Der schwarze Reiter

Fun movie about a cowboy named Quirt (John Wayne) who is wants to reform his ways after he meets a sweet Quaker girl. When he is shot, the Quaker family takes care of him, and after he wakes up the daughter (Gail Russell) falls in love with him. It's goofy and cliché, sure, but there's a really fine movie to be found in the familiar setup. Writer/director Grant create many good vignettes. There are several wonderful supporting characters who add a lot of worth to the proceedings, including Harry Carey as a marshall, Lee Dixon as one of Quirt's friends and old partners in crime, Tom Powers as the local, scientific, atheist doctor, and Olin Howlin as the town telegrapher. Howlin's character is pure comic relief, very humorously claiming a long friendship with Quirt, though he only saw him once when he was almost unconscious. Then Carey's character is wryly comedic: as the marshall, he's constantly stalking Quirt. He's sure that someday he'll get to hang the guy, and he harps on it constantly. The chemistry between Wayne and Russell adds an unexpected poignancy to the film. The scene where the two pick blackberries is simply beautiful, and their wordless climactic exchange is perfectly performed. Good action sequences, as well. 9/10.

John Wayne's performance in this film is one of my favorites from his long (if not exceptionally versatile) career. As an embittered gunslinger groping his way toward love and redemption, he makes the character's inner growth apparent by not allowing it to come to the surface except in neatly timed glance, frowns and smiles. The cool detachment of his character reminds us that he is really more dangerous than the young Penny (Gail Russell) perceives, and more thoughtful than those who know him as a gunfighter understand.

As dramatic action film, the film is well paced, and glows with considerable polish throughout. The production team is that of John Ford's of the time, and they are in top form here. Writer-director Grant (another Ford insider) has given us an excellent script and able direction.

The film was produced by John Wayne himself, who knew a good story, and who here allows us an odd insight into his personal politics - which were far more complicated than his right-wing fans or left-wing detractors ever understood. In the wake of the Second World War (and we all remember Wayne's war films), Wayne here produced one of the best defenses of religion-based pacifism on film. It should be remembered that during the First World War, Woodrow Wilson had pacifists jailed; in a little known incident in Wyoming Army recruiters dragged several Amish into jail and beat them brutally - several died. If I had to choose between Woodrow Wilson and John Wayne for president, I'd vote for Wayne.

Angel and the Badman speaks well of Wayne's conscience, and reminds us that, in his own rough way, he could respect the honest consciences of others. Whatever else we think of him, let us remember that he was a man who deserved - and gave - respect. This is, over all, the most respectful film he ever made, giving us his most respectable performance.

John Wayne got to kiss a score of pretty ladies on screen, but his romance with Gail Russell as Penelope, the "Angel" in this story, shows the best screen chemistry I can recall. Wayne is the "Badman" Quirt Evans meaning that he settles a lot of arguments with guns a'blazin'.

He's used to fast draws, fast women, booze, bar fights, and so on. Penelope is a gentle Quaker woman living in the wilderness of the Old West. She and her parents model their lives on the teachings of scripture, especially the "Love your neighbor" ideal. Quirt gets shot in one of his many battles with gun wielding black hat bad guys; Penelope's family takes him in and nurses him back to health; during which time Quirt and Penelope get a look at each other with the obvious chemical reaction. Her sweet and vulnerable demeanor mixes splendidly with his gruff but awkwardly gentle persona.

When Wayne's nemesis Laredo (Bruce Cabot) shows up, Wayne is faced with the conflict of adapting the peaceful ways of Penelope, or reverting to his violent shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later lifestyle. Wayne's inner conflict to change his outlook on life is illustrated well, a great performance for the Duke. This all goes on under the watchful eye of the Marshall (Harry Carey), who serves as not only a foil for Wayne constantly threatening him, but almost like a self-appointed guardian who sees Quirt's potential for good, trying to steer him toward the light. Carey's humor, and good spirit plays off Wayne perfectly.

The film builds to a brilliant finish, with Quirt forced to choose between peace or violence once and for all. One of my favorite westerns. Great cast, great story.

The Angel and the Badman is a milestone film in the career of John Wayne. It was the first film in which he had a substantial role behind the camera. My guess is that he must have lobbied Herbert J. Yates at Republic films for some creative control and Yates gave in to his studio's biggest moneymaker.

Though Wayne at times didn't have the best judgment in regard to his own personal projects, The Angel and the Badman is a winner in every way and doesn't get near enough credit for the work it is except from Wayne partisans.

Wayne plays young gun hand Quirt Evans, a most feared man in the territory, who wounded falls in the hands of a Quaker family who nurses him back to health. Wayne starts eying pretty daughter Gail Russell.

Pretty soon under her influence Wayne starts questioning the direction his life's been going in. Of course the Quakers do cheat a little on this question themselves. Though they don't believe in violence, the Duke's reputation as a gun hand comes in mighty handy in settling at least one neighborly dispute with Paul Hurst.

My favorite scene in the film and one of Wayne's best in all his films also involves his reputation. When Bruce Cabot and two henchmen find him at the Quaker home, Wayne runs one terrific bluff holding them off with an empty gun. This was the first time Wayne and Cabot worked together. In the sixties Cabot became a regular in Wayne films.

Angel and the Badman also has two other Wayne attempted reclamation projects. Gail Russell was one of the most beautiful women ever on the silver screen. She had a lot of tragedy in her life and died young. Wayne at one point gave her the lead in a film Seven Men from Now that he was producing, but not starring in, with Randolph Scott. She gave a good performance, but a lot of substance abuse had taken its toll.

Paul Hurst later on got a pay day from Wayne in Big Jim McLain in a scene he portrayed from a wheelchair. He was terminally ill with cancer and in fact took his own life shortly afterwards. The money was no doubt needed for Hurst's medical expenses.

Later on in McLintock Wayne said in one scene he doesn't give jobs, he hires men (and women). This was his idea of charity and something that never gets talked about enough by people, even some of Wayne's most devoted fans.

As this was his first film as producer, I have no doubt that the Duke wanted Harry Carey, the man he patterned his cowboy image after in this film. One of Carey's best screen performances as the "patient" federal marshal who's waiting for Cabot and Wayne to shoot it out so he can hang the winner.

Wayne's good friend James Edward Grant wrote and directed the film. Later on Frank Capra disparaged Grant as a bad influence on Wayne when they quarreled during the filming of Circus World. Grant did write some of the more conservative on Wayne's films. But I certainly can't fault anything he did in The Angel and the Badman.

In fact it's a winner in just about every respect. Even some Wayne haters might like this one.

ANGEL AND THE BADMAN is a film that many John wayne fans may not have seen; nonetheless it's one of his best that shows a very different side.

Wayne as Quirt Evans is wounded and taken in by a gentle Quaker family. After he recuperates he notices their daughter--the absolutely drop dead gorgeous Gail Russell.

The plot of AATBM is remarkably similar to Harrison Ford's WITNESS (probably a remake).

But what ultimately makes this movie work is Wayne's performance, and Russell's natural "Angelic" qualities. The camera really loves her. There's one scene where she confesses' her love for Wayne, and is surprised he doesn't feel quite the same: "I never thought it could happen to one and not another." Her outright innocence in this scene is incredibly touching, and endearing, and you see how this affects Wayne in the same way.