Plus fort que la loi

This is a story written about the West and some of the more famous individuals who really participated in it's inception. For many in the audience, this movie star's Robert Ryan and the great and magnetic presence he brings to the silver screen. The story is called " Best of the Bad men. " Proportedly it is set in the 1860's shortly after the Civil War. The last of the rebel hold outs have been captured by Major Jefferson Clanton (Robert Ryan) and the Union army and offered the oath of Alligence to the United States. This does not sit well with the carpetbaggers who believe the Rebels should be tried and hanged. Robert Preston is Matthew Fowler a greedy, mob-stirring businessman who is out to crucify Clanton for denying him his bounty on the former bad men. Walter Brennan, Bruce Cabot and Jack Buetel make for a formidable bunch as the beginnings of the infamous James and Younger gangs. For a touch of feminine beauty we have beautiful and seductive Claire Trevor as Lily Fowler. Together, the entire cast makes for a rousing yarn set in the Old West. There is plenty of explosions, gun-fights, fist-fighting, fast horses and double dealing to keep the audience interesting and for once, our hero Robert Ryan doesn't have to play the heavy. OK, the story is a bit far-fetch, but fun none-the-less. Recommended to anyone who wishes to slay a somber afternoon. ***

Whatever merit BEST OF THE BADMEN has as a movie can be traced to its cast of film veterans headed by ROBERT RYAN, ROBERT PRESTON, CLAIRE TREVOR, WALTER BRENNAN, BRUCE CABOT, JACK BEUTEL and LAWRENCE TIERNEY, all of whom look right at home in this post-Civil War western about Quantrill's Raiders who are still acting as though the war between the states isn't over.

CLAIRE TREVOR has her usual hard-boiled role as Lily, a woman married to ROBERT PRESTON, a corrupt man out to capture the good Yankee, ROBERT RYAN--but who meets with resistance when his wife plots to help Ryan escape jail. The story is rather routine and not on too firm a footing toward the end, but it's all made enjoyable by the usual number of shootouts and roundups, all filmed in some fine Technicolor.

While Preston and Cabot have the meatiest bad men roles, it's really Ryan and Trevor who walk off with the acting honors. As for JACK BEUTEL, it's easy to see why he never made it to major stardom despite his handsome good looks.

I don't know if in real life the Clanton brothers met the Younger brothers or Billy the Kid or Jesse James, but in the western hsitory, all those mighty west characters did it many times; even Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock met the Ford brothers too. The Robert Ryan's character called Clanton is maybe just a coincidence here, no relation with Wyatt Earp, but admit it's a bit weird to associate Clanton and the Youngers.... Besides this curious but not so surprising matter, this is a good western, made by a director totally unknown for the big screen industry after this one. He only worked for TV stuff, series. Despite the cast, gallery of tough guys portraits - Robert Preston, Lawrence Tierney, Barton Mc Lane - Robert Ryan steals the show by his presence, as usual, and the pace is very tense, for RKO, who was not specialized in westerns in particular.

This thrilling western deals with an Union Mayor called Clanton (Robert Ryan) who is wrongly accused for a killing ,he is then condemned to death. He escapes and becomes involved with the most famous outlaws (Bruce Cabot, Walter Brennan, John Archer , Robert Wilke,Lawrence Tierney,Jack Buetel) from the wild west. Clanton is wanted for murders, reward : 5ooo dollars . He is wanted dead or alive . The nasty Fowler leads a bloody manhunt against Clanton . This is an epic as well as stirring thrill parade down banditry halls of infamy . Concerning the worst bushwackers of the untamed western who execute a rampage of murders and terror . There also appears the lady they called Lily (Claire Trevor). Meanwhile they execute a bank robbery protected by a detective agency run by corrupt enemy , Fowler (Robert Preston)

An epic saga of a land beyond the law starred by star-studded, inclusive cowboy actors, great personalities and many other things. An exciting and explosive flick in which action and thrills are unstoppable . The tale starts with a prologue that explains the following : this story tells a forgotten chapter in the violent history of the west , months after the tragic war between The States had ended there was still no peace on the western frontier. The plot is plain and simple taking place post American civil War where bushwackers and Jayhawkers carry out real and violent rampages and ravages . Here shows up a lot of bandits as Cole Younger, Jim Jounger , Jesse James , Frank James , Ringo and Clanton . All of them starred by known actors who give compelling interpretations such as Bruce Cabot , Jack Buetel , John Archer , Lawrence Tierney , Tom Tyler, Robert Wilke , John Cliff , and Robert Ryan . And the comical relief for the sympathetic secondary Walter Brennan .This one belongs to a trilogy formed by the original Badmen territory 1946 by Tim Whelan with Randolph Scott , Anne Richards , Steve Brodie , George Gabby Hayes ,Return of the bad Men 1948 by Ray Enright with Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan , George Hayes . All of them starred by by notorious bandits of the wild west and performed by prestigious secondary players.

The motion picture was compellingly directed by William Russell , though it has some flaws and gaps . Russell directed a few films as The Sainted Sisters, Our Heart were growing up, Ladies' man , Dear Ruth and a lot of television series .The picture will appear to western buffs . Well worth watching.

A routine but intelligent 'A' western set in the aftermath of the Civil War with a supporting cast encompassing sixty years of film history from 'King Kong' to 'Reservoir Dogs'; as well as two former Oscar winners. (One of the Oscar winners is Claire Trevor, practically the only woman in it, second billed but underused, but still seductive in her forties - "Do what I tell you and you'll always go wrong!" - in a rare chance to see her in Technicolor.)

Baby-faced Jack Buetel as Bob Younger was nearing the end of his brief film career (which began as Billy the Kid in 'The Outlaw'); while Robert Preston was still playing moustached weaklings, his peak still some way in the distance.