The Badlanders (1958)

Two men are released from the Arizona Territorial Prison at Yuma in 1898. One, the Dutchman, is out to get both gold and revenge from the people of a small mining town who had him ... See full summary »

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

Richard Collins (screenplay), W.R. Burnett (novel)

Stars:

Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Katy Jurado

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alan Ladd	...	Peter Van Hoek ('The Dutchman')
Ernest Borgnine	...	John 'Mac' McBain
Katy Jurado	...	Anita
Claire Kelly	...	Ada Winton
Kent Smith	...	Cyril Lounsberry
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Vincente (The Powder Monkey)
Robert Emhardt	...	Sample
Anthony Caruso	...	Comanche
Adam Williams	...	Leslie
Ford Rainey	...	Warden
John Daheim	...	Lee (as John Day)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Baxley	...	Diane (scenes deleted)
Zina Provendie	...	Dorothy Lounsberry (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Two men are released from the Arizona Territorial Prison at Yuma in 1898. One, the Dutchman, is out to get both gold and revenge from the people of a small mining town who had him imprisoned unjustly. The other, McBain, is just trying to go straight, but that is easier said than done once the Dutchman involves him in his gold theft scheme.

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Plot Keywords:

gold | arizona | scheme | gold theft | fiesta | 

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 1958 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Geraubtes Gold

Filming Locations:

Imperial County, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Arcola Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (as Perspecta Sound®) (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the mine shaft cave-in during and after the ore is removed, a large vertical chuck of rock is shown breaking away from the shaft wall and collapsing twice.

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Quotes

Peter Van Hoek: And this time, we won't need a button hook...

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Connections

Version of Cool Breeze (1972)

User Reviews

Efficient yet routine.

The Badlanders is directed by Delmer Daves (Broken Arrow/3:10 to Yuma) and it stars Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Claire Kelly & Katy Jurado. It's based on W.R. Burnett's novel The Asphalt Jungle, only with a Western variation as opposed to John Huston's film noir movie of the same name from 1950. The plot follows Peter Van Hoek, known as the Dutchman (Ladd), and John McBain (Borgnine), as they get released from Arizona Territorial Prison in Yuma in 1898. Tho not together, they both head for the mining town of Prescott where they have issues and scores to settle. An intricate plan involving stealing gold from the Lisbon Mine is hatched, it's a chance to get rich, get revenge or maybe get killed?

It's really just a solid piece of film, Ladd & Borgnine play it right, and with Daves adding his customary flecks of humour, it's never less than entertaining. Even the two handed romantic sub-plots {two girls/two guys you see} is competently handled, with the Jurado/Borgnine coupling given weight since they both would become married to each other the following year. Shot in Metrocolor and Cinemascope it isn't found wanting visually, particularly the work in and around Tuscon, Arizona. The problem for many will be its talky centre, this is a film that has very little action. Except for a good old punch up as Borgnine tackles three rebel rouser's types, and the inevitable double cross based finale, the film is more concerned with forming bonds and educating in the way of getting gold out the mine. The latter of which was really interesting to me personally, but it could go either way for anyone else. You will also yearn for some flesh on the bones of the villains {Kent Smith is especially weak}, because they are barely formed, thus rendering the revenge core almost redundant.

It's an above average time filler, but a film where all the principals were operating safely to earn their pay. 6/10