The Hanged Man

The title role of The Hanged Man is played by Steve Forrest who plays a notorious gunfighter who was duly hanged for a crime he committed and declared dead. But the only problem was the report of his demise was greatly exaggerated. Whether he was cut down too soon or the rope wasn't tight enough or some unseen power intervened, point is that Forrest is still walking around and breathing. And he's reflecting on a new chance at life because his old life had led him up thirteen steps to the hangman's noose. And he's legally dead.

His first chance at redemption comes in helping widow Sharon Acker and her little boy Bobby Eilbacher fight off the designs of mining tycoon Cameron Mitchell. He's not too squeamish about his methods and has young gunslinger Brendon Boone on his payroll who despite the mystique surrounding Forrest is eager for showdown.

This unsold TV pilot which was produced by Bing Crosby didn't break any new ground and westerns on television were getting scarce. Around this time Bonanza and Gunsmoke ended their runs and the few that have succeeded them up to this time haven't had their staying power. Speaking of Bonanza this was Ray Teal's farewell role and Bonanza fans will remember his semi-regular presence as sheriff Roy Coffey of Virginia City.

The Hanged Man might have been picked up for a television series fifteen years earlier when westerns were a glut on the market. As it is western fans will have little reason to complain.

Released to TV in 1974 and directed by Michael Caffey, "The Hanged Man" is a Western starring Steve Forrest as a condemned man who miraculously survives a hanging and decides to help a widow (Sharon Acker) prevent a ruthless land baron (Cameron Mitchell) from chasing her off her remote desert ranch. Will Geer is on hand as an old-timer on the ranch while BarBara Luna plays the condemned man's babe. Brendon Boone appears as the lead henchman while Rafael Campos plays a priest.

"The Hanged Man" was a pilot for a series that never materialized. Producers would make these pilots long enough to be released as a self-contained movie to recoup their losses in the event it wasn't picked up and this was the case with "The Hanged Man." Despite being a TV movie, it has a generally realistic vibe. The premise is interesting, the cast is fine and the movie's short-and-sweet. But it lacks the pizazz to cull it from its TV Western mediocrity. There's a reason it wasn't picked up for a series. Still, it's worth checking out if you favor the actors and late 60s/early 70's Westerns.

Speaking of the actors, the movie features two alumni from the late 60's Star Trek TV series: BarBara Luna appeared in the acclaimed 2nd Season episode "Mirror, Mirror" while Sharon Acker appeared in the 3rd Season Golden Turkey "The Mark of Gideon." BarBara later appeared on two 2nd Season episodes of Buck Rogers and the 25th Century as Hawk's (totally hot) babe.

The film runs 73 minutes and was shot in Old Tucson & Mescal, Arizona, and Red Rock Canyon State Park, Cantil, California.

GRADE: C+

The Producers intent to became it in a TV series what they previously labeled as Pilot where James Devlin (Steve Forrest) is suppose not guilty man by an insolved murder, due he'd bad background as gunfighter, he is sentenced to death by hanging, turns out that Devlin after be hanged strangely back to the life without further explanations, something alike unearthly by the way, aftermaths he left the town aiming for never going back, meanwhile wandering adrift finds himself in a settlement where allegedly has a huge orebody of silver belonged to gorgeous widow Carry Gault (Sharon Acker) left by his dead husband, with a sole elder work Nameless (Will Geer).

Oddly enough such place drawn attention of the greedy Lew Halleck (Cameron Mitchell) due such mining area will supply his large silver's foundry at outskirts of town, nonetheless Carry wasn't willing to sell the area for two main reasons, firstly she believes that was sit down in a precious ore minerals mainly silver, second by the Halleck's harsh way trying buy the mining claim for lowest price, pushing the widow thru warmongering manner, to worsen her allied Devlin didn't get any romantic interest in the eye candy-derisible widow, it' a crying shame.

This small TV picture is high regarded in Brazil, mainly by inusual offering and a strong supporting casting as Dean Jagger, Will Greer, Cameron Michell, Barbara Luna, Ray Teal and mainly the blonde bombshell Cary Acker among others, sadly a tiny dealer has earmarked a warn-out lousy DVD copy to ashamed the buyer at the extent to give up to watch it for so bad print, thanks to our weather-friend Youtube where is available a decent clean image with classic dubbed version, unfortunately the forthcoming series never sees the light.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1996 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD-Youtube / Rating: 6.5.

There's a line in Macbeth when the new king of Scotland has his best friend killed, then sees his ghost at a state dinner. He says something to the effect that back in the day, "When the brains were out, the man stayed dead." Oh, if only everyone who got hanged in movies and television stayed dead, keeping Mac happy and Banquo resting peacefully.

But Steve Forrest just looked and acted dead in ABC's The Hanged Man, a series pilot that went nowhere, thanks to the saner heads at the network. The mini-movie--an interminable 74 minutes of back lot cheesiness and dreadful acting--is available on video in dollar stores across the nation.

You can read the other reviews for a synopsis. I will just tell you that there are constitutional safeguards against cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners.

No such safeguards are in place for TV viewers.

With a director that really knew how to direct a western this could have been a really good movie. It's still well worth watching. I just wish it had a little more about the super natural than it did. The acting was pretty good, and had a lot of recognizable actors in it.