Day of the Bad Man (1958) User Reviews

High Noon off daylight savings time!

[MagicStarfire · 7/10 · 11 January 2007]

At 11 o'clock Judge Jim Scott has to hand down a sentence on Rudy Hayes, a man being held in the town jail on the charge of murder-- having been found guilty by a jury of his peers.

It looks to be a tough job for Judge Scott, played by Fred MacMurray with his pants tucked almost under his armpits. The job gets made tougher when four members of the Hayes family ride into town and begin threatening everyone in sight.

As if that isn't enough for Judge Scott to contend with, his best girl Myra, whom he has been dating for six years, is involved in an affair behind his back with the young sheriff of the town.

There are fistfights aplenty along with plenty of gunfire and quite a few character revelations as the story proceeds.

I thought it was a better than the average western. Although it does end somewhat abruptly, there are no major loose ends left hanging.

7 stars

Entertaining "High Noon" Like Western

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 13 February 2003]

"Day of the Bad Man" was one of a series of westerns made by Fred MacMurray in the 50s just prior to his embarking upon a series of Disney films and his long running TV series "My Three Sons". The comparisons to "High Noon" (1952) will be inevitable.

Convicted killer Rudy Hayes (Christopher Dark) languishes in jail awaiting sentencing for murder. Into town ride his two sweaty and unshaven brothers Charlie (Robert Middleton) and Howie (Skip Homier). They hook up with Rudy's girl friend Cora (Marie Windsor)and Hayes cousins Jake (Lee Van Cleef) and Monte (Chris Alcaide). Opposing them are square jawed righteous Judge Jim Scott (MacMurray) and the pompous Sheriff Wiley (John Ericson).

A sub-plot involves a love triangle consisting of Scott, Wiley and the lovely Myra Owens (Joan Weldon).

The Hayes try to intimidate the towns folk into pressuring the Judge to impose a lighter sentence of banishment rather than hanging on Rudy. Of course MacMurray will not be intimidated and does the right thing according to law. This ultimately leads to the inevitable showdown with MacMurray forced to face the baddies alone. (Sound familiar?).

MacMurray is stern faced and serious as the Judge. Middleton is excellent as the sneering chief villain, a part he perfected. Homier does his hot-headed kid routine yet again. Van Cleef has little to do except sneer. Weldon plays the virginal good girl in typical 50s one dimensional style. Windsor almost steals the film as bad girl Cora.

Rounding out the cast are Universal's usual cast of familiar faces. Edgar Buchanan plays Sam, MacMurray's friend and ally, Don Haggerty, the Deputy Sheriff, and Robert Foulk, Ann Doran, Eduard Franz, Eddy Waller, I. Stanford Jolley, Kenneth MacDonald, Hank Patterson and Tom London as various towns folk. And watch for a very young Paul Peterson as one of the kids on the street.

An average western saved by its superior cast.

Another Solid, Reliable, Fred MacMurray Western Drama from the 1950s

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 30 July 2007]

"Day of the Bad Man" opens with two rough-looking gunhands, Charlie Hayes (Robert Middleton of "The Law and Jake Wade") and his hot-headed brother Howie (Skip Homeier of "Tomorrow the World") riding past a hangman's gallows and into a quiet dusty western town in the early morning hours. They spot Cora Johnson (Marie Windsor of "Two Gun Lady") in blue jeans near a tent behind the town buildings and inquire her about their brother Rudy (Christopher Dark of "Johnny Concho") who has been on trial for the murder of a local rancher. Initially, Howie thought that they'd be late getting into town, but Cora advises them that the judge won't pass sentence on Rudy until 11 AM.

Meanwhile, the judge, Judge James Edward Scott (Fred MacMurray of "Double Indemnity"), pretty much already knows that he is going to sentence Rudy to swing, and everybody in town supports him to the hilt . . . that is . . . until the Hayes brothers start bullying citizens on the jury about their guilty verdict and what Rudy's punishment is going to be. In fact, Scott doesn't have his mind much on the sentence that he intends to pass because he is concerned with matters closer to his heart. After six years of riding the circuit as a judge, Scott is looking forward to settling down with the girl of his dreams, Myra Owens (Joan Weldon of "Them"), and he plans to surprise her with a proposal of marriage. Moreover, Scott has bought a little ranch himself that he intends to call home and has his longtime friend Sam Wyckoff (Edgar Buchanan of "Shane") clearing the spread up before he brings Myra out to see it. Little does Scott know the trouble that is brewing in town and even worse that his ladylove is in love with the local lawman, strapping young Sheriff Barney Wiley (John Ericson of "Bad Day at Black Rock") who looks a lot tougher than he is smarter. Scott learns about the Charlie and Howie and sends Wiley to disarm them, but they get the better of the lawman. Incredibly, these villains don't kill him when they have the chance. They get the drop on Wiley when another brother, Jack Hayes (Lee Van Cleef of "The Big Gundown"), enters town and hooks up with them. Cora warns Scott about the unsavory Hayes brothers and what they may do to her since she feels responsible for Rudy ending up in jail.

By the time that Scott gets around to sentencing Rudy, the entire town has changed their collective minds about the Rudy's fate, even the widow Mrs. Marv Quary (Peggy Converse of "The Accidental Tourist"), and they want Scott to banish Rudy. Meantime, Wiley has begun to show his true color—yellow—because he fears that the Hayes will single him out from everybody else because he has to escort Rudy to the gallows. Furthermore, Mrs. Quary holds Wiley responsible for the murder of his husband because he didn't keep Rudy from gunning his late spouse. Matters have grown a bit more complicated for Scott when Myra confesses to him her deep love for Wiley. Of course, Scott is understandably upset and isn't too friendly toward Wiley after this revelation. Nevertheless, he is willing to support Wiley as long as the upstart young sheriff will perform his duties. At one point, Wiley balks and Sam threatens to spread the word that he is yellow. At the sentencing both the townspeople and the Hayes brothers hold their collective breaths in dread anticipation of the verdict. Scott pulls a fast one that serves justice, but at the same time forces him into a deadly gunfight with the Hayes brothers.

"Day of the Bad Man" qualifies as a traditional 1950's western in the vein of "High Noon." Indeed, both of these westerns as well as a number of others produced during the Eisenhower years relied on a time deadline to drive the drama in the plot. In fact, scenarist Lawrence Roman of "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" as well as "McQ" derived his screenplay from John W. Cunningham's story. Previously, Cunningham had written a western novella for The Saturday Evening Post magazine called "The Tin Star," no relation to the Henry Fonda western, that producer Stanley Kramer bought the rights to because the original "High Noon" script seemed close enough to warrant a lawsuit. Nevertheless, "Day of the Bad Man" is nothing like "High Noon" aside from the time element. Judge Scott never flinches from his duty and his showdown with the Hayes brothers at the finale when they corner him in a cross-fire in his burning house. Predictably, Myra changes her mind about Wiley, but she never wields a six-shooter and comes to Scott's rescue. Although it doesn't top the Gary Cooper classic, this solid, entertaining, and somewhat dour Fred MacMurray western is still entrancing enough to watch. There is drama to spare in Roman's script and the Hayes brothers operate just at the edge of crime in their efforts to change the minds of the townspeople about the fate of their worthless brother.

Veteran western director Harry Keller, who had helmed his share of oaters before "Day of the Bad Man" and later went on to edit blockbusters like "Stripes" and "Stir Crazy," handles the drama, the gunplay, and the fistfights, with competent assurance in this neat little 82-minute horse opera. The fistfight between the Hayes brothers and Sheriff Wiley looks pretty tough even for a 1950's western, and Keller keeps the suspense and tension brewing until the bang-up finale. Mind you, this isn't a John Ford or Howard Hawks masterpiece, but "Day of the Bad Man" has more than enough going for it if you enjoy westerns and how Roman manipulates the staple plot elements of westerns to craft this example. MacMurray himself is ideally cast as the highly moral judge who refuses to shirk his duty.

An intelligent and brooding Western with a great main and support cast giving awesome interpretations

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 7 March 2019]

Decent and though-provoking Western with a magnificent Fred MacMurray and a splendid plethora of secondaries . An intelligent , adult and impressively tense Western based on a story by John Cunningham and screenplay by Lawrence Roman . A top-notch cast under superb direction by Harry Keller makes this movie notable in every aspect ,being shot on Universal International Pictures scenarios and locations that serve to increase the mood of claustrophobic tension .This Acceptable , Simple , Powerful , Enjoyable picture tells the story of a valiant judge : Jim Scott (Fred MacMurray) who attempts to settle down for a peaceful existence ; however at the noisy town he must fight and standing against impossible odds , as he has to confront the vengeful , vicious Hayes clan (Robert Middleton, Skip Homeier , Lee Van Cleef) who amble into town on the day . As the upright judge who seems unconcerned against threats is expected to sentence killer Rudy Hayes to hang . Things go wrong when the judge to be aware the sheriff (John Ericson) , Scott's chief ally, is also the secret lover of Scott's girlfriend (Joan Weldon) . Meanwhile , Hayes Brothers make an explicit death menace against him .The story of a man who was too proud to run . When these hands point straight up...the excitement starts! . He turned killer...for one day . Violence...Temptation...Treachery...were the only laws they obeyed!

A Tense and Suspenseful Western with a simple story that engages the viewer until the last scene . The film packs thrills , psychological drama , action , crossfire , loving triangle , and being enough entertaining . It's a medium budget film with acceptable actors , technicians , functional production values and pleasing results . Pretty good and pleasant traditional Western with professional direction and flawlessly acted by Fred MacMurray who steals the show as a peaceful judge who learns that he has become a tough fighter . A Hollywood production full of interesting characters , shootouts and intense drama .This ¨Day of the badman¨not the best Western ever,...but pretty darn close . It is a brilliant studio of a mob mentality in ¨Fred Zinneman's High Noon¨ -the Prototype for a Hundred Westerns- style with strong individual characterizations , and paced in psychological tendry . As the desolation and bleakness of this town stands in contrast to the heroism starred by the brave judge .But for all the obviousness of its meaning , including a simplistically liberal message , which once made it seem a landmark in the adult Western , the picture is really intriguing , not merely because Harry Keller's tersely economic narration of his material , but because Universal Pictures made a decission to cut budget and reducing locations .This acceptable and passable western is plenty of suspense as the dreaded trial approaches and the protagonist realizes he must stand alone but his fellow town people for help , nobody is willing to help him , as the townsfolk start wondering how much bloodshed one hanging is worth . The narration is perfectly adjusted , from the beginning , until the final showdown and being approximately developed in Runtime 81 min . Director managed to create a nice work of art with fine acting , appropriate scenarios , and attractive plot . It provides wonderful sociological lessons that are timeless and transcend the genre. Bursting with appealing , top-drawer characters, including decent filmmaking and interpretation . The confrontation results to be tense , charged and riveting . Fred MacMurray makes a Pretty Good Judge named Jim Scott , he doesn't wear a gun who must contend with the vicious relatives of a murderer he's about to sentence. This is one of a clutch of acceptable horse operas Fred made in the forties , in the late 50s and the early sixties , such as ¨Texas Rangers¨, ¨The trail of the lonesome Pine¨, ¨A gun for a coward¨, ¨Good day for a hanging¨ and this ¨At gunpoint¨. Although MacMurray also played other genres as drama , adventures , wartime , children films , such as : The happiest millionaire , The shaggy dog , Son of Flubber , The absent-minded profesor , The princess come across , The Caine mutiny , Dive bomber , Above suspicion , Murder he says , The miracle of the bells , Alice Adams , The apartment , and Noir film as the classy : Double indemnity . MacMurray is accompanied by the beautiful Joan Weldon as his unfaithful fiancee. And a very good and large support cast , such as :John Ericson , Robert Middleton , Marie Windsor , Edgar Buchanan , Eduard Franz , Skip Homeier , Don Haggerty , Ann Doran and the always great Lee Van Cleef .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Harry Keller . Harry worked at Republic Pictures , specializing in westerns , where he shot a lot , such as : Phantom Stallion ,Red River Shore ,Paso Stampede , Bandits of the West , Savage Frontier , Marshal of Cedar Rock , Thundering Caravans , Black Hills Ambush , Rose Cimarron , Fort Dodge , Stampede , Desert of lost men , Tarnished and most of them starred by Allan Lane and Rex Allen . When that studio folded he went to Universal, directing westerns again : Quantez , Gundown at Sandoval , 6 Black Horses , interspersed with some dramas/thrillers : Step Down to Terror , Man Afraid , Voice in the mirror , Female Animal , comedies : Tammy and the Doctor and war pictures : In Enemy Country. In the late 1960s he stopped directing films and started producing them, although he did keep his hand in directing TV shows. Keller gained some degree of fame as the director called in by Universal to reshoot scenes from Orson Welles' masterpiece Touch of evil (1958), and by most accounts -including Welles'- matched Welles' style quite well . Rating . 6.5/10 . Better than average western . Well worth watching

Just a little thing to add.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 23 January 2011]

First, I am so lucky to have caught this film in a letterboxed - wide screen - edition, even dubbed in french. Second, I have nothing to add to the other comments - why always repeat the same things the other users did so good ? - except just one little detail. The sequence where the bad guys lead by Robert Middleton enter the grocery store to terrorize the owner, and just after they have got from him what they want to, so just after they have succeeded in their nasty job, Robert Middleton takes a candy placed on the shop counter and - incredible - takes two coins from his pocket to pay the candies. After he nearly killed the poor shopkeeper, he pays him the candy. I found that absolutely fantastic. I don't know how to say it properly. That's the kind of things that are so rare to see. And I think that's the real expression of power. You may really hurt someone, kill him, destroy every thing in or around him, but you can STILL stay somewhere noble, generous, even if you are besides a real S.O.B. An authentic bastard.

I love seeing, catching such tiny details.

Adequate oater bolstered by superior acting and script

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 14 August 2021]

Prior to sentencing a murderer to the gallows, the judge, the sheriff, and the townsfolk, find themselves being intimidated by the killer's violent family. Putting asides comparisons with the similarly themed (and superior) 'High Noon' (1952), 'Day of the Bad Man' is a reasonably good western and the issue of threat to 'justice' rather than to single man makes it somewhat deeper than the Gary Cooper classic. Fred MacMurray is quite good as Judge Jim Scott (although the earnest hero who 'reluctantly straps on the gun again' had become a bit of a cliché by the late 1950s). As patriarch of the Hayes clan, a vicious family of black-hats willing to commit any violence to save one of their own from the gallows, Robert Middleton is suitably menacing as are son Howie (Skip Homeier) and cousin Jake (squinty-eyed great Lee van Cleef). Edgar Buchannan (Petticoat Junction's Uncle Joe) is along on side-kick duty and John Ericson plays the 'all show, no substance' sheriff. The storyline is predictable, with only a lazily-handled 'lover's triangle', which puts the judge and the sheriff at odds, adding any novelty to the plot. The ending seems to draw criticism as being contrived, implausible, and serving only to set up the final confrontation but I suspect that Judge Scott's actions are part of a deliberate plan to end the story 'then and there', with either his death or the deaths of the Hayes crew, to avoid the lifelong fear of revenge on himself or on the craven townies. The cinematography is great, notably the opening shot of the noose and the approaching riders.

High Noon adjacent

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 14 June 2020]

There is excitement in town as murderer Rudy Hayes is expected to be sentenced to hang by Judge Jim Scott (Fred MacMurray). The problem is that the violent Hayes family is coming to town. The oldest Hayes, Charlie, and young hothead Howie threaten Jim. Jake Hayes (Lee Van Cleef) arrives in town and then Monte Hayes. The threat of violence soon has the town cowering including new Sheriff Barney Wiley. The other problem is that Jim's girlfriend Myra Owens has been secretly dating the sheriff.

Sure, it's a lot like High Noon but that can't be the be all and end all. There are some differences. In many ways, this feels more real. It's not as iconic or treated as allegory. It's not about simplified morality. It's also not filmed that well. Harry Keller is more of a TV and western director. Nevertheless, there is a reality to the situation. Charlie's casual threats come off very threatening. The fear feels real. The widow's turn is the cherry on top. That was a surprise and a great turn. Jim Scott is a man of principles until he is faced with a personal betrayal. He has his inner struggle that isn't about his duty. One thing this doesn't have is the iconic walk. It's just as well since most people would claim that it's been copied from High Noon. The ending is not as clean. Myra is problematic and the only way to salvage her would be picking up a gun to save Jim. I have some issues with the action but I still love the mounting pressure from the villains throughout the movie. There is good tension overall.

Upholding law and order

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 26 January 2021]

The parallels between Day Of The Badman and High Noon are way too obvious to be ignored. However one big important distinct difference is there. Gary Cooper was the former marshal of Hadleyburg and had no responsibilities. Coop comes back to answer a personal challenge from the four outlaws on their way to deal with him.

Fred MacMurray is a judge and a guilty verdict has been rendered on Christopher Dark and the usual punishment is hanging. But a whole mess of his swaggering relatives led by Robert Middleton have come to town and so intimidate the citizenry. Individually and collectively thy appeal to MacMurray for a lesser sentence.

Go throughout the cast and you'll see equivalent roles for the various characters in High Noon. One additional role is that of Marie Windsor who is her usual vicious vixen and girlfriend of Dark.

Even the widow of the man Dark killed, Peggy Converse is intimidated enough to change her mind and plead for a lesser sentence. John Ericson stands out as the sheriff ho hasn't got the character for the job.

In the late 50s Fred MacMurray made a series of westerns and he does well as the upright judge. Remember he's not a gunman like Cooper and in a sense that makes him braver than Coop. Day Of The Badman is clearly the best of MacMurray's late 50s westerns.

In the end he even has one more friend than Coop did.

Not bad but you should watch "High Noon" first.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 14 December 2015]

"Day of the Badman" is a decent film and it stars Fred MacMurray...which isn't bad. But it's also a completely unnecessary film as the plot is essentially a reworking of "High Noon"....so why not just watch "High Noon"?!

When the film begins, you learn that a man was convicted of murder and is awaiting sentencing. However, his family comes to town and begins an intimidation program aimed at getting the guy only a slap on the wrist instead of a proper hanging. Over time, the good townsfolk turn out to be yellow and would rather let the killer go than face the wrath of his scum-bag kin. The only one standing in the way is the Judge (MacMurray).

The only real difference between this and "High Noon" is the subplot about the Judge's girl making time with the Sheriff. This clearly isn't enough reason to merit making the film but is mildly interesting. Competently made but lacking originality.

Watchable western drama

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 17 March 2021]

Another good MacMurray western, which, like At Gunpoint, follows the town dilemma storyline in the High-noonish tradition ( though it's not an absolute copy of High Noon; it stands on its own legs), and the dilemma is the threat the citizens are receiving from the outlaw gang headed by Robert Middleton. They want the jury and the judge to banish their imprisoned outlaw brethren instead of hanging him. The town folk eventually pressure Judge MacMurray to banish the killer, however, the judge is a strict, stubborn type and he doesn't give in easily. Steadily-paced western with some menacing villainy in the form of hothead Skip Homier and Lee Van Cleef. MacMurray is really excellent as the judge, who soon learns that the woman he loves has set her cap for another man ( the sheriff). Good western with a rousing climax.

Good dialogue, a great cast, and a silly plot

[counterrevolutionary · 5/10 · 28 December 2007]

Everybody's mentioned the *High Noon* ripoff, but the silly ending is even worse.

Once he has the bad guys disarmed, why doesn't he just toss them in jail? They've committed multiple felonies, including assaulting a federal judge. Letting them go is a ludicrous decision which makes sense only as a movie contrivance.

Then, why does he immediately go back to his house? He has to figure they'll come after him, since he's been so dumb as to let them go. Is he offering himself up as bait, hoping they'll come after him so he can kill them? Well, it's a good thing they don't sneak up and shoot him through the windows at close range. Again, he does it only because it's necessary to set up the final gunfight, not because it makes any kind of sense.

And then they have MacMurray kill Robert Middleton off camera, which is apparently an attempt to gin up suspense (which one will walk out of the house?), but the actual result is an anti-climax, because we know it will be MacMurray. They go to such ridiculous lengths to set up the final showdown and then they don't even show it? Idiocy! In fact, writing this has made me realize just how stupid it was. I'm going to lower my rating from 6 to 5.

Above average homage to High Noon

[hnt_dnl · 8/10 · 11 June 2022]

DAY OF THE BADMAN (1958) is a taut, intriguing, atypical Western shoot-em-up that "borrows" heavily from it's more acclaimed and iconic predecessor High Noon. In this film, much like High Noon, a high ranking town figure is threatened by 4 villains who aim to kill him for revenge as the town refuses to help. In this case, the 4 bad guys are the brothers of a prisoner that was convicted of murder and the judge is going to sentence to death. Also, there is a love interest for the hero with a twist. In High Noon the hero was a Sheriff, but in this case, the protagonist is a judge played exceptionally well by the reliable Fred MacMurray, who is most famously known for his work as the father on the hit 60s TV series My Three Sons as well as having been in a couple of highly revered film classics Double Indemnity and The Caine Mutiny. MacMurray had a very effective, no-nonsense, matter-of-fact acting style and line delivery where he could be believable as both a villain (as he was in Indemnity and Mutiny) and hero (in this film). In actuality, MacMurray's Sheriff character Judge Jim Scott in this is very flawed yet brave as Scott exudes extreme confidence and hubris as he stands up to the 4 goons throughout the film. Much like the Sheriff had a new bride in High Noon, the judge here has a woman he intends to marry but the twist here is that she has been cheating on him with the town Sheriff, who is basically equivalent to the jealous and cowardly deputy from High Noon. There's also the supporting femme fatale character (played by film noir actress Marie Windsor) who used to have a relationship with the judge but is now the girlfriend of the convicted murderer, with the girlfriend being like the lady who used to date both the Sheriff and the bad guy from High Noon. The wild card in this piece is the widow of the murdered man, excellently played by Ann Doran. Also, one of the 4 bad guys is played by Lee Van Cleef, who was also one of the 4 baddies in High Noon. What distinguishes this film is the love triangle twist with the Judge, his fiancee, and the Sheriff. The triangle is deftly woven into the main plot. Day of the Badman really moves at a brisk pace and does a nice job of establishing several key dynamics and relationships and plays to a predictable yet satisfying conclusion.

It was doing fine until the end.

[jacklee_vball · 6/10 · 20 January 2020]

Great Cast, good acting and good story until the end. Two Things: 1. How could the lead lady turn her love back and forth. I guess in the 50s or 1800s it was a women's prerogative to change her mind. Yikes! No wonder there were so many shoot outs in westerns. 2: It kinda ruined it for me when the judge just told these brothers and cousin FELONS to "just get out of here" in the court room after sentencing. WOW! Crime pays. It would have been much better for the judges integrity and the story had the Felons just escaped some how leading to the required shootout to end the movie. Having disarmed them and at gun point and then just let them go after what they had done made no sense.

Day of the Badman (1958)

[fntstcplnt · 5/10 · 28 March 2020]

Directed by Harry Keller. Starring Fred MacMurray, Robert Middleton, John Ericson, Joan Weldon, Skip Homeier, Marie Windsor, Edgar Buchanan, Eduard Franz, Peggy Converse, Lee Van Cleef, Robert Foulk.

The unscrupulous kin of a convicted murderer show up to pressure the impassive judge (MacMurray) for leniency in sentencing; one of them is Van Cleef, so there's no doubt that they're bad news. Serviceable Western with a goofy title miffs its dramatic potential; decent performances and a few promising scenes/interactions (including a sub-plot where the judge's lady love (Weldon) is having an affair with sheriff Ericson), but it doesn't add up to much. Film lacks tension on its way to the protagonist's decision and it all but fizzles out during the underwhelming climax. Working with a low budget, journeyman director Keller fails to bring much style or suspense to the proceedings, but it's still slightly better than its all-but-forgotten status would suggest.

53/100

" He's Gonna Take It Like A Man "

[stryker-5 · 20 November 1999]

This routine horse opera from Universal stars Fred MacMurray at the height of his success. He plays Judge Jim Scott, the incorruptible small town hero who has to sentence a killer - and contend with the pressures exerted by the guilty man's family.

Filmed in Universal's trademark bright, clear Eastmancolor, the film has an attractive look, even if the characterisation is crude. The bad guys go unshaven, and Lee Van Cleef even wears a black hat.

Rudy Hayes killed a man in cold blood, and at eleven o'clock on this fateful morning, Judge Scott will carry out his sworn duty and sentence the murderer to death by hanging. Charlie Hayes (Robert Middleton) and the hot-headed Howie (Skip Homeier) have come into town as representatives of the all-bad Hayes clan, to see if they can exert some crooked influence, and save Rudy's neck.

Such sub-plot as exists centres on Judge Scott's fiancee, Myra, who has fallen in love with another man - no other than Barney Wiley, the town's good-looking new sherriff (John Ericson).

Even in the Wild West, it is stretching things a little to have a circuit judge engaging in a knife-fight before sitting, and drawing his pistol in the courtroom. The attempts of the Hayes boys to pervert the course of justice are ham-fisted and frankly unbelievable, as is the spurious whinnying of a horse which alerts Judge Jim to danger - twice!

The early passages of the film are good, showing the judge operating in and with the community as a respected citizen, until in mimicry of 'High Noon' the good people of the town desert the judge when the going gets tough. Edgar Buchanan, stalwart of a thousand westerns, is competent as Sam, the judge's loyal sidekick. Myra (Joan Weldon) and Barney are so lightly-drawn as characters that the actors can be forgiven for failing to impress. No doubt Marie Windsor had fun playing the bad girl Cora, but both the Hayes kinsmen, Monte and Jake, are dreadfully under-used.

Predictable, static and utterly unsubtle, perhaps this film, and those like it, do no more than mirror the values of the society which gave rise to them - the predictable, static and utterly unsubtle America of the Eisenhower era.

"You sentence him to hang, Judge, we're gonna kill you sure".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 6 July 2016]

When I think of Fred MacMurray, I don't picture him as a Western movie hero; I would say the same of Jimmy Stewart. Yet both actors made their fair share of fine Westerns and acquitted themselves well in the genre. This film is a decent one for MacMurray.

So talk about bad luck, not only does Jim Scott (MacMurray) have to contend with members of the Hayes family attempting to get their brother Rudy (Christopher Dark) absolved of a murder charge, but he'll also have to deal with the town sheriff moving in on his gal Myra (Joan Weldon) while he was engaged as a circuit judge. I thought the story did a pretty good job of exploring Scott's thought process when he had to digest the banishment proposal from Charlie Hayes (Robert Middleton) once it became the popular solution for the town folk.

Besides the Hayes bunch, the character that managed to trouble me the most was old Mrs. Quary (Peggy Converse), who built up a hatred for Sheriff Wiley (John Ericson) because he wasn't Johnny on the spot when her husband was murdered by Rudy Hayes (Christopher Dark). That happened before the picture opened, so one is left wondering how the Sheriff could have been in two places at once, the way Judge Scott explained it to the widow. Ignoring that, she would have been just as willing to have Rudy banished so the Sheriff would get his, trying to run the killer out of town. What really got me about the woman was how she described what should happen to Rudy - "I want to hear that neck of his crack with my own two ears". Yikes!

Apparently hotel owner George Foley (Hank Patterson) saw a profitable opportunity for his business with folks anticipating the Judge's verdict on the Hayes sentencing. That was a nifty move painting that '1' in front of the fifty cent going rate for a bed and bath at his joint. But then when he upped the ante by changing the '1' to a '4', I thought he was getting just a bit too greedy. Capitalism in the Old West I guess.

Say, here's a goof to keep an eye out for. When Sheriff Wiley came to visit Myra Owens at her place, he locked the door behind him. Yet when he got ready to leave, he simply opened the door and walked out. How come nobody on the film crew caught that?

Fred saves the day in treachery-laden Western

[adrianovasconcelos · 6/10 · 8 February 2024]

Harry Keller, better known for comedies than Westerns, has the good luck of having Fred MacMurray in the cast, a city judge doing his utmost to make sure that the killer of a local resident is brought before the court and probably hanged.

All conditions seem in place to ensure that that happens, but things begin to slip: his fiancée Joan Walden falls in love with the handsome sheriff and his wedding is on the skids; the lady whose husband Rudy Hayes killed first wanted him dead, then changes her mind in tune with most of the town and just wants him banished; and, HIGH NOON-like, top villain Bob Middleton and his evil bros, including Lee Van Cleef, converge into town to ensure that Rudy does not pay with his life for the commission of murder.

Only good ol' Edgar Buchanan stands by poor Fred, who thankfully knows the arts of fisticuffs and manages to put some of the baddies to brief sleep... but soon all is stacked up against him. And then, miraculously, a shootout turns things around and even Walden comes running to him for a happy ending, the handsome sheriff thankfully discarded and forgotten.

And on that naif note the law and Fred win the day. 6/10.

The Rot Sets In

[jromanbaker · 1/10 · 11 May 2022]

A lot of the time in the 1950's Westerns gave out a very clean and very tidy view of the the ' old ' West, and many of them are very watchable. A few were very violent, but towards the end of the decade, in my opinion, the rot set in and violence was increasing and extreme violence became more threatening. In this film ordinary citizens of a town are threatened of being burnt alive, and intimidated by violent action all the way through. A judge played adequately by Fred McMurray has condemned a man to hang, and his outlaw friends try by every cruel method possible to prevent it. No more spoilers. I found the film ugly and lacking in any likeable way despite the presence of two actors I like ; Marie Windsor and John Ericson. I watched the film all the way through, saddened that I was seeing the prelude of much more violence to come in the decades that followed when the Western genre still filled cinemas.

Exceptionally Typical Western.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 15 June 2008]

Fred MacMurray is the judge in a small Western town. A man named Rudy Hayes (Christopher Dark) has killed a farmer and been found guilty by a jury of his peers, although it's hard to imagine a peer of this unkempt miscreant. The whole town wants to see this guy hanged and MacMurray has already decided that that is what his sentence will be tomorrow.

Flies in the ointment. First of all, Rudy Hayes has rather a large extended family, clearly descended from the Kallikaks or the Jukes. Two of these goons are already hanging around town, smilingly telling the judge and his assistant (Edgar Buchanan) and the sheriff (John Ericson) that if good ol' Rudy dies, they die too. Well, says everybody, there's only the two of them. But then two or three other Hayes relatives ride into town, each meaner lookin' than the last. Or -- let me take that back. Nobody looks meaner than Lee Van Cleef. They gang up on the sheriff and beat him. Then they rearrange MacMurray's face. They terrorize the whole town, even the victim's widow, so that everyone begins wondering if, rather than hanging the prisoner, it wouldn't be better to follow the hoodlums' suggestion and, well, just kinda BANISH good ol' Rudy and make him get out of the territory. Unbearable pressure is brought upon the judge to follow this path, just as pressure was brought to bear on sheriff Gary Cooper in "High Noon." Does Fred MacMurray give in and simply banish Rudy? Or does he sentence him to hang? I leave it to you, the discerning and experienced watcher of Westerns, to guess.

There's a second fly in the ointment. Judge MacMurray has been engaged to Joan Weldon and he plans to marry her as soon as he buys that little house. But he's a circuit judge and this takes him out of town a good deal. During one of his trips, Weldon and Ericson have fallen in love, but both are reluctant to tell MacMurray.

Enough of the plot. Not so much because I'm reluctant to give any of its developments away, as that it's not genuinely worth going into in any further detail.

Of the acting it can be said that this is a good, seasoned cast of Hollywood regulars -- MacMurray, Ericson, Van Cleef, Buchanan, Robert Middleton, Edward Franz, Marie Windsor -- you'll recognize a lot of faces. And in this inexpensive and somewhat tired Western, they illustrate their range.

They ground out these B features like Sonicburgers in the 50s but their day was coming to an end. "Gunsmoke" was around the corner.