User reviews

This one has a flawlessly-written script by Dudley Nichols, the screenwriter of many well-known movies from 1930 to 1960 such as "Stagecoach" "The Bells of St. Mary's" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls". There's often a good moral lesson to be learned from a screenplay written by Nichols. The original story was by Luke Short, the author of many Western novels.

The cast is very good too with Robert Taylor as the "Hangman" Deputy Marshall, and several people who would later become familiar TV stars: Tina Louise, Jack Lord, Fess Parker and briefly, Lorne Green. And of course you can't go wrong with the direction of the great Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca") who, like Nichols, was nearing the end of his career.

I especially liked the story, it's deeper than most westerns, as it explores the themes of justice, loyalty, and forgiveness.

This is sort of a crossroads film where some on the way up (Lord, Parker, Louise) cross paths with a Taylor whose career is winding down. As a western, it's not your usual "shoot 'em up."

Marshall Taylor, a man on a mission, arrives in town to arrest a murder suspect. The only problem is he doesn't know this man's identity. Enter Ms. Louise as the answer to his problem. Dangling a $500 reward for her identification of the suspected killer, he figures his problems are over. Only issue? They are just starting. With local sheriff Fess Parker and wanted man Jack Lord plus some other familiar faces in supporting roles, The Hangman is much more about dialog and character study than action. The ending was a bit awkward but the journey there an OK ride.

For me, the most interesting element of this film was Ms. Louise. I'd only seen her previously as the breathless Ginger Grant, trapped forever (or it seemed that way) on Gilligan's Island. She is definitely a head-turner in this, her third movie, and does a fine job as a somewhat down on one's luck widow who sees more to Taylor than he sees in himself. One never knows why some actors move up the food chain while others sort of stall out. Between this release and Gilligan's Island were a bunch of Italian movies and some rather nondescript US B-films so maybe getting type cast as Ginger wasn't as career crippling as one might presume. Personally, I'd love to know if her trajectory might have changed if she had avoided the Italian phase and been cast in some mid-level US films instead. She certainly didn't embarrass herself in The Hangman and while we might have had to do without Ginger, I'd like to have seen how she fared in more substantial roles.

The Hangman finds Robert Taylor as a relentless U.S. Marshal who pursues criminals with the zeal of Lieutenant Gerard when he was hunting for Richard Kimble in The Fugitive. Barry Morse's words from that show could equally have served as Taylor's bywords, "I don't philosophize, I hunt."

Who he's hunting is the last man of a four man gang accused of a holdup where a death occurred. Two guys are already dead and one is sentenced to hang. But nobody knows who number four is or what he looks like.

Taylor in his quest goes to an army post where he finds recent widow Tina Louise and he's authorized by Wells Fargo to offer a reward of $500.00 if she'll come to a town where he's reputed to be and point him out.

When he arrives in town, the object of his quest who turns out to be Jack Lord is about the most popular fellow there. Why he didn't run for mayor or even for Fess Parker's job as sheriff is beyond me. But Taylor gets no help from anybody.

The title derives from the nickname Taylor has acquired for his dogged dedication to duty. The Hangman is a western with very little action surprisingly, but it has a good character study by the mature Robert Taylor. It's a well rounded portrait of a man who'd like to leave the job he's in, but has grown used to it and it's the only living he's known for years.

The Hangman was the first film Robert Taylor did outside MGM since Magnificent Obsession in the Thirties. He has a record, definitely unlikely to be broken now of the longest running studio contract in film history.

The Hangman is a good, not great western besides those already mentioned I did enjoy Mabel Albertson's performance as a dotty old biddy who's eying Robert Taylor like a slab of romantic beef. Well he was one of the biggest screen heartthrobs ever.

Personally, I think Taylor should have concentrated on westerns in his later years the same way Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott did. He liked making them and though he's not primarily known as a western star, films like Devil's Doorway, Saddle the Wind, The Last Hunt and The Law and Jake Wade hold up very well today. The Hangman's not as good as these I've mentioned, but it still has a fine performance from Robert Taylor and the rest of the cast.

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.

I had low expectations coming into my viewing of The Hangman and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's unique for a western in that it doesn't have a lot of 'action': shootouts, lynchings, etc. or even a clearly identified villain that the audience can root against. Just because it doesn't have those usual tropes commonly used in the genre doesn't devalue the results. The story contained is solid, the performances are uniformly good, and the regular injections of humor are fun and welcomed. Overall, The Hangman is worth checking out.

An uncompromising marshal known as 'the Hangman' (Robert Taylor) rides into a town to apprehend a suspect (Jack Lord), but needs a witness to identify him and so enlists a struggling young woman (Tina Louise). Fess Parker plays the sheriff of the town.

While "The Hangman" (1959) is a town-bound Western and hindered by the flat B&W photography, the story is good, which is the most important part. You get to know the characters and the film leaves you with a good feeling.

Tina Louise was only 23 during shooting (almost 24) and looks great, not to mention a convincing actress. Five or six years later she would start her 3-year run in Gilligan's Island. Shirley Harmer is also notable on the feminine front as Kitty, the wife of Johnny Bishop.

If you like Robert Taylor, be sure to check him out in the eponymous role of "The Law and Jake Wade" (1958), a standout 50's Western.

The movie is short & sweet at 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot at Old Tucson, Arizona, and Paramount Studios & Ranch, California.

GRADE: B/B-

The Hangman is directed by Michael Curtiz and written by Dudley Nichols and Luke Short. It stars Robert Taylor, Tina Louise, Fess Parker and Jack Lord. Music is by Harry Sukman and cinematography by Loyal Griggs.

Marshal Bovard (Taylor) arrives in town to identify and arrest the last of four outlaws who robbed a Wells Fargo stage. Unfortunately for Bovard, the man he seeks is very popular with everyone in town and nobody is keen to help the Marshal do his job.

It is thought, and on reflection it seems likely, that The Hangman is a caustic jab at grassers/finks, with the Hollywood Blacklist never far from the film makers thoughts. Bovard is a grumpy and rough fellow, a jobs-worth who has almost zero faith in the human race. He's confident that the people of this border town wont take much persuading to give up an outlaw, more so as he has money to offer as well. How wrong he is, and the rest of the film follows Bovard as he bangs his head against brick walls, until the banging stops and a light-bulb lights up over his head, perhaps not all people are bad?

In truth not a lot happens, there's no action of note, this is more about morality, redemption, human foibles et al. Yet the literary aspects of the story hold tight, keeping the viewers engaged till the end. It's a very nice looking and sounding picture as well, the absence of airy vistas is not a hindrance as Curtiz and Griggs utilise the interiors for some psychological results that deftly suit the narrative's pointed edges. While the sound mix and musical accompaniments achieve the best results possible to aid the tale.

It's a strange one in that it's more a film in a Western setting than being overtly a Western, it's also a little subversive. It even throws something of an annoying curve ball at the finale, though the makers were probably chuckling away to themselves about this as well. Great and sexy turns from the lead actors sees the material safely onto a healthy grazing pasture, to make it a recommended picture to fans of the stars and of literary Oaters. 7/10

I did not find this movie very interesting, I'll give it 5 stars for having Fess Parker, Tina Louise and Jack Lord in it all who went on to be known for their other famous characters. Just nothing really happens, a lot of talking, not a flick I would have in my western movie collection.

Plus points were Robert Taylor, the before-they-were-famous appearances of several of the cast, and a reasonably fresh plot. (By 1959 virtually every conventional Western theme had been over-repeated.)

But there were several flaws in how the producers depicted the Selah Jennison character, not least the exaggerated head-turning sequences after she'd bought some new clothes. Shortly after her sensational parade through town, she goes skinny-dipping (not uncommon in Westerns) and makes a point of attracting Mackenzie Bovard's attention. Perhaps I could look at the film again to make a particular note of how her attitude to the deputy marshal changed, fluctuated even.

Grilled cell windows facing onto an alleyway feature in many Westerns, but it was only when I was watching "The Hangman" that I realised what a security risk many of these would have been. So wide-spaced were the bars that a hand gun - or even something larger - could have been passed through them to the prisoner.

As others have remarked, the last couple of minutes of the film provided an ending that was none too satisfactory.

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.

Movie casts a lot of 60s tv stars that make it hard to stop watching. Robert Taylor come across as a real dick to Tina Louise and is way too old for her. But she won't identify ex-boyfriend Johnny who's run a straight and productive life since being an unknowing accomplice to a Wells Fargo heist. Everybody in town likes fugitive Jack Lord. Even Sheriff Daniel Boone won't arrest him and falls for Johnny's ex-girl. So it's up to Taylor to "book him Denno". You'll recognize a lot of the actors and try to recall where you saw them before which makes it interesting to watch. Spent a lot of time looking up actor on IMDB.

This is a superb scenario for this western in the city where a Marshall (Robert Taylor), looking for a wanted man (who risks being hanged if he is found guilty), is confronted with the fact that he is appreciated by everyone in the city. To identify him, he uses an acquaintance, Tina Louise, who will be able to identify him. This one, Jack Lord, turns out to be a good guy that everyone loves. Our Marshall finds himself alone against the others who will passively help their friend to escape.

The richness of the scenario is in the interaction of the different characters. Between Robert Taylor, the professional who doesn't care about the person he is looking for, because he is just wanted to be judged (he is not a jury or a judge) and the other characters: Tina Louise, the witness who is supposed to identify him; the sheriff Fess Parker, who helps the Marshall by profession. All three will evolve during the course of the story and change or adapt their position and posture. The sheriff will help the Marshall at first, then not so much later. The sheriff falls in love with Tina Louise (there is reason to). The Marshall ends up saying that doing this is not necessarily something he is excited about and will change his position, perhaps to the point of resigning.

To these four main characters are added secondary characters, well existing and well written and that enrich the story: the mature lady who tries to seduce Robert Taylor; the colleague of Jack Lord who fights with him, for example.

Note a beautiful scene where Tina Louise gets out of her bath and goes to her room to get dressed, with Robert Taylor present in the room. A scene both visually rich and rich in dialogue.

Until the conclusion, not necessarily unexpected, but very nice. This is a good story, timeless, which could be adapted in an infinite number of contexts, and therefore remade.

I really liked this film with the exception of the ending. Robert Taylor was fantastic! I think he was a far better actor than the credit he received during his lifetime. Sadly, very good looking stars don't usually get the meatiest parts because the industry and their fans only want to seem them because of their good looks and sex appeal. Taylor was nearing the end of his career and his life in this film and his performance was outstanding. The story was interesting and if you like seeing those familiar old character actors whose names you don't know, this film is loaded. I thought the script was excellent with a few comedic touches that demonstrated Taylor's ability as a solid actor. He also had a very commanding voice which added to the drama. As usual, he seemed very relaxed (as one) with his role. Tina Louise was excellent, as was the young Jack Lord, the former of Gilligan's Island and the later know for the original Hawaii 50. This black and white film is well worth seeing....with the exception of the end.

A story of everyone in town loving the bad guy, except the Hangman. Given Jack Lord's acting I don't see why everyone loves the bad guy. The movie was good till the end. The ending was worse. It was like they had to wrap the movie fast with a happy ending. The whole movie was spent building the characters, except for Jack Lord's character, only to have an ending where everyone's actions were out of character.

One note is there was a scene where Tina Louise's character was bathing in a pond. They blurred the scene. Found out there was no nudity and the scene didn't need to be blurred. Unnecessary censorship.

Sadly in the late fifties the American cinema industry was deeply undermined by TV advent, thus many classy directors were loosely from their long contracts from the majors studios, in this small gem lad by an already aged Robert Taylor whom had a luck to get together with Michael Curtiz.

The story is pretty oxymoronic due the leading casting is a hard and merciless agent of law, meanwhile the criminal is a reputable hard-work citizen, where nobody has a minor complaint of him whatsoever, Robert Taylor a bittered lawman actually didn't believe in human nature any longer, so thru a young and pretty widow Tina Louise intents locate and pinpoint the culprit, everything goes into upside down after many mismatches to let into the criminal, a small giant picture, due a greatest performance of the whole crew as Gene Evans, Fess Parker and Mickey Shaughnessy, impossible doesn't labeled it as near forgotten masterpiece.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.

Sorry folks, this western is not a bad one, because focusing on characters symphony, but I must admit after watching it that, for me, Michael Curtiz was exactly like Raoul Walsh, he suffered of the same syndrom, he lost intetest or - and - inspiration during the fifties decade; Both directors were at their top during the forties, directing the likes of Errol Flynn or Ward Bond, Humphrey Bogart, also at their top. But during the fifties, the Warner brothers studios atmosphere was far far behind and both directors resumed their career with good films, no problem, but also with Hollywood stars also on the downhill side: Robert Taylor, Clark Gable...Here, this western, I repeat, is a good one, but from the director of ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, SANTA FE TRAIL, VIRGINIA CITY, DODGE CITY, you could expect better. Here, it looks like a western directed by a newcomer, of a director from the TV industry...But, I repeat, it remains a good western, with a special "charm", but just forget it is from Michael Curtiz.