Lawman (1971)
Posted: April 23rd, 2011, 11:13 pm
.
I tuned in to this thinking it was a pilot movie to introduce the TV series (Lawman), but found it was a regular western starring Burt Lancaster and Robert Ryan. Never a particular fan of either one, I'm still always ready to give credit to accomplished actors and this one deserved it. Made in 1971, they were no young chicks, Ryan at 62 and Burt at 58 gave rousing perforemances as two ex gunfighters, both sheriffs of small towns, who, although respecting each other, disagreed on how to spend those final years of serving the law. Ryan just wanted a comfy rocking chair on a shady porch where he could simply arrest a drunk occasionally, but Burt continued involving himself in any illegal occurrences. After celebrating a finalized cattle drive, 6 or 7 drovers came into Burt's town and got too liquored up and started wahooing on Main Street shooting one elderly shop keeper and scaring the other townspeople. So, Burt follows them to their own home town and plans to arrest all of them and take them back for trial. This, of course is where he meets Robert Ryan and they have a few heart to hearts discussing their futures. This could have been just another land baron vs. sheriff movie, but the talents of the two main stars, plus Lee J. Cobb as the land baron brings the whole movie up to a higher level on the bar. I guess thinking they were nearing the end of their own careers, they took this rather uninspiring little script to play with, but these guys can't do that. No matter what the reason, they give their 110%, and turn an insipid little film into a good movie. I cannot say great movie because the writing just isn't that spectacular, and the cameraman played just a little too much with shadows and hide 'n seek focus. But it is certainly better than the average bear, and you might like it if you check it out.'
.
I tuned in to this thinking it was a pilot movie to introduce the TV series (Lawman), but found it was a regular western starring Burt Lancaster and Robert Ryan. Never a particular fan of either one, I'm still always ready to give credit to accomplished actors and this one deserved it. Made in 1971, they were no young chicks, Ryan at 62 and Burt at 58 gave rousing perforemances as two ex gunfighters, both sheriffs of small towns, who, although respecting each other, disagreed on how to spend those final years of serving the law. Ryan just wanted a comfy rocking chair on a shady porch where he could simply arrest a drunk occasionally, but Burt continued involving himself in any illegal occurrences. After celebrating a finalized cattle drive, 6 or 7 drovers came into Burt's town and got too liquored up and started wahooing on Main Street shooting one elderly shop keeper and scaring the other townspeople. So, Burt follows them to their own home town and plans to arrest all of them and take them back for trial. This, of course is where he meets Robert Ryan and they have a few heart to hearts discussing their futures. This could have been just another land baron vs. sheriff movie, but the talents of the two main stars, plus Lee J. Cobb as the land baron brings the whole movie up to a higher level on the bar. I guess thinking they were nearing the end of their own careers, they took this rather uninspiring little script to play with, but these guys can't do that. No matter what the reason, they give their 110%, and turn an insipid little film into a good movie. I cannot say great movie because the writing just isn't that spectacular, and the cameraman played just a little too much with shadows and hide 'n seek focus. But it is certainly better than the average bear, and you might like it if you check it out.'
.