A Lawless Street (1955)

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
The marshal of Medicine Bend is tired and alone. Tired of killing to keep himself from being killed; alone because of an unspoken past disappointment. The realisation that someone in town is paying to have him killed and the arrival with a show troupe of the special someone from the past coincide to force more than one type of showdown.
Written by Jeremy Perkins

Cast
Randolph Scott ... Marshal Calem Ware
Angela Lansbury ... Tally Dickenson
Warner Anderson ... Hamer Thorne
Jean Parker ... Cora Dean
Wallace Ford ... Dr. Amos Wynn
John Emery ... Cody Clark
James Bell ... Asaph Dean
Ruth Donnelly ... Molly Higgins
Michael Pate ... Harley Baskam
Don Megowan ... Dooley Brion
Jeanette Nolan ... Mrs. Dingo Brion
and many more...

Directed
Joseph H. Lewis

Writing Credits
Kenneth Gamet ... (screenplay)
Brad Ward ... (story)

Produced
Harry Joe Brown ... producer
Randolph Scott ... associate producer

Music
Paul Sawtell

Cinematography
Ray Rennahan ... director of photography

Goofs
Audio/visual unsynchronised
At the theater the band plays an introduction with the conductor playing a violin while alternately using the bow as a baton. Near the end of the number he plays the violin for three notes with no sound; then, he holds the bow as a baton and the three notes are played.

Continuity
(at around 18 mins) Dingo's widow and Dooley are in front of the marshal's office and Marshal Ware hands Dooley Dingo's gun and personal effects. Dooley throws the gun and belt onto the ground and later he throws the five Double Eagles on the ground at the same spot. After they leave, Marshal Ware picks up the five coins, but the gun and belt are not on the ground and were never picked up.

When Dingo's effects are presented to the Marshall in his office the holster rig and pistol are completely different from the rig shown in the closeup at the beginning of the film as Dingo rides into town.

When bad guy Harley Baskam is preparing to face the marshal for the second time, from a rear view he has on both gloves, but when the camera cuts to his front, one glove is off his right hand.

Revealing mistakes
Randolph Scott's stunt double in the bar fight with Dooley has noticeably darker hair without a trace of the salt-and-pepper running throughout the original's hair.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA (town scenes)
French Ranch, Hidden Valley Road, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

A Lawless Street is a 1955 American Technicolor Western film directed by
Joseph H. Lewis and starring Randolph Scott and Angela Lansbury.

The film is also known as The Marshal of Medicine Bend in the United States.

User Review

Very good cast elevates a routine western
27 September 2014 | by Panamint (United States)

Quote from pan

You might notice that Randolph Scott is trying very hard in this film and is committed to a good performance, and this is one of his best. He tried noticeably harder in movies that he produced (understandably) like this one versus the studio-contract films he endlessly tromped through for many years.

Scott, like many leading men, also noticeably worked well with respected superior actresses like Angela Lansbury here, as opposed to just random movie actresses and bimbos. Scott ups his game here and their scenes together are good.

Excellent supporting players are on hand including the avuncular Wallace Ford, perennially versatile and noted actor Michael Pate, and others. John Emery, almost unknown today but part of the Hollywood fabric for a long time, makes a too-rare Western villain appearance as a rotten saloon owner. Middle age and many years of sins are etched in Emery's face. He is perfect for this role. Some fans will undoubtedly remember Emery from the sci-fi classic "Kronos".

Angela Lansbury- what can I say but just note how she distinguishes and elevates this movie. You know what I mean- she's Angela Lansbury.

So the formula routine plotting and the clichés are uplifted in the end result of "A Lawless Street". I can recommend it for Western fans and for fans of the individual actors involved.

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