes resumes gambling in the saloon while he awaits the completion of a wedding dress for Jane. Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Anderson of "High School Hellcats") gets the drop on Wes, but Wes outfoxes the legendary lawman and Hickok allows him to stay in town for an hour.
An hour later, Wes pulls out and returns to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to elope with Wes because she has promised Wes' father that he will marry them. Wes' father refuses to marry them until Wes is cleared of killing the Hanleys. The Army is pulling out and J.C. Hardin calls on a judge to clear things up. Wes agrees to turn himself in, but Ike prods a lawman, Sheriff Charlie Webb (George Eldredge of "Dead Reckoning"), into arresting Wes. When Wes resists arrest, Webb shoots him in the back. Wes kills him and Ike Hanley and heads back to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to have anything to do with Wes because he is a killer. The posse shows up at the Hardin ranch. The wounded Wes manages to escape but one of the posse kills Jane by accident. Hardin and his new girlfriend settle in Alabama under assumed names and live peacefully until certain Texans decide that Hardin must be found at any cost and incarcerated. Hardin receives a 25-year sentence, but the governor releases him after 16 years.
Presumably, Universal Studios didn't give "The Lawless Breed" a big budget because there are no major set-pieces. The narrative plays out in saloons, ranches, and on the trail, but there aren't any sprawling scenes of carnage, etc. Formulaic pretty much summarizes the narrative. John Wesley is presented as a man wronged for a murder that he did not commit. His youthful vigor got him into later trouble and somebody in his life important to him died when a posse attacked his home.