Badlands of Montana (1957)

Rex Reason is Steven Brewster, a college-educated man running for mayor on a law-and-order platform in the wide open Montana town of Cascade.

When he won’t drop out of his race against corrupt Mayor Vince Branton, he’s framed for assaulting the mayor’s wife — an old girlfriend (Margie Dean) — whipped and ordered to leave town.

Brewster refuses and guns down Branton in a fair gunfight. But on his way out of town, he shoot and kills the marshal, too. He flees the posse, climbs a mountain to make his escape and lands right in the hideout of outlaw Henry Hammer.

Left with no alternative, he joins their gang. And, naturally, he falls for Hammer’s lovely daughter Susan (Beverly Garland).

That puts him at odds with another member of the gang, hot-headed and trigger-happy Ricky Valentine (Keith Larsen).

Brewster yearns for a lawful life with Susan, and it looks like all his dreams will be dashed when he’s wounded during a bank holdup and jailed.

Then two old friends from Cascade show up to help him out of that jam because they want him to return to Cascade as marshal. But they warn him he has to protect the town from all outlaws, including the Hammer gang.

Meanwhile, Branson’s widow has put a $2,000 reward on Brewster’s head.

Review:

One of those B Westerns where you don’t want to stop to think about the plot. For a man who wanted to run for mayor on a law-and-order ticket, Brewster switches sides from lawman to outlaw and back again with surprising ease.

And the final showdown that finds Henry Hammer, Susan Hammer, Brewster, Valentine and Mrs. Branton at the old hideout at exactly the same time … wow, what a coincidence.

If you’re wondering, as Hollywood as it sounds, Rex Reason was Rex’s real name. In fact, it was changed Bart Roberts for two films, and Rex fought to have it changed back. From 1957-1959, Rex starred as newspaper publisher and reporter Adam MacLean in the Western TV series “Man Without a Gun.”

On the plus side, Beverly Garland looks lovely and provides a sympathetic character to root for, a young woman who’s led a sheltered life under her father’s watchful care and figures she’ll eventually marry Keith Larsen’s character … until Rex’s comes along. Garland appeared in about a half dozen Westerns in the mid-1950s. “Saga of Hemp Brown” (1958), with Rory Calhoun, is probably the best.

Directed by:
Daniel B. Ullman

Cast:
Rex Reason … Steven Brewster
Beverly Garland … Susan Hammer
Emile Meyer … Henry Hammer
Keith Larsen … Rick Valentine
Margia Dean … Emily Branton
Stanley Farrar … Jake Rayburn
Rankin Mansfield … Doc Travis
William Phipps … Walt Branton
John Pickard … Vince Branton
Ralph Peters … Sammy Fielding
Russ Bender … George Johanson
Robert Cunningham … Paul Johanson

Runtime: 69 min. (of 74)
aka “The Lonesome Gun

Title Tune: “The Man with the Gallant Gun”
Sung by: Bob Grabeau

Memorable lines:

Steven Brewster, a lawman letting outlaw Henry Hammer escape jail: “Your horse is in the back. He’s a good one. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble, Henry. Nobody wears guns on the street anymore.”
Hammer: “Admirable law enforcement you have here.”

Steven Brewster: “Why are you always picking fights with the law?”
Jack Rayburn: “The law , huh. That overstuffed, worm-headed, mealy-mouthed, lousy, pot-bellied, no good, thieving, rubber-necked toad has no more right to be wearing a badge than a rattlesnake.”

Brewster: “Do you mind if I kiss you?”
Susan Hammer: “I don’t think you should.”
Brewster: “Neither do I, but I’m going to anyway.”

Rankin Mansfield as Doc Travis, one of Steven Brewster’s allies in Badlands of Montana (1957)

Robert Cunningham and Russe Bender as brothers Paul and George Johanson, members of the Hammer gang in Badlands of Montana (1957)

Ralph Peters as Sammy Fielding, a member of the Hammer gang in Badlands of Montana (1957)

Rex Reason as Steven Brewster, returning to the town of Cascade with a badge on his chest in Badlands of Montana (1957)