Quand la poudre parle

Too many critics sneer at Ronald Reagan's career in films. THey obviously didn't see this film. Law and Order is a solid western made in the era when westerns were made well. The script is tight, with plenty of action, but not weighted down with too much gratuitous violence that marks most of Eastwood's films. Reagan's performance as Frame Johnson is natural and believable. His skill in the saddle is displayed several times. He comes across tough and determined, yet has scruples. THe supporting cast boasts such veterans as Russell Johnson (who appears in many sci-fi films of the fifties) and Preston Foster and Dorothy Malone. Nathan Juran directed many films and television programs and was good at maximizing the low budget that Universal gave him for this effort. Another good western starring Reagan is Last Outpost (1951). Law and Order is definitely worth seeing - If Reagan had made more films of this caliber, he might not have gone into politics.

Universal western a solid adaptation of William Burnett's novel "Saint Johnson"--also a follow-up to (or rehashing of) 1932's "Law and Order". Ronald Reagan is very good as the marshal of Tombstone in the 1880s, tired of being a "hired killer", who quits his job for a rancher's life on the outskirts of Cottonwood; unfortunately, he finds the townsfolk there much tougher than the people of Tombstone, including a scurrilous family who has tangled with the marshal before. It's never made clear how the marshal managed to get on the bad side of the Tombstone residents (they seem to want a no-nonsense approach to the law--and they've got it with Reagan--so what is their beef?). Dorothy Malone is wasted in a frivolous role as Ronnie's girl (she always seems to be saying, "I'll be here when you come back"), while the (blonde) actors playing Reagan's brothers are poor choices--they don't look or act anything like him. Still, there's a few evil, grinning sonsofbitches in the lineup who give the narrative dramatic flavor, and Reagan has a terrific scene early on protecting a prisoner from a lynch mob. Most of "Law and Order" (terrible title!) is strictly rote from a western formula, but the Red Rock Canyon locations are good and the finale very satisfying. **1/2 from ****

I had never heard of Director Nathan Juran until I saw LAW AND ORDER, and I doubt I'll remember him for any significant amount of time. He doesn't do a bad job of this B pic... simply not good enough: photography is weak, script predictable and tame, and what really saves it is the presence of the late former President Ronald Reagan and incredibly beautiful Dorothy Malone.

In the end, this is another retelling of the Wyatt Earp and bros story, with different names and against differently named foes.

Some good fighting sequences involving RR, too.

Even with technicolor and location shooting, the remake of the classic western Law and Order with Walter Huston pales in comparison. Ronald Reagan just isn't Walter Huston, he doesn't create the singleminded purpose of Huston's Frame Johnson. Reagan's forte is affability, it doesn't translate well here.

Frame Johnson and his two brothers, played by Alex Nicol and Russell Johnson, leave Tombstone where Johnson is marshal because Johnson is tired of it. They go to Contention, but the problems of lawlessness are rampant there. Corrupt sheriff Barry Kelley and town boss Preston Foster pretty much run things their way. The decent citizens call on Reagan and the brothers to help out. Brother Alex Nicol does and is killed. You can figure the rest out.

The film does have the always lovely presence of Dorothy Malone, three years away from her Oscar in Written on the Wind. Dorothy was first noticed as the bookstore proprietess who catches Humphrey Bogart's eye in The Big Sleep. She did mostly westerns after that, usually as the nice girl in gingham that the hero gets. Good thing someone saw she had more going for her than that. Here she's a reluctant saloon owner, her old man left her the place and she runs it to earn a living. Girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.

And of course you would have to be blind and ignorant of any kind of western history not to notice the obvious parallels between this film and any and all films with Wyatt Earp as the central character.

Frame Johnson (Ronald Reagan) is a marshal with a good will and integrity keeping steadily law and order . It takes place in 1882 , it is the story of Frame Johnson and the five days of fury when he stood alone against the last of the Southwest's renegade rule . But a sheriff's job is never done . Having cleaned up Tombstone , marshal Frame Johnson quits after an attempted lynching , and hopes to settle down on a ranch near Cottonwood with his fianceé Jeannie (Dorothy Malone) and to work as a cattleman . Before he can do so , it looks like he may have to clean up Cottonwood too . From Dodge City to Tombstone...His Guns Were The Only Law ¡ . A badge was his life... a saddle his home... and a six-gun his only friend!.He led Arizona's last great war on renegade rule! Haunted by a woman's scarlet lips! Hated by the brother who called him "coward"! Hunted by the man with the iron fist! But how great a sacrifice will he make for law and order? . They lived hard ... they fought hard ... they loved hard ... and they died hard !

This is the yarn of Frame Johnson , last of the great shooting marshals , in a similar story to Wyatt Earp himself , he even operates in Tombstone town along with his brothers by prohibiting wielding weapons . In fact , this one seems to be a rather free rendition of ¨My darling Clementine¨ taking similar characters playing here and there . Nice-looking but run-of-the-mill International Universal Picture Western , including some novelties , but also with usual elements , such as franctic action , thrills , crossfire , drama , romance and some spectacular action scenes . Along with an overwhelming as well as violent fight between Ronald Reagan and Preston Foster at a warehouse . A blending of functional main actors with great character players of whom Ronald Reagan holds the best role as a two-fisted sheriff . A warm and moving storyline and thanks to a personable and breathtaking action scenes makes an enjoyable movie , a real pleasure to listen to as well as watch . Being a vigorous western with nice performances from Reagan and Preston Foster who play the hero and the villian respectively . The future President USA gives a passable acting as the brave and valient hero who already cleaned up the famous Tombstone town and hopes to settle down near Cottonwood along with his girlfriend finely played by the beautiful Dorothy Malone. Reagan played all kinds of genres , Drama , Film Noir, Wartime , such as : ¨The killers¨ , ¨Hellcats of the Navy¨ , ¨This is the Army¨, ¨Desperate journey¨,¨The winning team¨ , ¨It's a great feeling¨ . And Westerns ,such as : ¨Tenesse's partner ¨, ¨Cattle Queen of Montana¨ , ¨Santa Fe trail¨ . His greatest hits were : ¨Santa Fe trail¨ , ¨Dark victory¨ and ¨King's row¨ . Over-the-top support cast , such as : Preston Foster , Alex Nicol , Ruth Hampton , Russell Johnson , Barry Kelley , Chubby Johnson , Jack Kelly , Wally Cassell and Dennis Weaver , the famous McCloud as a bad guy too .

It displays shining and glittering cinematography in gleaming Technicolor by director of photography by Clifford Stine . And stirring and atmospheric musical score by Universal regular : Herman Stein , Martin Rosen and Henry Mancini , though uncredited . The picture was effficiently produced but in medium budget by John W. Rogers. The motion picture was compellingly directed by Nathan Juran , containing some thrilling and nail-biting scenes . Juran was a good craftsman who made a lot of movies of all kinds of genres . Nathan Juran, who sometimes used pseudonym "Nathan Hertz" collaborated with Charles H. Schener in several films . Here Nathan directed it all in stylish Technicolor . Before entering the film industry as an art director in 1937 Nathan ¨Jerry¨Juran won an Academy Award for art direction on How Green Was My Valley (1941). World War II interrupted his film career, and he spent his war years with the OSS . Returning to Hollywood, he turned to directing films in the 1950s. He handled mostly low-budget westerns and sci-fi opuses, as ¨First man in the moon¨, ¨The brain from planet Arous¨, ¨The deadly Mantis¨ , ¨20 million miles to Earth¨ , ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ , his most famous being ¨The attack of the 50 foot woman¨(1958) . He was also responsible for the superb fantasy adventure ¨The 7th voyage of Sinbad¨ (1958). Juran directed some Westerns starred by Audie Murphy such as ¨Drums Across the River¨, ¨Tumbleweed¨ , ¨Gunsmoke¨ and ¨Law and Order¨ with Ronald Reagan . In the early 1960s, he journeyed to Europe, where he spent several years piloting adventure epics and spaghetti westerns such as ¨Land raiders¨. Juran made sensational Sci-fi and fantastic movies , his main legacy , such us : ¨First men oh the moon¨, ¨The 7th voyage of Simbad¨ , ¨20 million miles to earth¨, ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ and several others . Rating : 6/10, decent Western that will appeal to Ronald Reagan fans .