Sarita Rafferty
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Spikeopath
The Fighting Lawman is directed by Thomas Carr and written by Dan Ullman. It stars Wayne Morris, Virginia Grey, John Kellogg, Harry Lauter, John Pickard, Rick Vallin and Myron Healey. Music is by Raoul Kraushaar and cinematography by Gilbert Warrenton.Marshal Jim Burke (Morris) is working hard to put away four bank robbers but also finds one of the sisters of the men has designs on the stashed loot herself...A brisk black and white Oater that has no pretensions to be anything other than a stock formula good versus evil story. It follows the standard procedures for such a production, a shoot-out is followed by a chase, which is followed by a fist-fight, then a murder, a chase, a shoot-out, a fist-fight and on it goes until good triumphs over evil. It's the sort of film where upon hearing from the Marshal that he has killed her brother, the sister is angry for about 30 seconds and then forgives said Marshal because he was just doing is job. The cast breeze through the lightweight script with smiles and sneers, though Grey scores well as the cunning female giving the boys a run for their money.Feels more like a 40s Western than a 50s effort, but it's unassuming fluff and the Simi Valley exteriors make for a pleasing airy backdrop. 6/10
