The Lawless Breed (1953)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

William Alland (story)
Bernard Gordon (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 January 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Romance | Western

Tagline:

He cut a swath of daring across the great southwest!

Plot:

After being released from prison, ex-gunfighter John Wesley Hardin hopes to have his autobiography published in order to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation.

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | False Accusation | Religious Fanatic | Infamy | Target Practice

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	John Wesley Hardin
Julie Adams	...	Rosie (as Julia Adams)
Mary Castle	...	Jane Brown
John McIntire	...	J.G. Hardin / John Clements
Hugh O'Brian	...	Ike Hanley
Dennis Weaver	...	Jim Clements
Forrest Lewis	...	Zeke Jenkins
Lee Van Cleef	...	Dirk Hanley
Tom Fadden	...	Chick Noonan, Undertaker
Race Gentry	...	Young John Hardin
Richard Garland	...	Joe Clements
Glenn Strange	...	Ben Hanley
William Pullen	...	Joe Hardin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Lynn	...	Texas Ranger Duncan (unconfirmed)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Andy Jauregui Ranch - Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

The real Hardin was a brutal killer who claimed some 43 victims, some shot in the back and one for snoring too loud. The number of people he murdered is still unknown.

Quotes:

John Wesley Hardin: My father, J. G. Hardin, was a preacher and circuit rider. He was a strong, God-fearing man who carried his Bible like a six-gun and fought with the Devil wherever he found him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

The Misunderstood Gunfighter!

"The Lawless Breed" attempts to tell the life story of John Wesley Hardin, the misunderstood gunfighter, from his point of view.

The story begins with Hardin (Rock Hudson) being released from prison after serving 16 of 25 years for murder. He goes to the local newspaper and presents the editor with a hand written story of his life. The film then flashes back to his youth where young "Wes" is practicing his fast draw. His father, Preacher J.G. Hardin (John McIntyre) takes a whip to him, condemning his life style. Wes decides to leave home and pursue his dream of earning enough money to buy a small horse ranch for himself and his sweetheart Jane Brown (Mary Castle).

The rest of the film can be summed up with the phrase, "I never killed anyone who didn't try to kill me first". He is forced to gun down gambler Gus Handley (Michael Ansara) which brings upon him the wrath of his three brothers, Ike (Hugh O'Brian), Dirk (Lee Van Cleef) and Ben (Glenn Strange).

While trying to escape a posse, Hardin hides out with his uncle John Clements (McIntyre again) and his sons Jim (Dennis Weaver) and Joe (Richard Garland). When he returns home to fetch Jane, she is killed during his escape from the farm. Hardin takes solace in the arms of "saloon girl" Rosie (Julia Adams) whom he later marries.

Ready to surrender to the law after his planned marriage, Hardin is double-crossed and...........................................

Rock Hudson, on the verge of becoming a super star, turns in an excellent performance as the troubled Hardin. He plays the character over a 20 year period. This was one of his first starring roles. He benefited greatly from the direction of the veteran director Raoul Walsh who managed to expose his real talent for the first time.

As in most of Universal's fast paced little eighty minute color westerns, there is plenty of action and beautiful Technicolor photography. It also had the benefit of a cast of recognizable supporting players, most of whom had appeared in countless "B" westerns. In addition to those already mentioned above, Steve Darrell appears as Sheriff Jenkins, Robert Anderson as Wild Bill Hickcock, Dick Wessel, Emory Parnell and I. Stanford Jolley as various bartenders, Francis Ford (brother of John) as a saloon sweeper and George Wallace as a saloon bully.

An entertaining western.