The Badlanders, Gunfight at the OK Corral, The Law and Jake Wade

A Western special! This makes me very happy.

#1 - THE BADLANDERS











Stars - Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Katy Jurado
Director - Delmer Daves
Memorable Quote - 'It seems like everybody around here is stealing from everybody else.'
Review - So, the story is that two inmates of Yuma prison get out at the same time, and one of them is owed money for a job he did finding out gold mines. The Dutchman (Ladd) is obviously supposed to be the hero, but to be honest I actually found Mac (Borgnine) to be the stronger character. He has a private life, in the form of Anita, and through her gains another dimension. When he gets shot it seems like the worst possible thing that could happen in the movie, and when he rides away at the end you don't care so much about whether the Dutchman really will join them or not. The posh woman, I forget her name, was largely pointless. Anyway, it was an alright movie, just kind of wonky. 3/5

#2 - GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL

Stars - Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Rhonda Fleming
Director - John Sturges
Memorable Quote - 'I never lose. You see, poker's played by desperate men who cherish money. I don't lose because I have nothing to lose, including my life.'
Review - You've got to love a movie that comes with its own chorus. Altogether now, 'Boot Hill, Boot Hill...' Seriously, though, this is up there among the really good Westerns. It takes you on a real journey, instead of just one ride - you get to know Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp both, and at the end I think you're supposed to like them equally. I do, anyway. Kate is a much more interesting character than Laura, giving more to the plot and turning out to be a central catalyst to the final scenes. In fact, one scene in particular, where she finally comes to Holliday's side, is in my opinion one of the highlights, along with the four men walking through the town to the OK Corral. 4.2/5

#3 - THE LAW AND JAKE WADE

Stars - Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Evans
Director - John Sturges
Memorable Quote - 'Clint wants him alive. Now don't either of you forget that.'
Review - John Sturges film no 2 of this week, and although the first one was better this is still good. Jake Wade is a calm, collected character who seems to exude charm throughout the film. He only seems truly worried when they begin to be attacked in the abandoned town, and Clint Hollister similarly keeps his calm as the bad guy. The final confrontation scene is clearly a classic of its type. It's a nice change from the old marshall-escorting-the-prisoners theme, too. 4/5