O Melhor dos Homens Maus

I don't know if in real life the Clanton brothers met the Younger brothers or Billy the Kid or Jesse James, but in the western hsitory, all those mighty west characters did it many times; even Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock met the Ford brothers too. The Robert Ryan's character called Clanton is maybe just a coincidence here, no relation with Wyatt Earp, but admit it's a bit weird to associate Clanton and the Youngers.... Besides this curious but not so surprising matter, this is a good western, made by a director totally unknown for the big screen industry after this one. He only worked for TV stuff, series. Despite the cast, gallery of tough guys portraits - Robert Preston, Lawrence Tierney, Barton Mc Lane - Robert Ryan steals the show by his presence, as usual, and the pace is very tense, for RKO, who was not specialized in westerns in particular.

I really do enjoy the westerns made by RKO around this time.They seemed to include just about every outlaw roaming the west throughout a period of 100 years.They also employed just about every Western character actor available at the time.This even has the advantage of Technicolour which shows that this was clearly an A film.RKO had clearly decided that if Universal were going to throw all their horror characters in one film they would do the same in Westerns.They would of course make sure that most of the Badmen survived so they could use them in another film.For me the standout performance was of Walter Brennan.Any film with him had a big plus.Also that favourite Warner gangster Bart Mclane.

This thrilling western deals with an Union Mayor called Clanton (Robert Ryan) who is wrongly accused for a killing ,he is then condemned to death. He escapes and becomes involved with the most famous outlaws (Bruce Cabot, Walter Brennan, John Archer , Robert Wilke,Lawrence Tierney,Jack Buetel) from the wild west. Clanton is wanted for murders, reward : 5ooo dollars . He is wanted dead or alive . The nasty Fowler leads a bloody manhunt against Clanton . This is an epic as well as stirring thrill parade down banditry halls of infamy . Concerning the worst bushwackers of the untamed western who execute a rampage of murders and terror . There also appears the lady they called Lily (Claire Trevor). Meanwhile they execute a bank robbery protected by a detective agency run by corrupt enemy , Fowler (Robert Preston)

An epic saga of a land beyond the law starred by star-studded, inclusive cowboy actors, great personalities and many other things. An exciting and explosive flick in which action and thrills are unstoppable . The tale starts with a prologue that explains the following : this story tells a forgotten chapter in the violent history of the west , months after the tragic war between The States had ended there was still no peace on the western frontier. The plot is plain and simple taking place post American civil War where bushwackers and Jayhawkers carry out real and violent rampages and ravages . Here shows up a lot of bandits as Cole Younger, Jim Jounger , Jesse James , Frank James , Ringo and Clanton . All of them starred by known actors who give compelling interpretations such as Bruce Cabot , Jack Buetel , John Archer , Lawrence Tierney , Tom Tyler, Robert Wilke , John Cliff , and Robert Ryan . And the comical relief for the sympathetic secondary Walter Brennan .This one belongs to a trilogy formed by the original Badmen territory 1946 by Tim Whelan with Randolph Scott , Anne Richards , Steve Brodie , George Gabby Hayes ,Return of the bad Men 1948 by Ray Enright with Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan , George Hayes . All of them starred by by notorious bandits of the wild west and performed by prestigious secondary players.

The motion picture was compellingly directed by William Russell , though it has some flaws and gaps . Russell directed a few films as The Sainted Sisters, Our Heart were growing up, Ladies' man , Dear Ruth and a lot of television series .The picture will appear to western buffs . Well worth watching.

Don't mistake this for a great or even good movie for a second. It's full of clichés, unrealistic situations, fudged history, characters whose motives and emotions seem to change at the drop of a hat and the ability to travel great distances at light-speed. In short there's absolutely nothing to cement it to anything resembling the real West. What saves it is the fact that it doesn't aspire or even pretend to be a great or good movie. The actors appear to have a good time delivering their silly dialog and hamming it up for the camera. And there's lots of action. People running around, either on foot or on horseback, lots of fistfights, gunfights, chases, robberies, standoffs, etc. etc. etc. And let's not forget the glorious Technicolor. This is one of my favorite parts of the early Technicolor movies. The color wasn't really true to life but boy was it ever brilliant. Claire Trevor never looked better in her red dress, cut low with plenty of cleavage and shoulders exposed. Every one of her outfits was so brilliant it literary jumped off the screen. How such a gorgeous woman ever survived intact in the midst of a bunch of ruffians is a mystery to me but like I said this movie doesn't try to be realistic. So put aside logic and have fun when you watch this. Bear in mind that my low score reflects its artistic merits not its fun factor. Highly recommended.

A routine but intelligent 'A' western set in the aftermath of the Civil War with a supporting cast encompassing sixty years of film history from 'King Kong' to 'Reservoir Dogs'; as well as two former Oscar winners. (One of the Oscar winners is Claire Trevor, practically the only woman in it, second billed but underused, but still seductive in her forties - "Do what I tell you and you'll always go wrong!" - in a rare chance to see her in Technicolor.)

Baby-faced Jack Buetel as Bob Younger was nearing the end of his brief film career (which began as Billy the Kid in 'The Outlaw'); while Robert Preston was still playing moustached weaklings, his peak still some way in the distance.