Tribute to a Bad Man

When Spencer Tracy was 'replaced' by director Robert Wise who better to step into his shoes as maverick Jeremy Rodock that James Cagney who is immensely powerful in the role. If one overlooks a tantalising appearance in a bath tub in a dreadful 'B' called 'Man from Cairo' the film under review introduced to American audiences the stunning Greek actress Irene Papas. A striking beauty who went from strength to strength and whose emotional range and power enabled her to play Antigone, Electra, Helen of Troy and Clytemenestra as well as gracing more 'commercial' ventures such as 'Zorba the Greek' and 'Z'. I suppose this could be described as a 'psychological' Western with a definite emphasis on character. Rodock has found Jocasta in a dance hall in Cheyenne and now they live as husband and wife in all but name and therein lies the problem. Good performances from Stephen McNally and Vic Morrow. The actor with the unfortunate name of Don Dubbins fared far better on the smaller screen. One might perhaps query the title. Cagney's character is a frontiersman who makes and lives by his own rules. He firmly believes that 'fear keeps men honest' and should this involve dangling the occasional horse thief from a rope then so be it. Judged by his times however does this make him 'bad'? Or perhaps the title was designed to be ironic. We will never know and quite frankly it is not worth worrying about. This absorbing Western although not a classic, is crowned by the glorious Eastmancolor cinematography of Robert Surtees with a marvellous, not too symphonic score by maestro Miklos Rozsa.

This superb western has been almost totally forgotten despite its excellent credentials. Robert Wise was the director, Miklos Rozsa did the score, it was photographed, beautifully and in Cinemascope, by Robert Surtees and the star was James Cagney at his scenery-chewing best. He plays a powerful and potentially cruel rancher who befriends a young greenhorn, (newcomer Don Dubbins). who has saved Cagney's life after he's been ambushed. Others in the fine cast include Stephen McNally, Vic Morrow and the Greek actress Irene Papas. The story may not be particularly original but the handling is exemplary and anything with Cagney in it is usually worth seeking out.

A tough and self-reliant rancher and landowner called Jeremy Roderick (James Cagney , though Spencer Tracy was cast, but was replaced , he complained and procrastinated about working on that location because of the altitude of working in the Rockies) will fight against anybody that attempt to rob his possessions . He's loved by a woman (Irene Papas) who lives at home and hires a cowboy called Steve Miller (Don Dubbins , though Robert Francis was originally cast but he died in a plane crash) when is originated the classic triangle . The arrogant rancher will confront rustlers and he'll carry out the hanging's law (also called Lynch's law) against those .

James Cagney's interpretation is outstanding , he plays magnificently as a proud and cruel proprietary , a merciless baron land . Irene Papas in her first movie is sweet and enjoyable , she demonstrates the excellent actress to result to be in the future with a career of successes that today continues . The third starring Don Dubbins is feeble , his career was a flop and hardy ever made films after . The original cast were Spencer Tracy and Grace Kelly , however Tracy was dismissed but had complications with director Robert Wise . Grace Kelly left the picture due her marriage to Rainiero of Monaco . Support cast is astounding : Vic Morrow (who died in accident while playing ¨twilight zone¨ by John Landis) , Stephen McNally , Royal Dano and , of course , the villain Lee Van Cleef , pre-Spaghetti Western . Robert Surtees' cinematography and Miklos Rozsa musical score are awesome , both of whom , subsequently, would make super-productions (Ben Hur , Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe...).

The motion picture was well directed by Robert Wise , author of various cinema classics . He was a successful director of all kind genres such as musical as ¨West side story¨, ¨The sound of music¨ , Sci-fi as ¨The day the earth stood still¨, ¨Star Trek : the motion picture ¨, ¨The Andromeda strain¨ , Terror as ¨The body snatchers¨ , ¨ Curse of the cat people¨, ¨Audrey Rose¨ , ¨The haunting¨ , Epic or colossal as ¨Elen of Troy¨ , wartime as ¨The desert rats¨, ¨Run silent , run deep¨ , ¨Hinderburg¨ , ¨The sand pebbles¨ and Western as ¨Blood on the moon¨, and this ¨Tribute to a bad man¨.

While riding his horse through the Wyoming, the Pennsylvania's youngster Steve Miller (Don Dubbins) saves the tough rancher Jeremy Rodock (James Cagney) from two horse thieves. Rodock offers a job of horse trainer to Steve and brings him to his ranch. Steve meets Jocasta Constantine (Irene papas), a young woman with a dubious past that lives with Rodock and soon he falls in unrequited love for her. Further, he learns that Rodock has a code where horse thieves are hanged by him without any trial.

Jocasta unsuccessfully tries to convince Steve to return to his family in Pennsylvania. Further, she asks Rodock to stop hanging thieves. When Rodock's foreman McNulty (Stephen McNally) flirts with Jocasta, he is fired by Rodock and plots a vengeance with Rodock's enemy, his neighbor Lars Peterson (Vic Morrow). Now the old rancher has to decide whether he will insist on his code of justice and lose Jocasta or whether he will change his behavior.

"Tribute to a Bad Man" is a western with James Cagney in the role of a vigilante in a place with no law. This feature introduces Irene Papas in the role of a woman with dubious past but also with strong personality and self-respect. Don Dubbins is the character that will change James Cagney's one with his naiveness and sense of justice. The result is a great and unknown romantic and dramatic western. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Honra à um Homem Mau" ("Honor to a Bad Man")

Stepping into the place of Spencer Tracy, James Cagney plays Jeremy Rodock in Tribute to a Bad Man. It's the story of a man in the wilds of the west where there is no law and he has to make his own to hold his own.

Of course in that kind of rugged country your character is also changed by the responsibility you have. You make a lot of enemies.

Don Dubbins is a young drifter who comes into the valley that Rodock and his spread dominate and finds a badly wounded Rodock. He administers some first aid and gets him back to his ranch. Cagney because he owes him his life, takes Dubbins in.

Cagney's got a live in mistress in Irene Papas and Dubbins goes kind of sweet on her. She's also got another admirer in one of the other ranch hands, Stephen McNally. If you think the plot is beginning to resemble Jubal which came out the same year, you're right.

Tribute to a Bad Man is the last of three Cagney westerns, The Oklahoma Kid and Run For Cover are the other two. I've never felt Cagney's urban persona is quite home on the range, but he does deliver a very good performance.

Best in the film however by far is Vic Morrow. He's the son of a rival rancher who Cagney catches stealing his horses. I can't say, but watch what he does to 'punish' him and then lets up. But Morrow's speech letting him know he's got a permanent enemy is the highlight of the film.

Without Cagney the film would be less than memorable though.