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Lawman
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Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   990 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 17% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Winner
Writer:
Gerald Wilson (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Lawman on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 August 1971 (USA) more
Genre:
Western more
Plot:
A lawman from Bannock arrives in Sabbath to arrest all the cattlemen whose wild celebration the year before resulted in the accidental death of an old man. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
Most Underrated Film I've Ever Seen more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Burt Lancaster ... Bannock Marshal Jared Maddox

Robert Ryan ... Sabbath Marshal Cotton Ryan

Lee J. Cobb ... Vincent Bronson

Robert Duvall ... Vernon Adams
Sheree North ... Laura Shelby
Albert Salmi ... Harvey Stenbaugh
Richard Jordan ... Crowe Wheelwright
John McGiver ... Sabbath Mayor Sam Bolden
Ralph Waite ... Jack Dekker
John Beck ... Jason Bronson
William Watson ... Choctaw Lee (as William C. Watson)
Walter Brooke ... Luther Harris
Robert Emhardt ... Hersham
Charles Tyner ... Minister
J.D. Cannon ... Hurd Price
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for violent content.
Runtime:
99 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:PG | USA:R (2007 re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | UK:15 (cut)
Filming Locations:
Mexico
Company:
Scimitar Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In 1971, United Artists distributed this film on a double bill with The Organization (1971) starring Sidney Poitier. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: One of the characters uses the word "gunsel", a word generally acknowledged to have been coined by Dashiell Hammett in 1929. more
Quotes:
Bannock Marshal Jared Maddox: It's always the same. If you post a man, he has to come into town to prove he's a man. Or you kill a man, he's got a friend or kin -- he just has to come against you... and for no reason... no reason that makes any sense. And it don't mean a damn to the man already in the ground. Nobody wins. more

FAQ

Why does Maddox kill Hurd Price
more
15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful:-
Most Underrated Film I've Ever Seen, 12 June 2006
10/10
Author: matthewd-9 from United States

It's crazy the way some films get labeled "brilliant" while others get ignored just because of bad timing or poor studio backing or any # of things.

I'm not a fan of Westerns. I don't consider this a Western. I consider it a wonderfully written, directed, and acted work of art.

Gerald Wilson's script, and its interpretation by the three leads, is so skillful that it functions almost as a poem on the themes of "man," "animal," "law," and euphemism.

Micheal Winner's direction is beyond good. Every cut--early on he uses many overlays, then as the film builds he uses jarring smash cuts--is breathtaking in its thoughtfulness and thematic effect. And he knows when to lay off the music. An eerily quiet early showdown scene with Burt Lancaster, Albert Salmi, and Richard Jordan (with Robert Ryan in the background) is probably the most creative and effective such scene I've ever witnessed, Leone notwithstanding.

Then there's the acting. Lancaster is THE great underrated American actor, and it's because so many of his best performances came after he'd turned 50. I truly think this is his best. He says so much with his eyes, and especially with a tiny flutter or break in his voice. The range he achieves within this supposedly rigid character is phenomenal. From the knockout first scene between him and Ryan, to the touching scenes between him and Sheree North--you'll never see a sadder face than his when North gets out of the bed--to the scene by the river with Jordan, he creates a full character simply by being a great actor. No gimmicks or wackiness. He just out-acts anyone on the screen today.

Ryan equals Burt's performance. This is the best of the ten or so Ryan performances I've seen. Like Lancaster as he aged, Ryan is unafraid to play an aging, weakening character. Seeing him come to life briefly when he takes on a "Bronson man" is thrilling.

Lee J. Cobb has less to do but does a heck of a lot with it. The supporting actors are, to a person, superb. But special kudos must go to Richard Jordan.

This is a film that challenges the macho stereotype and finds it wanting. Lancaster's character offers a complex alternative. An absolute must-see. Tremendous script, unparalleled acting, superb directing. Oh, and the locations are just breathtaking. It's criminal that there's no true widescreen of Lawman available. Anyway, SEE IT.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Lawman (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
6.7 and a dead board. You've got to be joking... KingFritzLang
Would love a TRUE widescreen or stills or any memorabilia from this film portobellobelle
It is coming to Encore Western Channel on Dec. 29, 2008 at 8 P.M. EST! wtl471629
It is coming on the Encore Western Channel on August 16, 2008 (Sat.)! wtl471629
beware the flute-playing marshal... dreamon-10
Waterfalls in 'Lawman' maneyp
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