The Lawless Breed

Posted by Larita Shotwell on Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Early-west gunman, John Wesley Hardin, has his life put on film in The Lawless Breed . Presumably based on Hardin's actual story of his career, published when he was released from a Texas prison after serving 16 years for killing a law man, the production has plenty of robust action stirred up by Raoul Walsh's direction.

Early-west gunman, John Wesley Hardin, has his life put on film in The Lawless Breed . Presumably based on Hardin’s actual story of his career, published when he was released from a Texas prison after serving 16 years for killing a law man, the production has plenty of robust action stirred up by Raoul Walsh’s direction.

The plot unfolds episodically and swiftly, telling how Hardin earned his reputation as a killer after getting his first victim in self defense, goes on the lam from the law and vengeance-seeking kinfolks, is forced into more killings, loses his sweetheart (Mary Castle) to a posse’s bullets and acquires a new one in Julie Adams, the girl who later becomes his wife.

Rock Hudson does a very good job of the main character, and Adams makes much of her femme lead. John McIntire scores in dual roles, one as Hardin’s overly-righteous, preacher father, and the other as the gunman’s uncle.

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The Lawless Breed

  • Production: Universal. Director Raoul Walsh; Producer William Alland; Screenplay Bernard Gordon; Camera Irving Glassberg; Editor Frank Gross; Art Director Bernard Herzbrun, Richard H. Riedel
  • Crew: (Color) Extract of a review from 1952. Running time: 83 MIN.
  • With: Rock Hudson Julie Adams Mary Castle John McIntire Hugh O'Brian Dennis Weaver

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