The Hard Man (1957)

A lawman becomes a deputy in a town where he suspects the friend he had to kill in self defense, was framed for murder.

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Leo Katcher (screenplay), Leo Katcher (novel)

Stars:

Guy Madison, Valerie French, Lorne Greene

Cast

Cast overview:
Guy Madison	...	Steve Burden
Valerie French	...	Fern Martin
Lorne Greene	...	Rice Martin
Barry Atwater	...	George Dennison
Robert Burton	...	Sheriff Hacker
Rudy Bond	...	John Rodman
Trevor Bardette	...	Mitch Willis
Renata Vanni	...	Juanita

Storyline

Steve Burden is a former lawman released for bringing in too many wanted men dead. The aging Sheriff of El Solito wants Steve for his Deputy and Steve takes the job knowing the last outlaw he killed was framed in El Solito. Looking for the man that framed him it appears that Rice Martin who controls El Solito is his man and Steve is quickly in trouble when Martin sends a man to kill him.

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Plot Keywords:

deputy | sheriff | outlaw | ambush | rifle | 

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Taglines:

He's Got the Southwest...Over a Gun-Barrel!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Reif für den Galgen

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Columbia Pictures released this film on a double feature with The Long Haul with the tag line: "The Long Haul will DELIGHT You! The Hard Man Will EXCITE You!"

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Goofs

In two scenes, there are cart tracks on the ground from previous takes - when Larry brings his father's body to town and when Burden brings Kane back to town.

User Reviews

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Guy Madison plays the title role in The Hard Man, a rather ruthless deputy sheriff who prefers to bring in his fugitives draped over the saddle. Saves a lot of judicial proceedings that way. But when an old friend he's sent to track down tries to outdraw him, Madison is forced to shoot Myron Healey who's been accused of murder. Before Healey dies he gives Madison a convincing story he was framed.

Shooting down a friend who may have been innocent sends Madison off to a nearby town looking for answers. All lines of inquiry lead to cattle baron Lorne Greene and his wife Valerie French.

I don't think Lorne Greene was cast as Ben Cartwright in Bonanza on the strength of this role. Greene's a mean one here, a guy who has increased his herd through rustling and he's got a nice batch of gunfighters on the payroll to keep questions to a minimum.

However Valerie French who played Ernest Borgnine's unfaithful wife in Jubal plays exactly the same kind of part here. She's looking for a way out of her marriage, one way or the other. Both these issues figure prominently into why Healey was killed.

The Hard Man is a nicely done adult type western with some solid performances by Madison and the rest of the cast. With some bigger name players this film would be more known, but I can't fault anyone either behind or in front of the camera for their work.