ma-cortes Episodic saga based on the autobiography of outlaw John Wesley Hardin , Rock Hudson , published after being released from jail in 1896, having served seventeen years of twenty five year sentence. Hardin was an American , Old West outlaw , gunslinger and controversial folk icon .Hardin's life of crime begins with a murder in self-defense that scales into further bloodshed and flights from the law. It deals with the particular relation to his overly religious father , a stiff Pastor splendidly played by John MacIntire and his love for his step-sister , the attractive Mary Castle .Out of prison Hardin hopes to have his biography edited in order to rehabilitate his tarnished memories . Along the way Hardin falls for a saloon girl , Julie Adams , marries her, and they have a son , with whom he has strong arguments when he fears will follow in his violent footsteps .Decent Western about a known gunfighter, this Hardin's story is unique because it was written by the man himself. This extraordinary testament , now a collector's ítem , was published in Seguin Texas in 1896. Main cast gives acceptable acting as Rock Hudson , Julie London , Mary Castle and John McIntire in a double role. And prestigious secondaries as Lee Van Cleef , Dennis Weaver, Glenn Strange. The motion picture produced by William Alland was professionally directed by Raoul Walsh a great filmmaker who directed several films , many of them deemed classic movies . He made a lot of Westerns such as The King and 4 queens , The tall men ,Gun fury , Along the great divide, Sílver river, Distant drums,Pursued , Dark command, They died with the boots on , Big traíl and this one .The picture is partíally based on facts.The real John Wesley (1853-1895) was a sadistic and a ruthless murderer who killed at least 43 people .From an early age , he often got himself into trouble with the law .Pursued by lawmen for most of his life he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder in 1877 , in Huntsville jail . In 1879 Hardin and other convicts were stopped while attempting to steal guns from thr prison armory and he made several attemts to escape . When he was sentenced he reclaimed to have killed 42 men but newspapers of the day attributed only 27 death to him .While in prison Hardin wrote a biased autobiography and studied law. During his prison term he was convict of another manslaughter for the early shooting an inmate and given two year sentence to be served concurrently with his unexpired 25 year sentence . He was released in 1894. In August 1895,Hardin was shot to death by John Selman, himself a notorious gunman and former outlaw.Selman was arrested for murder and stood trial , though he claimed self-defense.

weezeralfalfa Highly romanticized take on the life of infamous killer on the southern plains John Westley Hardin, who is credited with killing between 27 and 42 men, most individually, some provoked, some not. While in prison for 17 years, he studied law and religion, and wrote his autobiography. Here, Rock Hudson portrays a largely fanciful Hardin. Well recognized character actor John McIntire plays his religion-obsessed, long bearded, father, as well as his Uncle John Clements, who much helps him.A young woman, Jane Brown, was an orphan, so was raised by the Hardins. She and John hoped to marry soon. However, she is accidentally killed in a gun battle outside the Hardin home. So, John soon develops a romantic relationship with a saloon entertainer: Rosie(Julie Adams) They move around quite a bit to avoid the law, before settling down on a ranch, where they get married and have a boy before John is caught by Texas Rangers. He's sentenced to 25 years in prison, of which he served only 17. When released, he meets his son, who has an unhealthy interest in guns and quick draws, the elder Hardin thinks. After an argument, young John rides to a saloon, with Hardin following him. An argument ensues and Hardin is badly wounded. But, unlike the real Hardin, he survives his wound to ride off into the sunset. For a time, Hardin has a bad relationship with the Hanley brothers, played by Lee Van Cleef(Dirk), Hugh O'Brian(Ike) and Glen Strange(Ben). Uncle John and his boys help Hardin in several scrapes with these men. In the film, Hardin claims he never shot a man who didn't threaten him first or deserve death. It's very doubtful this was true of the real Hardin, who once killed a man for snoring too loud(Well, he was quite drunk, as he apparently often was during his killings). For all his killing, his punishment was very light, only a long prison sentence. It's a wonder nobody shot him down long before it finally happened. This film makes him look like more of a victim than a perpetrator of gunplay, and probably overemphasizes his prowess as a gambler.

zardoz-13 Rock Hudson made his starring debut in Raoul Walsh's western saga "The Lawless Breed" about the life of notorious gunman John Wesley Hardin. "Circus World" Bernard Gordon penned the screenplay ostensibly based on Hardin's autobiography. Hudson delivers a robust performance, even to the point of playing Hardin as an older man. Nevertheless, not even a veteran director like Walsh who knew his way around oaters could do much for this solemn, rather dreary affair about the evils of lawlessness. The supporting cast is good, especially John McIntire who plays a duo role, and Julia Adams plays Hardin's dancehall girl wife. Glenn Strange, Hugh O'Brien, and Lee Van Cleef are a devilish trio that dog Hardin for the first half-hour until things settle down. The second half deals with Hardin being imprisoned for his crimes."The Lawless Breed" opens at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, as an older, but wiser John Wesley Hardin (Rock Hudson of "Bend of the River") leaves jail Sentenced to 25 years, Hardin has been paroled after 16 years. Before he climbs aboard a train to take him back to Alabama and his horse breeding ranch, Hardin stops off at the local newspaper office. He gives the editor a copy of his handwritten autobiography and asks him to read it and get back to him. Consequently, "The Lawless Breed" reverts from a chronological sequence of events to a flashback and remains that way for most of its 83 minutes.During the first half, we learn that John Wesley is a reckless boy who doesn't get along with his preacher of a father that loves to wield a bullwhip on his son. Wes Hardin's father was a preacher and a circuit rider. According to Wes, his father "was a strong, God-fearing man who carried his Bible like a six-gun and fought with the devil wherever he found him." When his intolerant father discovers that his son has purchased a revolver from his winnings at poker, he whips him and then storms out of the barn. An orphan who lost her family during the Civil War, Jane Brown (Mary Castle) has been living with the Hardins and cooking for them. Wes and she grew up together and he calls her as "the prettiest girl in Texas." Wes promises Jane that he wants to get a place of their own with green grass, water that runs all year around and a white painted house.Later that evening, after curfew, Wes rides into Bonham to sell his law books after his father has given him a whipping. He sits in on a card game with three fellows, among them Gus Hanley, and beats them. Gus objects that he didn't deal him a certain card. Gus (Michael Ansara of "Soldiers Three") pulls his pistol, but Wes beats him on the draw and kills him. Holding the shotgun-toting barkeeper at bay, Wes exits with his winnings. No sooner does he leave the saloon than he runs into trouble from the army of occupation. The Yankee troops try to corner him in town, but he eludes them. Gus' three brothers, Ben (Glenn Stranger of "House of Frankenstein"), Ike (Hugh O'Brien of "Red Ball Express"), and Dirk (Lee Van Cleef of "High Noon") show up to claim Gus' corpse. The U.S. Army vows to bring John Wesley to trial. Dirk steps forward and warns the army officer. "Mister, you ain't going' to need no witnesses," Dirk stipulates," 'cause there ain't going to be no trial." After he escapes from Bonham, Wes rides out to his Uncle John's ranch. John Clements is half brother to John Wesley's father. Wes joins Clements and his sons Jim (Dennis Weaver of "Gunsmoke") and Joe (Richard Garland) on a cattle drive to Abilene. The Hanleys Brothers trail Wes to Abilene and Wes kills Dirk in a gunfight. Walsh stages this brief shoot-out in a way bolsters the drama because the wind is blowing hard and objects attached to the surrounding buildings are making a lot of noise. Afterward, Wes resumes gambling in the saloon while he awaits the completion of a wedding dress for Jane. Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Anderson of "High School Hellcats") gets the drop on Wes, but Wes outfoxes the legendary lawman and Hickok allows him to stay in town for an hour.An hour later, Wes pulls out and returns to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to elope with Wes because she has promised Wes' father that he will marry them. Wes' father refuses to marry them until Wes is cleared of killing the Hanleys. The Army is pulling out and J.C. Hardin calls on a judge to clear things up. Wes agrees to turn himself in, but Ike prods a lawman, Sheriff Charlie Webb (George Eldredge of "Dead Reckoning"), into arresting Wes. When Wes resists arrest, Webb shoots him in the back. Wes kills him and Ike Hanley and heads back to his father's ranch. Jane refuses to have anything to do with Wes because he is a killer. The posse shows up at the Hardin ranch. The wounded Wes manages to escape but one of the posse kills Jane by accident. Hardin and his new girlfriend settle in Alabama under assumed names and live peacefully until certain Texans decide that Hardin must be found at any cost and incarcerated. Hardin receives a 25-year sentence, but the governor releases him after 16 years.Presumably, Universal Studios didn't give "The Lawless Breed" a big budget because there are no major set-pieces. The narrative plays out in saloons, ranches, and on the trail, but there aren't any sprawling scenes of carnage, etc. Formulaic pretty much summarizes the narrative. John Wesley is presented as a man wronged for a murder that he did not commit. His youthful vigor got him into later trouble and somebody in his life important to him died when a posse attacked his home.

A M Boyd I am a descendant of John Wesley Hardin, of whom this movie was made. My great grandmother was his niece. I think this movie was a marvelous tribute because John Wesley was an educated, cultural person. He just didn't have a lot of patience when it came to certain factors. Like shooting a man for snoring. I am honored that the Hollywood "factor" would cast Rock Hudson as John Wesley, as John W was a very handsome man according to the tintographs I have of him from my g-grandmother. This is an under-rated movie worth watching and the female lead is indeed an actress under-rated - she is lovely and supportive. A grand western! AMB