To the Last Man

This is a standout early-30's western because of the extraordinary talent that participated in it: director Henry Hathaway, writer Jack Cunningham (who collaborated with Hathaway on six pictures in 1933-34), original novelist Zane Gray, and a cast of stars and future stars who were in Hathaway's stock company at the time: Randolph Scott, Barton McLane, Buster Crabbe (who in two-shot close-ups looks as though he were born to play Scott's brother), Noah Berry, and Jack LaRue. Even in brief and minor roles, Hathaway gets memorable performances, such as a shaved Fuzzy Knight in a serious rather than comic-relief role and Eugenie Besserer as a fierce grandmother crying out for Biblical vengeance. Esther Ralston is a revelation in the lead female role, as an unpolished and touchy backwoods girl who yearns to be a lady but who is fully capable in the climatic scene of fighting desperately to save her man's life.

The plot mixes returning Civil War veterans, hill country family feuds, and Western rustling action, and ties these threads neatly together. The film is only a little over an hour long, but it packs a lot of action and plot into that short running time.

"To the Last Man" is an interesting film--partly because of a couple uncredited performances and partly because it is a very gritty sort of film. As far as the uncredited roles go, you'll see Shirley Temple just before she became a mega-star as well as a tiny appearance by John Carradine.

The film begins just after the Civil War. As a man returns to his wife in the hills of Kentucky, you see his father-in-law being murdered by a neighbor. The killing is all part of a long-standing feud (like the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud) but instead of killing the perpetrator, the war vet has announced he's seen enough killing and takes the case to court. His family at first is upset he didn't kill the killer, but in the long run it was the logical thing to do. However, the murderer is NOT logical and vows to renew the feud after his 15 year sentence is complete. Now this guy is super-serious--and even after his enemy leaves Kentucky and moves to Nevada, he and his clan move west just so they can get their revenge!! But, instead of just shooting them, the ex-con plans on ruining their ranch--with the help of his best prison buddy. However, there is a monkey wrench in this plan--his daughter is about to fall in love with one of the enemy (Randolph Scott)! How's all this insanity going to end?! While the plot isn't all that remarkable, the film works because the film is very gritty and unsentimental. You'll see a lot of Pre-Code style violence--and this actually helps the film to be both realistic and creates a strong impact--especially during the big showdown at the end. Bold and gritty--and worth seeing.

Real Tough Guys depicated in this movie. Great acting and good action sequences for 1933. How many movies can you see likes of Randolph Scott, Shirley Temple, John Carradine, Buster Crabbe and The General from "I Dream of Jeanie" all in one movie! Really recommend this one!

The film itself is an unusual Randolph Scott western which deals with a feud born in the hills of Kentucky that follows a family trying to settle in Nevada. Much of the story and dialog is typical of the standard westerns of the day, but there were a few aspects of the film which made it quite interesting, namely:

• Esther Ralston playing the love interest. I can't recall seeing Esther in a film before, but here she is wonderful as a backwoods girl who doesn't take guff from any man. It's rather amazing to see such a strong female character who can ride a horse without a saddle and is willing to literally fight the bad guys right along with the men.

• The violence from the bad guys is more realistically portrayed and was somewhat shocking to see for a film of this era. Sometimes you can become numb to standard Western action, but in this film the more realistic portrayal of the violence brings home the consequences of their actions.

Overall I enjoyed the film very much. There was also some very nice outdoor scenery shots. This is supposed to be Nevada but I'm not sure where it was actually filmed. The restored print that Turner Classic Films showed looked very good.

This 1933 movie has a top-notch, all-star cast. Noah Beery plays the feuding family villain patriarch. Jack La Rue is his even more evil partner, who wants to seduce his daughter, played by the beautiful Esther Ralston. At 31, she had been a silent move star for many years.

The good guys feature Randolph Scott and Buster Crabbe. They both became very popular actors, and they really look like brothers. Barton MacLane is the third brother. All three are very tall, and in many scenes they are imposing over the villains, so it is kind of cool to watch the three of them together. John Carradine is also one of the good guys.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is to see Shirley Temple, playing the role of one of the daughters of Buster Crabbe. She is shot at by the villains at one point, and the shooter blows the head off her favorite doll, which Randolph Scott had given her. Shooting at children (and later dogs) is pretty brutal, and little Shirley Temple runs away screaming and crying her little eyes out.

This is a nice movie which fleshes out the family dynamics of both the good Haydens, and the vicious ex-convicts in the Colby family. Naturally Randolph Scott (Hayden) and Esther Ralston (Colby) are in love, but this does not stop any of the killings, murders, and mayhem.

The shock ending cannot even be hinted at. I have never seen any Western movie end like this. Immediately afterwards, there is a final showdown between Esther Ralston and Randolph Scott against Jack La Rue. A surprising double-shock ending.