Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Shawn Spencer This could have been a pretty good Western. It had a solid cast with Robert Taylor, Fess Parker, a young Tina Louise (Ginger on Gilligan's Island) and Jack Lord (Hawaii 5-0). The plot was good about a lawman sent to arrest a wanted fugitive for his part in a holdup that ended in murder.And 3/4 of the movie is very enjoyable, solid 7/10 stars. But...Your reaction to this movie is likely to depend upon your answer to three questions:1. Should lawmen ever allow personal feelings affect how they perform their duties? 2. Should lawmen treat suspects differently because they like or dislike them? 3. Is it right for ordinary people to take the law into their own hands if they like or dislike a suspect?If you answered yes to all these questions, you will probably like it. If you answered no to any of them, you will probably not.

classicsoncall By virtually every measure, the name of the film is a misnomer, as the title character repeatedly explains that he doesn't hang anyone, he just captures outlaws and brings them to justice. Figuratively speaking though, Mack Bovard (Robert Taylor) is in the law and order business, and once he's got his sights set on a target, they're as good as done.The film is quite the interesting character study of Bovard, who cynically decries human nature with the admonition that 'everyone has his price'. The deputy U.S. Marshal is about to test that theory once again when he tries to convince the widowed Selah Jennison (Tina Louise) to identify a murder and robbery suspect involved in a Wells Fargo heist. Failure to secure the capture of Johnny Butterfield will mean that he's liable to go scot-free, since the last remaining outlaw involved in the Wells Fargo job is about to hang; he's the only other person who knows what Johnny looks like.The picture makes a pretty good guessing game out of the identity of Johnny Butterfield/Bishop (Jack Lord), possibly the only cowboy in Western movie history who doesn't have an enemy in the world in his settled, unnamed town. Bovard makes an immediate assumption that Bishop is his target, the one stretch that eventually bears out correctly, but it takes some maneuvering to get there. The film briefly detours into comic territory somewhat when Selah Jennison, who knows Bishop's true identity, handcuffs herself to Bovard to waylay the inevitable.There's also a humorous gimmick running throughout the early part of the picture as Miss Amy Hopkins (Mabel Albertson) attempts to catch the deputy marshal's eye, but finally gives up, upset that she couldn't attract his attention to her matured charm and appreciation. Personally, I thought she was a busybody. The other character who caught my eye was the pretty waitress Molly (Betty Lynn) who just a few years later would have the unenviable task of being the girlfriend of hapless Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show".As almost all the other reviewers on this board have mentioned, the ending of the story comes almost out of left field, although attentive viewers might have seen it coming. Making it even more incredible was the way Sheriff Buck Weston (Fess Parker) handled it, he just stood there waving good-bye with no remorse. Maybe he was just too stunned.

judithh-1 The Hangman was Robert Taylor's first independent film after leaving MGM. In later years, he would describe it as one of his failures. Like many Taylor movies, it's an unusual twist on a familiar subject. Mackenzie Bovard, a Deputy Marshal, is famous for his ability to catch criminals who are later hanged. Bovard is cynical and world weary with a poor opinion of his fellow humans. Pursuing a robbery suspect, he meets the young and lovely Tina Louise. Through his relationship with her Bovard gradually regains his faith in humanity and becomes a much warmer and more likable person. This is far from a typical western--no fight scenes, no gorgeous scenery, no evil villains. As another reviewer noted, it's a drama set in the old West. It's about responsibility, right and wrong and personal development and growth. Taylor is excellent, as always, in his understated way. Tina Louise is good as a young woman who changes from a drab loser to a confident woman. Mabel Albertson is wonderful as a middle-aged woman who has the hots for Taylor (who can blame her?). Fess Parker, post Davy Crockett is effective as a town Sheriff and his laid back persona makes a good contrast to the driven, more intense Taylor. Perhaps not a classic but definitely worth watching and owning.

drystyx This isn't your typical Western, but it isn't exactly "atypical" either.This is actually more of a drama that just happens to be set in the West.In other words, you could put this on a stage in front of a live audience, and probably get the same production.And that's generally pretty good.We have a story line that really isn't the story line.The surface plot is Robert Taylor as a cynic who is trying to identify the fourth man in a robbery, a man we know early on played a very minor role, if any. The man is sentenced to be hanged.He finds that people don't want to identify the man, Jack Lord with blond hair. It's much like "The Spy Who Loved Me" in that it is a quest to have a man killed who probably doesn't deserve it.That's just the surface plot. In essence, Lord becomes the fourth character. The real plot is the romantic subplot that lays beneath the surface.The woman in the triangle finds herself in emotional turmoil over betraying Jack Lord's character to the law, which is represented by Taylor and Fess Parker.Parker is the younger, striking man who immediately sets out to make her his wife. Taylor is the older man who sets out to understand her and have a relationship.In this, we have a switch. The younger man becomes the solid, steady force, and strangely devoid of romance. He is a tall, handsome, affable fellow. What women call "a catch" in public, but in practice, they just can't find what the all "chemistry" with.Taylor's character, meanwhile, is full of charged emotion. While Fess is a "Earth", Robert is "fire".The story becomes the story of female romanticism. It is a very credible depiction, whether we like it or not.It isn't what I call a "great Western", but perhaps I judge it on the standards of usual action. It is actually a drama, one of those stage dramas that focus on a subject. It isn't dull, and the characters are three dimensional, like most golden age Westerns. It's very watchable.