The Badge of Marshal Brennan (1957)

Director:

Albert C. Gannaway

Writer:

Tom Hubbard (written by)

Release Date:

14 April 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

COLD-EYED STRANGER...a wanted killer who wore a dead marshal's star!

Plot:

Jim Davis is a man on the run. He comes across the body of a dead man wearing the badge of a marshal...

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Badge | Epidemic | Stranger | Herd

Cast

Jim Davis	...	Jeff Harlan / The Stranger
Arleen Whelan	...	Murdock
Carl Smith	...	Sheriff Carl Smith
Harry Lauter	...	Dr. Steve Hale, M.D.
Marty Robbins	...	Felipe
Douglas Fowley	...	Marshal Matt Brennan
Lee Van Cleef	...	Shad Donaphin
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Colonel Donaphin
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Chickamon (as Larry Dobkin)
Eddie Crandall	...	Pepe Joe
Darryl Guy	...	George
Rick Vallin	...	Deputy Jody (as Ric Vallon)
Edward Colmans	...	Governor Ainley (as Edward Colemans)
Ramey Idriss	...	Musician (as Ramez Idriss)

Directed by
Albert C. Gannaway

Writing credits
Tom Hubbard		(written by) (as Thomas G. Hubbard)

Produced by
Albert C. Gannaway	....	producer
Tom Hubbard	....	associate producer (as Thomas G. Hubbard)

Original Music by
Ramey Idriss

Cinematography by
Charles Straumer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lester D. Guthrie	....	assistant director (as Lester Guthrie)

Sound Department
Leon M. Leon	....	sound

Stunts
Bill Coontz	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Robert Hinkle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Hannawalt	....	key grip

Editorial Department
Asa Boyd Clark	....	supervising editor

Other crew
Jack Church	....	technical advisor
Bill Coontz	....	technical advisor
Darryl Guy	....	production assistant
Richard LaCroix	....	assistant to producer
Mai Santacroce	....	script supervisor (as Mai Dietrich)
Bill Ward	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Albert C. Gannaway Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Austria (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1957) (Canada) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound

Also Known As:

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved | West Germany:0 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Cascade Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Albert C. Gannaway Productions

Trivia:

The on-screen crediting of Ramey Idriss as the music performer states that he was playing Fender guitars.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The road the sheriff and the governor are riding on has automobile tire marks.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sheriff leading posse:Let him go. Even with a price on his head, he isn't worth chasing into Apache land.

Soundtrack:

Man on the Run

Excellent "B" western

The Badge of Marshal Brennan is a "B" western starring Jim Davis who later gained fame as the Ewing patriarch in Dallas. Davis was an imposing gentleman with a rugged face and a deep commanding voice. He played villains in "A" westerns and heroes in "B" westerns. In The Badge of Marshal Brennan he plays "The Stranger", a man on the run, who comes across a dying marshal. After the marshal dies, he buries the body and takes the badge. At the next town, he is mistaken for the dead marshal. The town had sent for Marshal Brennan because of an epidemic, outlaws and panic. The Stranger sees it as a chance to hide from his pursuers. What he doesn't realize is that by taking on the badge of Marshal Brennan, he takes on the responsibilities of the dead marshal.

It is an excellent movie, one I remember well, even after many years. Davis, as always, give a strong performance as a man who has to look inside himself and finds much more there than he thought. It has mystical overtones that are interesting but do not interfere with its tough "B" western quality.

If it ever comes out on DVD, I would strongly recommend it to any western fan.