The Lawless Breed (1953)

A lot of fun.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Episodic saga based on the autobiography of outlaw John Wesley Hardin , Rock Hudson , published after being released from jail in 1896, having served seventeen years of twenty five year sentence. Hardin was an American , Old West outlaw , gunslinger and controversial folk icon .Hardin's life of crime begins with a murder in self-defense that scales into further bloodshed and flights from the law. It deals with the particular relation to his overly religious father , a stiff Pastor splendidly played by John MacIntire and his love for his step-sister , the attractive Mary Castle .Out of prison Hardin hopes to have his biography edited in order to rehabilitate his tarnished memories . Along the way Hardin falls for a saloon girl , Julie Adams , marries her, and they have a son , with whom he has strong arguments when he fears will follow in his violent footsteps .Decent Western about a known gunfighter, this Hardin's story is unique because it was written by the man himself. This extraordinary testament , now a collector's ítem , was published in Seguin Texas in 1896. Main cast gives acceptable acting as Rock Hudson , Julie London , Mary Castle and John McIntire in a double role. And prestigious secondaries as Lee Van Cleef , Dennis Weaver, Glenn Strange. The motion picture produced by William Alland was professionally directed by Raoul Walsh a great filmmaker who directed several films , many of them deemed classic movies . He made a lot of Westerns such as The King and 4 queens , The tall men ,Gun fury , Along the great divide, Sílver river, Distant drums,Pursued , Dark command, They died with the boots on , Big traíl and this one .The picture is partíally based on facts.The real John Wesley (1853-1895) was a sadistic and a ruthless murderer who killed at least 43 people .From an early age , he often got himself into trouble with the law .Pursued by lawmen for most of his life he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder in 1877 , in Huntsville jail . In 1879 Hardin and other convicts were stopped while attempting to steal guns from thr prison armory and he made several attemts to escape . When he was sentenced he reclaimed to have killed 42 men but newspapers of the day attributed only 27 death to him .While in prison Hardin wrote a biased autobiography and studied law. During his prison term he was convict of another manslaughter for the early shooting an inmate and given two year sentence to be served concurrently with his unexpired 25 year sentence . He was released in 1894. In August 1895,Hardin was shot to death by John Selman, himself a notorious gunman and former outlaw.Selman was arrested for murder and stood trial , though he claimed self-defense.

Decent if a bit overdone western competently directed by Walsh. Rock Hudson, right on the cusp of big time stardom with his next film Magnificent Obsession, is solid in the lead. The always reliable Julie Adams, a most underrated talent that Hollywood never figured out how to use properly, is terrific if stuck with the thankless part of the whore with a heart of gold who is redeemed by the love of a man. John Ireland appears in a dual role, he's fine in the one, the trusted uncle and a bit much in the other as Hudson's father although with the purple prose he has to deliver who can blame him for trying to make something out of it by going over the top.

I am a descendant of John Wesley Hardin, of whom this movie was made. My great grandmother was his niece. I think this movie was a marvelous tribute because John Wesley was an educated, cultural person. He just didn't have a lot of patience when it came to certain factors. Like shooting a man for snoring. I am honored that the Hollywood "factor" would cast Rock Hudson as John Wesley, as John W was a very handsome man according to the tintographs I have of him from my g-grandmother. This is an under-rated movie worth watching and the female lead is indeed an actress under-rated - she is lovely and supportive. A grand western! AMB

Formulaic western casts Rock Hudson in a movie that tries somehow to garner sympathy and understanding for one of the most sadistic and ruthless desperadoes of all time. John Wesley Hardin was an ugly and unrepentant mass murderer but Hollywood paints him as misunderstood and well-meaning. Historical silliness aside, the movie is fast-moving and well acted, just dumb.