Hijos de la violencia

Do NOT expect this to be a factual docu-drama about the real life Al Jennings. It's fun, but as history and biographies go...look elsewhere for real information on the real and even the reel Al Jennings.

Al Jennings of Oklahoma is directed by Ray Nazaro and adapted to screenplay by George Bricker from the book co-written by Al Jennings and Will Irwin. It stars Dan Duryea, Gale Storm, Dick Foran, Gloria Henry, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams and Raymond Greenleaf. Music is by Mischa Bakaleinikoff and cinematography by W. Howard Greene.

Al Jennings, as played here by Duryea, follows a life trajectory that sees him born into a legal family and thus take up the family trade. Known for his hot temper, it's not long before Al runs into trouble and burnt by the folly of the law when tragedy strikes his family, throws off his legal eagle clobber and turns to the outlaw life. Moving from robbing banks to robbing trains, and with the beautiful Gale Storm's token love interest holding his attention, Al and his brother Frank (Foran) decide to leave crime and go straight. But the past catches up with them and they inevitably end up serving time for their crimes. But there's another twist! The instability of the trial sees Al serve only 5 years of his life sentence and upon release becomes something of a prime mover in the Statehood of Oklahoma.

You sense it's all very romanticised from the actual life of Al Jennings, but in spite of some sub-standard acting and poorly scripted passages, it's still an enjoyable Oater. There's some decent stunt- work early on, a couple of rounds of knuckles (though the court room fight is not greatly constructed), chases, some gun-play and it's nice and colourful with Technicolor photography around the Chatsworth location shoot. So it's watchable enough, even if not very memorable then? Yes, that's about it really. 6/10

For 1951, not a bad little Western, with some bright colour photography, but after it was over I thought there was little substance to it. A quick Google confirms that Jennings wasn't much success as a crook and that the film took lots of liberties with his story, though I couldn't determine whether the reward for his capture every topped $20,000, as shown in the film. What made his life interesting was his political career after release from prison, but I guess that wouldn't have added much to an "action" Western.

Having fled Oklahoma because he fears being betrayed by his fellow gang members, Jennings returns to them, which didn't seem too bright. And the botched final raid on the train and its meagre rewards seem to sum up his career as a bad man. But the posse wasn't too bright, either, with its 20 or so members failing to capture the depleted Jennings gang at the ranch, though at least this led to a chase and final showdown.

It was good to see a youngish John Dehner, and Guinn Williams in a role where his character wasn't too empty-headed.

Starring Dan Duryea as Al Jennings, this is another routine Columbia quickie, filmed in the foothills of southern California. The script and film look like they were put out in about 10 days, and boring clichés abound.

Al Jennings used to be a lawyer until circumstances forced him to kill a man and cross over to the other side of the law. From what I understand, this film had nothing to do with the real-life Al Jennings who served time in prison for armed robbery. He wasn't as romantic a cad as Duryea makes out to be.

And the fistfight scene between Duryea and John Dehner in the courtroom looked laughingly bad and amateurish. Awful. Truly awful...which is a real shame since Duryea has appeared in some excellent westerns like WINCHESTER '73 (1950), RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954) and NIGHT PASSAGE (1957).

With Dick Foran who stands around and smiles a lot, and Gail Storm as the love interest, this oater is pretty dull stuff with nothing to make it stand out from the dozens of others Columbia put out in the 50s.

2 out 10 for causing a few zzzz's...

Although based on his own book, the real Jennings' face must have been a picture when he learned who was going to play him. But Duryea is plainly relishing the chance for once to be playing a two-fisted hunk who gets the girl.