Law and Order

Even though my Encyclopedia of movie Westerns recommends it(calls it underrated)I was a little surprised by how much I liked it. A well constructed story(by John Huston), well defined roles played by great character actors, some good dialogue(when you could make it out), and surprisingly good photography(specially in the bar scenes). So maybe the sound quality was lacking, but remember this movie's from 1932, only a couple of years into sound. Nevertheless,there's a neat little gimmick near the end when the good guys are gathering up all the guns from the townspeople. One of the town ladies goes to curse a blue streak at them and just as she's getting her words out, a stagecoach drives by, muffling her obscenities. The story unfolds in a very predictable manner, but the camera-work and the acting make almost every minute enjoyable. A surprising number of pan-shots and tracking shots for a film of this era, and the deep focus photography in the saloon shots really leave a lasting impression.

A roving former lawman and his friends reluctantly become the law in Tombstone. Surprisingly dark and realistic Western despite frequent bouts of humour and an amiable, easy-going performance from Walter Huston. Written by the star's 26-year-old son John Huston, it's a thinly veiled account of the clash between Wyatt Earp and the Clantons (quite why Universal felt it necessary to change the characters' names is a mystery), although Doc Holliday is missing. Packed with smart dialogue, tense situations and a real feel for detail, Law and Order is undeservedly forgotten

Primitive and rude western writen by director to be John Huston, starring his father Walter. This is very masculine: the rare women of the films seems part of the setting, of the furniture. Tough men don't talk very long. They goes Yip and Nop. We all know that there's gonna be some shooting. We can't wait for it! This is B-Movie, but with a special sparkle that makes it unique. Yip!

"Law and Order" is one of the first (if not THE first) screen treatment of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Curiously enough, although the main characters are clearly based on the Earps and the Clantons, they are called by other names. The "Earps", for example, are called Johnson and the "Clantons", Northrup.

All that aside, "Law and Order" is an excellent action packed western from the early sound era. As such, many of the actors were still learning to act for sound. So you will still see many of the exaggerated facial expressions and gestures that were common in silent films. The gunfight sequence is as good as you will ever see.

Walter Huston plays a Wyatt Earp type character called Frame Johnson who with his brother Luther (Russell Hopton) sidekick Deadwood (Raymond Hatton) and a Doc Holiday type character called Brandt (Harry Carey), ride into the lawless town of Tombstone. There they encounter the ruthless Northrup Brothers (Ralph Ince, Harry Woods, Richard Alexander) culminating in the famous gunfight which takes place, for the most part,in the O.K. barn. Along the way, Huston hangs a dim-witted murderer (a very young and very thin Andy Devine).

Huston plays the lead alternatively between a Gary Cooperish style country bumpkin and the no nonsense law enforcer. Carey as always is excellent as the stove pie hatted gambler Brandt. Woods is his usual sneering villain. Also down the cast list is a young Walter Brennan as a saloon worker and perennial bartender Dewey Robinson as, you guessed it, the bartender.

"Law and Order" is an excellent western of this or any other period. It is a pity that it is not more widely available for viewing.

If you are old enough to remember the "oaters" from television in the '50s, this is one that you wish you had seen. A thinly vieled "Gunfight at the OK Corral" 25 years before the fact with few words, much action and as the shorts used to say "blazing guns". No gratuitous shootimg here. All the bad guys deserved it.