El juez de la horca

Producer A.C. Lyles is chiefly remembered today for the series of 13 B-Westerns done for Paramount from late 1963-late 1967. A former publicist for the studio, Lyles knew many of Hollywood's greatest stars, and got his start as a film producer after James Cagney agreed to direct 1957's "Short Cut to Hell." In 1963, he began a series of Westerns generally shot in 10-14 days, often back to back then issued months apart, with "Law of the Lawless," successful enough as a second feature to spawn a dozen more. Like all those that followed, the veteran cast provides the greatest interest, in both major and minor roles, a spate of stories where the good guys win out over the bad in the end, no longer viable by the next decade, the nihilistic 70s. "Law of the Lawless" makes for a decent start, with Dale Robertson (TALES OF WELLS FARGO) as Judge Clem Rogers, whose latest assignment in Stone Junction Kansas has him deciding the fate of old friend Pete Stone (John Agar), whose father Big Tom (Barton MacLane) wields great power among the townsfolk, and believes his son was involved in a fair shootout. The old pros were as happy to get the work as Lyles was to have them: still sexy Yvonne De Carlo as the saloon girl sweet on the judge, William Bendix as the wounded sheriff, Bruce Cabot as hired gunman Joe Rile, Richard Arlen as Bartender Ben, Kent Taylor as Pete's Kansas City defense attorney, Bill Williams as a wheelchair-bound witness to the alleged crime (the last half hour takes place in the courtroom). Special billing as 'Tiny' goes to veteran Western heavy Lon Chaney, in typical form as Pete Stone's main henchman, assaulting poor Yvonne as he tries to persuade her to implicate the high and mighty Judge in a seamy scandal; and just like his character in his earliest Lyles production, "Albuquerque" (Randolph Scott), never loses the cigarette dangling from his lips! Leonard Maltin disparagingly referred to the series in general as being only 'for buffs who want to play spot the star,' but they still endure in the 21st Century, even as the Old West recedes further into the past.

This star studded Western is a combination of action and drama, and it is more than meets the eye.

It has the look of a traditional "lawman" trying to keep the land baron from freeing his son from justice theme, but we get a variety of things going on, and see all of them.

On the surface, we see the "old timers" at work, and while we are fooled into thinking this is a nostalgic film, we eventually see that this is a point of the film, that it is about the way justice in the West changes, and the people who change with it.

In effect, it is a drama with the look and feel of action, because of some clever directing that changes the location just enough to keep it flowing.

Law of the Lawless is an okay film. Telling the story of a circuit judge who comes to a Kansas town to oversee a murder trial, only for the accused's father, who runs the town, to plot to ensure the judge does not convict his son by threatening his reputation. Sadly, there is not much action in this film, as this becomes more of a courtroom drama set in the wild west. While the actors do a good job, the pacing is very slow. Only recommended for true western fans.

AG Liles made a series of low budget westerns at Paramount with a veteran cast. This is simply one of them. The cast includes: Dale Robertson ( Judge Clem Rogers: A former gunfighter turned Judge who no longer carries a gun), Yvonne DeCarlo ( Ellie Irish a saloon girl), John Agar (Pete Stone the heavy), his father Tom who is the most powerful man in town played by Barton MacLaine, William Bendix as ( Sheriff and Prosecutor Ed Tanner), and last but certainly not least Bruce Cabot. as hired gunman Joe Rile who killed Clem's father years ago. Cabot is the one to watch for. He hangs over the entire film very ominously.The story is about Stone who is accused of murder, his father who will do anything to not only get his son off, but ruin Rogers reputation, by having him seen with Ellie and hiring Rile to force Rogers into a gunfight, and Rogers who is also a friend of Stone's, and is the presiding judge in the trial. It is important to note that there is a most unexpected ending to the movie, but unlike far too many movies with one, it actually works with the theme of the film. For that reason, I will not spoil the ending. It is basically an excellent western 9/10 stars.

Decent B Western but with one of the better frontier criminal trials I've seen in a movie. Seems very realistic by modern standards, (other than the sheriff acting as prosecutor).