Day of the Badman

This routine horse opera from Universal stars Fred MacMurray at the height of his success. He plays Judge Jim Scott, the incorruptible small town hero who has to sentence a killer - and contend with the pressures exerted by the guilty man's family.

Filmed in Universal's trademark bright, clear Eastmancolor, the film has an attractive look, even if the characterisation is crude. The bad guys go unshaven, and Lee Van Cleef even wears a black hat.

Rudy Hayes killed a man in cold blood, and at eleven o'clock on this fateful morning, Judge Scott will carry out his sworn duty and sentence the murderer to death by hanging. Charlie Hayes (Robert Middleton) and the hot-headed Howie (Skip Homeier) have come into town as representatives of the all-bad Hayes clan, to see if they can exert some crooked influence, and save Rudy's neck.

Such sub-plot as exists centres on Judge Scott's fiancee, Myra, who has fallen in love with another man - no other than Barney Wiley, the town's good-looking new sherriff (John Ericson).

Even in the Wild West, it is stretching things a little to have a circuit judge engaging in a knife-fight before sitting, and drawing his pistol in the courtroom. The attempts of the Hayes boys to pervert the course of justice are ham-fisted and frankly unbelievable, as is the spurious whinnying of a horse which alerts Judge Jim to danger - twice!

The early passages of the film are good, showing the judge operating in and with the community as a respected citizen, until in mimicry of 'High Noon' the good people of the town desert the judge when the going gets tough. Edgar Buchanan, stalwart of a thousand westerns, is competent as Sam, the judge's loyal sidekick. Myra (Joan Weldon) and Barney are so lightly-drawn as characters that the actors can be forgiven for failing to impress. No doubt Marie Windsor had fun playing the bad girl Cora, but both the Hayes kinsmen, Monte and Jake, are dreadfully under-used.

Predictable, static and utterly unsubtle, perhaps this film, and those like it, do no more than mirror the values of the society which gave rise to them - the predictable, static and utterly unsubtle America of the Eisenhower era.

Directed by Harry Keller. Starring Fred MacMurray, Robert Middleton, John Ericson, Joan Weldon, Skip Homeier, Marie Windsor, Edgar Buchanan, Eduard Franz, Peggy Converse, Lee Van Cleef, Robert Foulk.

The unscrupulous kin of a convicted murderer show up to pressure the impassive judge (MacMurray) for leniency in sentencing; one of them is Van Cleef, so there's no doubt that they're bad news. Serviceable Western with a goofy title miffs its dramatic potential; decent performances and a few promising scenes/interactions (including a sub-plot where the judge's lady love (Weldon) is having an affair with sheriff Ericson), but it doesn't add up to much. Film lacks tension on its way to the protagonist's decision and it all but fizzles out during the underwhelming climax. Working with a low budget, journeyman director Keller fails to bring much style or suspense to the proceedings, but it's still slightly better than its all-but-forgotten status would suggest.

53/100

Decent and though-provoking Western with a magnificent Fred MacMurray and a splendid plethora of secondaries . An intelligent , adult and impressively tense Western based on a story by John Cunningham and screenplay by Lawrence Roman . A top-notch cast under superb direction by Harry Keller makes this movie notable in every aspect ,being shot on Universal International Pictures scenarios and locations that serve to increase the mood of claustrophobic tension .This Acceptable , Simple , Powerful , Enjoyable picture tells the story of a valiant judge : Jim Scott (Fred MacMurray) who attempts to settle down for a peaceful existence ; however at the noisy town he must fight and standing against impossible odds , as he has to confront the vengeful , vicious Hayes clan (Robert Middleton, Skip Homeier , Lee Van Cleef) who amble into town on the day . As the upright judge who seems unconcerned against threats is expected to sentence killer Rudy Hayes to hang . Things go wrong when the judge to be aware the sheriff (John Ericson) , Scott's chief ally, is also the secret lover of Scott's girlfriend (Joan Weldon) . Meanwhile , Hayes Brothers make an explicit death menace against him .The story of a man who was too proud to run . When these hands point straight up...the excitement starts! . He turned killer...for one day . Violence...Temptation...Treachery...were the only laws they obeyed!

A Tense and Suspenseful Western with a simple story that engages the viewer until the last scene . The film packs thrills , psychological drama , action , crossfire , loving triangle , and being enough entertaining . It's a medium budget film with acceptable actors , technicians , functional production values and pleasing results . Pretty good and pleasant traditional Western with professional direction and flawlessly acted by Fred MacMurray who steals the show as a peaceful judge who learns that he has become a tough fighter . A Hollywood production full of interesting characters , shootouts and intense drama .This ¨Day of the badman¨not the best Western ever,...but pretty darn close . It is a brilliant studio of a mob mentality in ¨Fred Zinneman's High Noon¨ -the Prototype for a Hundred Westerns- style with strong individual characterizations , and paced in psychological tendry . As the desolation and bleakness of this town stands in contrast to the heroism starred by the brave judge .But for all the obviousness of its meaning , including a simplistically liberal message , which once made it seem a landmark in the adult Western , the picture is really intriguing , not merely because Harry Keller's tersely economic narration of his material , but because Universal Pictures made a decission to cut budget and reducing locations .This acceptable and passable western is plenty of suspense as the dreaded trial approaches and the protagonist realizes he must stand alone but his fellow town people for help , nobody is willing to help him , as the townsfolk start wondering how much bloodshed one hanging is worth . The narration is perfectly adjusted , from the beginning , until the final showdown and being approximately developed in Runtime 81 min . Director managed to create a nice work of art with fine acting , appropriate scenarios , and attractive plot . It provides wonderful sociological lessons that are timeless and transcend the genre. Bursting with appealing , top-drawer characters, including decent filmmaking and interpretation . The confrontation results to be tense , charged and riveting . Fred MacMurray makes a Pretty Good Judge named Jim Scott , he doesn't wear a gun who must contend with the vicious relatives of a murderer he's about to sentence. This is one of a clutch of acceptable horse operas Fred made in the forties , in the late 50s and the early sixties , such as ¨Texas Rangers¨, ¨The trail of the lonesome Pine¨, ¨A gun for a coward¨, ¨Good day for a hanging¨ and this ¨At gunpoint¨. Although MacMurray also played other genres as drama , adventures , wartime , children films , such as : The happiest millionaire , The shaggy dog , Son of Flubber , The absent-minded profesor , The princess come across , The Caine mutiny , Dive bomber , Above suspicion , Murder he says , The miracle of the bells , Alice Adams , The apartment , and Noir film as the classy : Double indemnity . MacMurray is accompanied by the beautiful Joan Weldon as his unfaithful fiancee. And a very good and large support cast , such as :John Ericson , Robert Middleton , Marie Windsor , Edgar Buchanan , Eduard Franz , Skip Homeier , Don Haggerty , Ann Doran and the always great Lee Van Cleef .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Harry Keller . Harry worked at Republic Pictures , specializing in westerns , where he shot a lot , such as : Phantom Stallion ,Red River Shore ,Paso Stampede , Bandits of the West , Savage Frontier , Marshal of Cedar Rock , Thundering Caravans , Black Hills Ambush , Rose Cimarron , Fort Dodge , Stampede , Desert of lost men , Tarnished and most of them starred by Allan Lane and Rex Allen . When that studio folded he went to Universal, directing westerns again : Quantez , Gundown at Sandoval , 6 Black Horses , interspersed with some dramas/thrillers : Step Down to Terror , Man Afraid , Voice in the mirror , Female Animal , comedies : Tammy and the Doctor and war pictures : In Enemy Country. In the late 1960s he stopped directing films and started producing them, although he did keep his hand in directing TV shows. Keller gained some degree of fame as the director called in by Universal to reshoot scenes from Orson Welles' masterpiece Touch of evil (1958), and by most accounts -including Welles'- matched Welles' style quite well . Rating . 6.5/10 . Better than average western . Well worth watching

Prior to sentencing a murderer to the gallows, the judge, the sheriff, and the townsfolk, find themselves being intimidated by the killer's violent family. Putting asides comparisons with the similarly themed (and superior) 'High Noon' (1952), 'Day of the Bad Man' is a reasonably good western and the issue of threat to 'justice' rather than to single man makes it somewhat deeper than the Gary Cooper classic. Fred MacMurray is quite good as Judge Jim Scott (although the earnest hero who 'reluctantly straps on the gun again' had become a bit of a cliché by the late 1950s). As patriarch of the Hayes clan, a vicious family of black-hats willing to commit any violence to save one of their own from the gallows, Robert Middleton is suitably menacing as are son Howie (Skip Homeier) and cousin Jake (squinty-eyed great Lee van Cleef). Edgar Buchannan (Petticoat Junction's Uncle Joe) is along on side-kick duty and John Ericson plays the 'all show, no substance' sheriff. The storyline is predictable, with only a lazily-handled 'lover's triangle', which puts the judge and the sheriff at odds, adding any novelty to the plot. The ending seems to draw criticism as being contrived, implausible, and serving only to set up the final confrontation but I suspect that Judge Scott's actions are part of a deliberate plan to end the story 'then and there', with either his death or the deaths of the Hayes crew, to avoid the lifelong fear of revenge on himself or on the craven townies. The cinematography is great, notably the opening shot of the noose and the approaching riders.

"Day of the Badman" is a decent film and it stars Fred MacMurray...which isn't bad. But it's also a completely unnecessary film as the plot is essentially a reworking of "High Noon"....so why not just watch "High Noon"?!

When the film begins, you learn that a man was convicted of murder and is awaiting sentencing. However, his family comes to town and begins an intimidation program aimed at getting the guy only a slap on the wrist instead of a proper hanging. Over time, the good townsfolk turn out to be yellow and would rather let the killer go than face the wrath of his scum-bag kin. The only one standing in the way is the Judge (MacMurray).

The only real difference between this and "High Noon" is the subplot about the Judge's girl making time with the Sheriff. This clearly isn't enough reason to merit making the film but is mildly interesting. Competently made but lacking originality.