The Lawless

Plot-- A normal American farming town is split racially apart as a Latino boy is blamed for a number of offenses against town whites. In the process, the town newspaper only makes the situation worse as the new publisher shies away from digging out facts that might relieve the situation.

There were a number of social-conscience movies made in the late-40's and early-50's; that is, before the Cold War and McCarthy froze them out. This is one of them, more obscure, however, than most. Though the 83-minutes contains elements of first-rate expose, it fails to rank among the best of that period, e.g. The Well (1951), Lost Boundaries (1949), No Way Out (1950). Now, I'm not saying it's not a good or worthwhile movie of its kind. On the contrary, it is. However, I don't think it' as memorable as the best of the period, and that's surprising given the film's outstanding writer (Mainwaring) and director (Losey).

What I think the results lack most noticeably is an intense core. Usually this is supplied by a cast principal. Here, however, the concept of publisher Wilder (Carey) is much too laid-back to supply the needed intensity. His flaw in the face of community conflict is not greed or power, but apathetic retreat after a lifetime of hard-driving journalism. Apathy is a good point to make since it allows the racial rivalry to worsen. Given the overall lack of an intense core, however, the concept comes at a price. At the same time, it's hard to see how Carey's Wilder could ever have been intense. Then too, there's Gail Russell's educated Hispanic, who could be a forceful voice for her community. But she's more a pretty presence than a factor. I'm not sure whether her retreat lies with the writer, director, or actress, or a combination thereof. However, coupling her with the laid-back Wilder creates a soft center that fails to catalyze the more incendiary elements and weakens the film as a whole. Even the angry mob provides more spectacle than either needed fear or tension.

On the positive side is a fine performance by Maurice Jara as Lopo, the hapless victim of circumstances. His anguish really comes across during the breakdown scene as the posse closes in. And I certainly agree with the reviewer who singles out Lee Patrick's sharp performance as the ethically challenged reporter Jan Dawson. It's really she who shows a seedy side of journalism by sacrificing facts for increased circulation. And catch perennial villain John Hoyt cast against type as a wealthy liberal (Ferguson) who does what he can to dampen animosities. Note too how his upper-class standing finesses class issues that might otherwise become a factor.

There are a number of topical touches that make the movie still relevant to today's audiences. Note how one of the cops roughs up Lopo with apparent impunity, though the script turns suddenly cautious by having another cop reprimand him. Note too, how whites and Latinos mix amicably at the dance, until hot-headed teens start defending their honor. The suggestion here is that it is possible for racial groups to get along socially, despite adversities. And speaking of teens, bobby-sox idol Johnny Sands is featured as hot-headed Joe Ferguson, ever ready to make a bad situation worse. Still, I can hear even now the girls of the time swooning over him.

The movie gets a big leg up by filming on location, especially in seedy surroundings that reflect rural hard work. I don't know where they went for those miles and miles of rolling rock mounds, but they're like frozen ocean waves. Plus, they aptly symbolize the desolate situation Lopo finds himself in. Given the movie's many outstanding features, I'm just sorry they don't get the cohesive impact needed to lift results into the front rank of social protest films. Nonetheless, the production is still well worth catching up with despite the relative obscurity.

Pretty impressive description of the culture struggles between the white bread caucasians and Mexican workers in 1950. Right from the start, we see a confrontation between the young upper class Joe Ferguson (John Sands... where did he go, anyway...?) and the blue-collar worker Lopo Chavez (Maurice Jara in his first role.), trying to make ends meet Also in his first role is 20 year old Tab Hunter as "Frank". Nice performance by the attractive 25-year- old Gail Russell as the lead Sunny Garcia; unfortunately Russell died before 40 from a heart attack and alleged alcoholism. The story is that when reporter Jonas Creel (Herb Anderson) meets up with Sunny at a dance, he turns in a story on the fight that breaks out, and the poop hits the fan. Macdonald Carey is the union rep "Wilder" caught in the middle, along with Creel, the reporter. Then we see the fathers and sons discussing who gets what punishment, and the chase is on for one of the workers Paul Rodriguez (Lalo Rios) who may or may not have committed a serious crime. Good story. Many of these same issues are still hot-button issues today in southern California, and all along the U.S. border.

THE DIVIDING LINE originally called THE LAWLESS in the States is a brilliant film from Joseph Losey. I suppose the American title may have sounded like a Western film so they changed it for England. What it is, is a indictment of the racial emotions and fears of the 1950's in America. The cast is superb. MacDonald Carey has never been better and he has always been an under rated performer in films. Also Gail Russell gives a performance of such honesty and naturalness that you feel you are seeing her for the first time. She was always a great beauty and good leading lady but here she proves that her early death is even more tragic because of what we know she was capable of. The film is unmissable.

Santa Marta is a small agricultural town in California. Mexicans are the fruit pickers and there is tension between the races. Paul Rodriguez and his friend Lopo Chavez are pickers. They get into a car accident and fight with a couple of local white boys. The two locals keep a grudge and spread discontent. Paul's friend Sunny Garcia works at a small Spanish-language newspaper. She meets Larry Wilder at a dance. He's the new editor of the bigger white newspaper. A fight breaks out at the dance and an unscrupulous reporter builds it up to be a riot. Paul steals an ice cream truck and becomes a fugitive after a series of incidents.

This is trying to tackle the theme of ingrained racism. It's interesting that there are differing elements within the community, both good and bad. The initial meeting with a cop is an interesting one. It's a little shocking to have a good cop dealing with these kids like human beings. There are good cops and bad cops. There are good parents and bad parents. Even the lead character is not an ally for most of the movie until he turns into a hero. The movie is not doing the easy hit. More than anything, it shows how irresponsible media can fire up the baser instincts. The movie is showing how civility can be easily lost and the ugliness bubble up.

After watching The Lawless I've come to feel there is a back story in the making of this film. First of all it comes from Paramount which was not a studio known for making socially significant films. But secondly with director Joseph Losey, a man who would shortly leave the USA never to work on our soil again, the producers were Paramount's Dollar Bills as they were known.

This is a Pine-Thomas Production and they supplied all the B films it seemed for Paramount in about 15 years from World War I until Bill Pine's death. The usual run of films for these two were decent action adventure, western, or occasionally a noir film. But this one is a real odd fish in their credits. Not to say it isn't good, because it's good and powerful. Timely too, coming out right around the time Joe McCarthy was telling he had lists of varying amounts as to how many Communists there were employed in our government.

Times like those give way to people's primal fears. The Lawless deals with the mob mentality of a southern California town when a young Mexican kid, Lalos Rios, gets himself in a jackpot during a brawl that breaks out at a dance. During his flight he gets even more problems when the cop driving the car that picked him up crashes after the driver loses control and is killed. The reason it crashes because the cop in the back seat starts pounding on him.

Ihe Lawless is about fear and people lose their trust in the law when fear steps in. Young Rios is afraid of what the mob will do and the mob of whites who were comfortably in the majority are afraid of the growing numbers of these darker and different people.

Standing up for law and order in its best sense is the editor of the local newspaper MacDonald Carey. He pays big time for going against the mob. As did director Joseph Losey and many others at that time.

Elements of They Won't Forget and Fury are found in this film and later on MGM put a lot more dollars into Trial, a film about the same issues addressed here.

Besides Carey and Rios, you'll see some outstanding performances by Gail Russell as the Mexican American love interest for Carey and by an old flame of Carey's Lee Patrick who plays a right wing reporter slanting the story against Rios for all its worth. Watch Patrick's facial expressions as she's dictating copy, they're frightening and unforgettable.

Made on the shoestring Pine-Thomas budget that Paramount normally allotted for them, The Lawless is an uncomfortable reminder of past times with very much relevance for the present.