Bad Lands (1939)

Robert Barrat (Sheriff Bill Cummings), Noah Beery, Jr. (Chick Lyman), Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Billy Sweet), Andy Clyde (Henry Cluff), Paul Hurst (Dogface), Robert Coote (Eaton), Addison Richards (Raeburn), Douglas Walton (Mulford), Francis Ford (Charlie Garth), Francis McDonald (Lopez), Carlyle Moore, Jr. (cavalry lieutenant), Billy Wilkerson (Indian).Director: LEW LANDERS. Story and screenplay: Clarence Upson Young. Photography: Frank Redman. Film editor: George Hively. Art directors: Van Nest Polglase and Feild Gray. Music: Roy Webb. Music director: Constantin Bakaleinikoff. Assistant director: Sam Ruman. Sound recording: Earl A. Wolcott. RCA Sound System. Production supervisor: Lee Marcus. Producer: Robert Sisk. Copyright 11 August 1939 by RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 8 August 1939. U.S. release: 11 August 1939. Australian release: November 1939. 70 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A posse is trapped in the mountains by Apache Indians.COMMENT: The dramatic idea of isolating a varied assortment of characters in a perilous, life-or-death situation is not exactly new, but it is given a vigorous work-out here in this highly-charged western, enacted by a fine cast of veteran players led by Robert Barrat. The direction by Lew Landers is also surprisingly taut and together with Frank Redman's grippingly atmospheric photography magnificently manages to keep even a usually inattentive audience's eyes and ears firmly on the screen.

I watched Bad Lands on TCM during the wee hours this morning and was favorably impressed with this remake of 1934's The Lost Patrol, so like it in many ways, however this time in a Wild West setting.I found it enjoyable to watch many 30's & 40's villains play against type as heroes instead of their usual nasties. On the other hand Noah Beery, Jr. to my knowledge, played a bad guy for the only time in his film career. Noah was not the son of actor Wallace Beery, but of noted silent screen villain Noah Beery, Sr., Wallace's brother.Anyone notice that actor Douglas Walton played in both Lost Patrol and Bad Lands? In Patrol he was the first of Sgt. Victor McLaglen's troopers to die, while somehow in Bad Lands he managed to be the last of Sheriff Robert Barrat's posse to bite the dust. One might say this to have been poetic justice, I suppose.Oh yes, I wish to mention 6-footer John Payne,outrageously miscast as the Indian, Apache Jack. Let's face it: Geronimo he was not.

Apacheria Land of the Apaches is the setting for this remake of the Lost Patrol which was set in... Iraq! Here frontier characters duel the Apaches and each other for survival in a merciless landscape. Except for the setting and the Americanization of the characters it is a scene by scene retelling of John Ford's film. The cast members are all familiar faces film character actors with the emphasis on actor instead of Star. The film was probably a second feature tryout for its director and some cast members. Solid but not top drawer. A nice change would've been showing the warriors of Apache Jack's band of renegades reactions to their own losses. This film and it's predecessors the Ford film and the Soviet film that may have inspired them Ten would be seen in Zoltan Korda's Sahara with Humphrey Bogart, The Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven, Duel at Diablo,and Ulzana's Raid.

Most westerns of the 30's and 40's are all alike. Usually shallow representations of the wild west, with no real development of the characters, and always a hero cowboy present to steal the show. This old gem of a movie appeared to be a sincere attempt by the excellent director (Lew Landers) to go a step further. The main character (and only survivor) was a middle-aged sheriff of so-so looks versus the handsome super cowboy. Along with the laughable bullet-flinging scenes (*sigh*) we are shown some of the personality of the other actors. How many times have you seen an old old western where the Lord's Prayer is prayed aloud by one of the cowboys? Barrat does a good job as the sheriff of the posse. I wish they hadn't killed off Henry Cluff (Andy Clyde) so early in the film. Further development of his character might have added to the film, in my opinion. It was fun to see Noah Beery Jr. in his 20's in this film (remember the Rockford Files?). Although it was a short role, great to see John Payne, who was a favorite of mine as a teenager. I rated this a 6/10, which is a good rating.