Law and Order

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09/16/2023 One of the better, Ronald Reagan movies that I’ve seen very good highly recommended James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, September 16, 2023 See more James F @RT61992943 08/16/2022 SPOILER ALERT! I was intrigued to see Ronald Reagan act in a western so I went into this with a good bit of optimism. As others on here have said, it was rather silly and wooden most of the time. Not just Reagan but everyone acted like they were in a melodramatic play yet lacking any fervor whatsoever. And the finale was complete nonsense. The bad guys sorta just decided within one minute near the end to announce they were fleeing to California for literally no reason at all. I was a bit dumbfounded. I guess they really phoned this one in. I like Reagan as a person but this was dumb as hell. See more 03/02/2019 Nice try, Mr. Reagan. See more 12/22/2012 A pretty generic Western made watchable by the curiosity of trying to make sense of Ronald Regean See more 01/15/2011 This was a really less than average western. Loosely based on the events of the Tombstone era and resembles the later Tombstone flick where a tired lawman just wants to start over somewhere. This is the 1st time I'd seen Reagan act in the film and it wasn't all that great. At the end of the 1st scene where he brawls a bandit, it's like he thought the take was over and the pair were walking over to the food table. It is interesting that Reagan although star of the film doesn't dominate the screen. He looks confused most of the time. Not tortured confused trying to decide what the right thing to do is, just confused. If you're looking for classic great American western this is not it. The Duke is still the head honcho of 1950's cowboy films. With Reagan riding a distant side saddle. See more 07/10/2010 Future U.S. President Ronald Reagan plays a no-nonsense, tough-as-leather peace officer in former art director Nathan Juran's third film as a director, "Law and Order," based on "High Sierra" writer W.R. Burnett's novel "Saint Johnson." "Interlude" scribe Inez Cocke adapted Burnett's novel and "Untamed Frontier" co-scenarists John and Gwen Bagni along with D.D. Beauchamp of "Son of Belle Starr" fashioned the formula screenplay that espouses status quo 'law and order' values. In other words, "Law and Order" is a good Republican western. Comparisons between Reagan's protagonist, Frame Johnson, and the legendary Wyatt Earp are inevitable. Like Wyatt Earp, Frame Johnson has acquired a reputation as a fearless, invincible lawman. Just as inevitably, the time has come for the dedicated lawman to shed the badge and settle down. Foolishly, Frame struggles to do that very thing because he has grown tired of being a "hired killer" with a badge. Nevertheless, trouble always seems to reach out and ruin him. Dorothy Malone is cast as his pretty leading lady, and she knows how to wear lipstick. Interestingly enough, she owns a saloon bar and deals cards. At one point, a prospective buyer observes that running a saloon is no job for a woman. Back in 1953 as well as the time period of this western, which takes place in 1882, this male opinion wouldn't seem out of place. Today, it brims with sexism. Nevertheless, the Malone character informs the buyer that her father left her the saloon. After all, she observes, she can neither teach nor sew, so what option was left her? Sharp-shooting Sheriff Frame Johnson (Ronald Reagan of "Desperate Journey") pursues the Durango Kid (Wally Cassell of "Salute to the Marines") on horseback across a broiling desert as this durable, 80-minute, full frame, Technicolor oater opens. Frame catches up with the Kid when the outlaw has his hands off his six-gun and clinching his canteen. Frame blasts the canteen out of Durango's hands, and two struggle in a brief fistfight before Frame claps on the handcuffs. Back in Tombstone, Arizona, Frame thwarts the locals from lynching Durango. Things look rather tough for Frame because his youngest brother, Jimmy Johnson (Russell Johnson of TV's "Gilligan's Island"), sides with the lynch mob. Frame wounds one man (Johnny Carpenter of "Song of Old Wyoming") to discourage the lynch mob and orders Jimmy inside. Frame informs his other brother, Luther 'Lute' Johnson (Alex Nicol of "The Red Ball Express"), that they are leaving Tombstone. Afterward, Frame tells his girlfriend, Jeannie (Oscar winner Dorothy Malone of "Written on the Wind"), that he has turned in his marshal's badge and is heading for Cottonwood to settle on a ranch. Jeannie wants to join him, but Frame suggests that she stick around Tombstone until he has the ranch fixed up. No sooner than Frame, Lute, Jimmy, and their undertaker pal, Denver Cahoon (Chubby Johnson of "Sam Whiskey") have arrived in Cottonwood than they encounter trouble in the person of the town boss, Kurt Durling (Preston Foster of "Kansas City Confidential"), who remembers Frame with considerable animosity from Abilene. Frame shot Durling in the hand and the wound turned Durling's right hand into useless flesh. Durling and his clan were cattle rustlers. Since Abilene, Durling and his two sons, Frank (Dennis Weaver of TV's "Gunsmoke") and Bart (Don Gordon of "Bullitt"), have moved to Cottonwood where he runs the town with the help of a no-account sheriff, Fin Elder (Barry Kelly of "Buchanan Rides Alone"), and Durling's word is law. Bart opposes Frame briefly at the saloon/hotel when he tries to kill Johnny Benton (Don Garner of "FBI Girl"), and Frame prevents him. Later, Bart dies after Johnny kills him. Frame protects Johnny from Frank and his gun hands. Judge Williams represents the town fathers and he implores Frame to pin on the badge. Frame refuses to serve as their marshal, and his opinion doesn't change when his brothers and he discover the hanged body of Johnny Benton on the trail. Although Frame doesn't accept the offer as sheriff, Lute steps forward to take on those duties. The devious Durlings make sure that Lute is out on wild goose chases while they conduct business as usual. Meaning, the Durlings are rustling cattle in one spot while Lute investigates something else. Eventually, one of the town fathers, Dixon (Thomas Browne Henry of "Hoodlum Empire") observes, "While you're chasing rainbows, they're rustling cattle." Judge Williams (Richard Garrick of "Riding Shotgun") defends Lute. He points out that the Durlings try "to confuse you, run you ragged an send off in every direction." Lute seeks Frame's help, but Frame turns him down. Frame and Denver are trying to finish the repairs on the ranch before Jeanie shows up. One evening, Lute restrains a drunken cowboy, Jed (Jack Kelly of TV's "Maverick"), from blasting the lights out of a chandelier. Lute disarms Jed, but Frank prods him into a duel. Just as Lute lets Frank draw, Kurt knocks over a chair at his table. The falling chair distracts Lute and Frank nails him in the stomach. Lute doesn't die before Frame rides into town. "I'm sorry, Frame," Lute mutters before he dies, "I guess I just wasn't as good as you." Later, Jimmy gets plastered in the bar and sets out to kill Frank. Denver smashes a whiskey bottle over Jimmy's head and Frame locks him up to cool off. Frame dictates the terms of his employment as sheriff. He demands that Judge Williams and the town fathers pass an ordinance making it illegal to tote firearms in the city limits. Predictably, Dixon is appalled at such a request. "No guns? We'll be the laughing stock of the west." Later, he says with obvious resignation in his voice. "I just hope we haven't legalized murder." Word of Sheriff Johnson's death reaches Jeanie and she thinks that Frame has bitten the dust. A gambler in her saloon informs her that Lute took the bullet, but Frame has stepped into his boots. Jeanie sells the saloon and heads to Cottonwood to be with Frame. "You're big, ugly, and stupid," she describes Frame, "but I love you." Originally, Jeanie had sworn to not marry Frame because she feared that he would die in the line of duty. She has changed her mind, however, and now supports Frame completely. Matters grow complicated when Jimmy spots Frank's sister one day while he is riding fence. They fall in love and Frank warns him to stay away from his sister. Eventually, Frank catches Jimmy with Maria (Ruth Hampton of "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars") and they shoot it out. Kurt, Sheriff Elder and Jed witness the shooting and claim that Jimmy committed murder. Frame arrests Jimmy when he shows up at Frame's ranch and tells him about the gunfight. Frame locks Jimmy up, but Jed releases him after he clobbers Denver unconscious. Kurt Durling is hoping that Jimmy's jailbreak will compel Judge Williams to take Frame's badge. The only weakness of "Law and Order" is the Preston Foster villain. Indeed, he is slimy and unsympathetic, but he never actually kills anybody in cold blood. He leaves the killings to his two lame-brained, hot-tempered brothers who he constantly berates for not using their heads. The knock-down, drag-out fistfight between the villain and the hero on the Cottonwood main street ranks as a pretty vigorous affair. At least twice the chief villain tries to kill Frame with a pitchfork and an axe. In both cases, the implements that Foster wields actually do stick into or chop the wood. See more Read all reviews

Law and Order

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