The Law of the 45's

This film begins with a British geologist by the name of "Sir Henry Sheffield" (Broderick O'Farrell) being sent by a wealthy patron to negotiate the purchase of some land in the American west with a small-town attorney named "Gordon Rontell" (Ted Adams). Although things go quite smooth at first, once Sheffield tells him more of the details, Rontell has him kidnapped not too long afterward and forces him to sign a power of attorney which authorizes him to withdraw large amounts of money from the local bank. At the same time, he dispatches some hired thugs to burn down the houses and terrorize the people on those lands into eventually selling their property over to him--all while pretending to be outraged over these attacks. What he doesn't count on, however, is the sudden arrival of two cowboys named "Tucson Smith" (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams) and "Stoney Martin" (Al St. John) who have befriended one of his intended victims by the name of "Charlie Hayden" (Lafe McKee) who is determined to reveal the identity of the person financing these murderous raids. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay film which, because of the obvious limitations of the film industry at the time, might require the viewer to make certain allowances. And while the picture quality, sound and editing aren't necessarily that good, it does have the distinction of being the first film to debut the character of Tucson Smith who eventually became a member of the acclaimed "Three Mesquiteers" from Republic Pictures grade-B movie fame. Be that as it may, while this is certainly not a great Western by any means, I suppose it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

In Law of The 45's. Squinty eyed Tucson Smith and his sidekick Stoney try to figure out who is trying to hustle all the ranchers land and why. All signs point to the greedy slimy mustachioed lawyer (of course) Rentel. This was not bad, although really pedestrian. Big Boy Williams (yes, that is the actor's name) is pretty good as the hero here, although one questions what kind of an aim he has with that kind of gun handling. Al St. John does his usual sidekick role with great aplomb, and Ted Adams plays his limited role to the best of all his abilities. This was good, not great.

By the way, twice they alluded to the Law of The 45's, but never bothered to explain what exactly it is.

Guinn Williams who would later settle into a really nice career playing amiable lunkhead sidekicks with an occasional side trip to real villainy (check out Station West and The Glass Key for that)was in his earliest years a cowboy hero. Although not for any major studios. The Law Of 45s was made for a fly by night outfit called Normandy Pictures.

While he's pushing a herd of cattle Williams and sidekick Al St. John get themselves involved in a local range war in the Pecos Valley. Lawyer Ted Adams, an old hand at villainy in B westerns kidnaps geologist Broderick O'Farrell and forces him to sign a power of attorney. Than with money that O'Farrell has to negotiate with the ranchers, Adams terrorizes the ranchers until they sell to him outright. Of course he pretends to be their friend, just taking some jinxed property off their hands.

I never thought I'd see it, but Guinn Williams actually gets the girl in the person of Molly O'Day daughter of rancher Lafe McKee. Williams did a slew of these B westerns early in his career, but seeing this was a first for me.

Takes a bit of getting used to. Still The Law Of 45s even with that novelty is your typical B western, a bit flimsier in production values than most.

Start with a good story, based slightly on characters by William Colt MacDonald and written by Robert Emmet Tansey, then cast some of the best Western players in Hollywood, including Guinn Williams and Al St. John, as well as Lafe McKee and Glenn (billed as Glen) Strange, and a good movie should be no surprise.

The print at YouTube is pretty badly chopped up, which is irritating, but most of the action and dialogue are clear enough. And the warmth of the relationships between and among the characters, including "Tucson Smith," Williams, and "Stoney Martin" (not Brooke), St. John, helps make this an unusual B Western.

There is some clever dialogue and byplay, such as when Tucson and Stoney enter a saloon with guns drawn, and writers and actors and director all made everything work together just right.

I hope you can find a better print than the one I saw at YouTube, but it's a darn good movie and I do hope you watch it. Even that one.

Rather misleadingly titled since Mr. Sheffield isn't terribly mysterious and the title doesn't sound like a western. Of interest to devotees of the genre are the presence in the cast of an unusually capable Al St. John, still recognisable as the rangy young man from silent comedies and his beard so far only stubble, and Glen Strange as a very short-lived heavy.

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