The Law West of Tombstone

There are some horses on dusty trails, cattle and shots fired. But this has little use for rustic scenery, stunts, boulders, stagecoach robberies, ranchers, gold mines and grifting frontier bankers of a B Western. This is urban, for adults, with a train robbery, politics, sex, comedy, iambic pentameter, relationships, surreal twists and the Western storytelling of Carey, Sr. Youthful Holt stirs the drink as he would in Ambersons and Sierra Madre and in his career. Like a B movie this pays less attention to acting, lighting, production values as might a Curtiz, but it has respectable photography and sound with a clear print. Ward Bond, always a star in any role, delivers a memorable cameo. Native Americans here are at least presented with authentic costuming and intelligence, if comedically, not as inarticulate enemies.

Notorious liar, Bill Barker - who is banished westwards by the law - sets out to bring the law into force, west of Tombstone after talking the town people of Martinez into making him a mayor and judge. His first mission is to arrest the trigger-happy Tonto Kid, but soon they join forces against the notorious McQuinn gang.

The Law west of Tombstone is an unusual western with quirky humour, lots of engaging dialogue and a strong story. It has more characterisation and there's an air of looniness around the plot and characters. The acting honours go to Harry Carey who plays a notorious liar who becomes a mayor. He tells tall tales of his epic experiences - Tim Holt plays the Tonto Kid and Rocky Allan Lane is in a brief role before biting the dust. It can be a bit talky but don't expect a typical rootin' tootin' horse opera - the only major gunplay occurs at the end and quite a smoking one too.

This is a nice old school western. Made back in the day like I used to watch as a child. Thanks for showing it TCM. No super heroes, no special effects, no in your face sex, just a darn good western. Thanks again!

Harry Carey plays a combination character in the lead role of The Law West Of Tombstone. He's a quick draw and a deadly shot in the tradition of Wild Bill Hickok and can spin a yarn better than Baron Munchausen. Those talents have served him well in his career in this film and like Judge Roy Bean, he's declared himself the law in the newly forming town of Martinez, Arizona as Mayor and Justice of the Peace.

This was obviously a more ambitious undertaking of a film than what arrived for the movie-going public of 1938. There are whole chunks of this that obviously were left on the cutting room floor and you have to bridge quite a lot to get a coherent story.

Tim Holt plays a young protégé of sorts for Carey, a young outlaw he'd like to see settle down. And Evelyn Brent plays Carey's daughter who doesn't know she's his daughter. But this film is strictly Carey's show. Allan Lane who later was a cowboy hero himself plays a young outlaw who shoots it out with Holt and comes up short and dead.

It's an unusual western and one I'd like to have seen a director's cut of, but that sure isn't likely.

Oftentimes conventional western that regularly heads off in unconventional directions. Harry Carey (senior, not junior) is delightful as very odd character Bill Barker. Head of dancehall girls/prostitutes is named Mrs Mustache! Just read that Harry Carey, Jr is 82 and made more than 40 westerns in his career. Catch his old man in this one for a treat and movie history.