Valley of the Lawless

The quality difference between "Valley of the Lawless" by tiny Supreme Pictures and Johnny Mack Brown's later films with Universal as well as Republic is pretty obvious. This earlier and much more cheaply made movie lacks the music and polish over his later films. The script also is a bit rough. Still, regardless, Johnny Mack Brown is terrific in the lead.

When the film begins, Bruce (Brown) confronts Grandpaw Jenkins (Gabby Hayes), as the old man stole a treasure map and killed Bruce's family long ago. Soon, however, Jenkins and another man are killed and it sure looks as if Bruce did it and the law is after him. So, Bruce runs off the the Valley of the Lawless (really...the film called it this...I'm not making this up).

Soon, some settlers arrive and Bruce is very kind and helpful towards them. However, when the father is killed AND the pretty daughter learns that Bruce supposedly killed her grandfather, Grandpaw Jenkins, she's aghast. What does this make Bruce? A killer who is only trying to win her over or what?!

This film is mildly interesting. However, it has a couple script problems. One, it often needed long expositions and flashbacks to explain away what you think you've seen...like a movie serial. It also has folks going from trying to arrest Bruce or despising him to almost instantly loving and admiring him...and it's way too quick to be realistic. Very watchable but also very rough when it comes to the convoluted plot.

By the way, late in the film you see Bruce fly off his horse. This is one of the sloppiest stunts I've ever seen and I assume it was lifted from another movie. When he flips, you see a guy in a black shirt...and when Johnny Mack Brown lands and gets up, he's wearing a white shirt!!

Bruce Reynolds is looking for his grandfather's map to a hidden supply of gold. When Garlow sees Amos Jenkins with the map he kills him. Cliff Graves witnesses the murder and jealous of Reynolds for taking away his girl friend Joan, blames him for the crime.

Typical Johnny Mack Western with some intrigue, fast riding and a treasure map in a lawless valley. Johnny Mack Brown has to tackle these bad hombres as one of them is after the treasure. To complicate things Johnny's girlfriend thinks he killed her dad for the nap, well thanks to a green-eyed son of a deputy. He's quite an annoying character as is the young boy who has too many scenes. He was quite irritating with him following Johnny and poking his nose into things.

What could be a better start to a movie than Johnny Mack Brown on the trail of Gabby Hayes to get the map of hidden treasure. Of course the gorgeous Joyce Compton delightfully puts in the romantic tension and none other than Jack Rockwell is hot on Johnny's trail. Frank Hagney also wants a piece of the prize and has a ruthless band of henchmen led by Charles King. Dennis Moore, Bobby Nelson and Frank Ball round out a talented western cast. Director Robert Bradbury does a great job of keeping the action flowing throughtout the film.

Valley Of The Lawless casts Johnny Mack Brown as a man looking to reclaim some gold that belonged to his family who buried it before an outlaw attack. Brown's grandfather was killed, but drew a map that one of the outlaws ran off with double-crossing his own gang. Years and generations later Brown and members of that old gang are looking for Gabby Hayes who did the double-crossing.

Complicating Brown's quest now is the fact that he's now fallen for Gabby's granddaughter Joyce Compton who also has the sheriff's son Dennis Moore panting after her as well. But the outlaws won't give all of these people any time for romance.

This is a nicely paced B western that gets right down to business and doesn't leave any loose ends to bad editing. It holds up very well after more than seventy years. Brown who started out as a leading man after his All American career at the University of Alabama found a very nice niche in Hollywood as a good cowboy hero in B films. Definitely for the connoisseur of the B western.

"Valley of the Lawless" has a certain credibility about it, propelled, by the easy-going charisma of Johnny Mack Brown. His wonderfully drawl-inflected delivery of lines isn't always smoothly offered, but most of us will readily pardon him for that. And speaking of charisma, George Hayes' presence is, as always, just a total delight. Adding honesty and validity here, as he does to any film in which he appears, Hayes doesn't have nearly enough time on-screen in this one. Familiar faces Charles King and Jack Rockwell are always welcome in these pictures, too. The film, dramatic with little humor in sight, largely takes place out of doors and has all the appropriate horse mounting and dust-raising riding one would expect. The film's mood-setting centerpiece fight scene is sharp and concise. On the whole, the film's continuity and editing provides an easy, consistent flow...the movie moves along fast, thanks also to an easy-to-understand but yet satisfying story. All in all, this B-western will not haunt a viewer after having seen it, but it indeed is a relatively good one.