City of Bad Men (1953)

Dale Robertson is Brett Stanton, leader of a band of ruffians who have spent the last six years fighting with Juarez in Mexico.

They return to the U.S. with little to show for their efforts.

But Stanton promises them a big strike in the sleepy town of Carson City. Knocking off the bank there should be no problem, he tells the gang.

Turns out that Carson City has changed a lot in six years. And the town is bustling with people pouring into town to see a championship heavyweight boxing match.

What’s more, Stanton’s gang isn’t the only one to arrive in town.

Ringo (Richard Boone) and Thrailkill (Don Haggerty) have ridden into Carson City, too. So Stanton changes his plan.

Robbing the bank in a crowded town isn’t going to be easy, so he sets his sights on the receipts from the sale of boxing tickets. He has a plan all worked out.

But having all these gunslingers around is making the sheriff nervous. He figures the only way to avoid gunplay and the possible cancellation of the fight is to deputize Stanton, Thrailkill and Ringo. So that’s what he does.

It’s fine with Stanton; he figures it will make it easier to pull off a robbery when the time comes.

Thrailkill and Ringo aren’t as thrilled, and vow to kill Stanton after he forces them to arrest their own men.

Meanwhile, Stanton appears unluckly in love. Linda Culligan (Jeanne Crain), the girl he left behind, is now engaged to town leader Jim London (Whitfield Connor), a promoter of the prize fight.

She sees him as her ticket back East. But Jim’s widowed sister Cynthia wouldn’t mind getting her hands on the handsome outlaw.

Dale Robertson as Brett Stanton, returning empty-handed from the revolution in Mexico and determined to make a big score in Carson City in City of Bad Men (1953)

Jeanne Crain, learning of her brother’s death in Mexico from Brett Stanton in City of Bad Men (1953)

Review:

The film benefits from a fairly unique plot — a robbery staged around a prize fight — and lots of familiar faces, including Lloyd Bridges as Brett’s brother and Rodolfo Acosta, Leo Gordon and John Doucette as members of his gang. Even Robertson isn’t quite as insufferable as he sometimes tended to be.

Unfortunately, the ending is rather predictable and the final gunfight in a corral not very imaginatively done, with the bad guys stepping out into a hail of bullets to meet their demise.

This marked Gordon’s film debut. Oddly, Jeanne Crain gets top billing in the first of four Westerns in which she’d appear.

Richard Boone as John Ringo, demanding one of his men be released from jail in City of Bad Men (1953)

Don Haggerty as Bob Thrailkill, one of the other outlaw bosses who arrives in Carson City in City of Bad Men (1953)

Directed by
Harmon Jones

Cast:
Dale Robertson … Brett Stanton
Richard Boone … John Ringo
Lloyd Bridges … Gar Stanton
Carole Mathews … Cynthia London
Jeanne Crain … Linda Culligan
Carl Betz … Deputy Phil Ryan
Whitfield Connor … Jim London
Hugh Sanders … Sheriff Gifford
Rodolfo Acosta … Joe Mendoza
Pascual Garcia Pena … Pig
Don Haggerty … Bob Thrailkill

Runtime: 82 min.

Douglas Evans as William Brady and Whitfield Connor as Jim London, the prize fight promoters in City of Bad Men (1953)

Hugh Sanders as Sheriff Bill Gifford and Deputy Phil Ryan (Carl Betz) watch another bad man ride into Carson City in City of Bad Men (1953)

Memorable lines:

Brett Stanton, to his gang on the ride to Carson City: “You’re like a bunch of dumb cattle. You stampede at the sight of trouble, bawl at the first shift in the wind. Our luck ain’t gonna change until you start acting like men.”

Brett Stanton: “Do you always get your way?”
Cynthia London: “Not always. But I try.”

Mendoza, relaxing in a hotel room with gang boss Brent, who’s wearing a deputy’s badge: “Can’t you take that off in here? It makes me nervous.”

Carole Mathews as Cynthia London, getting acquainted with Brett Stanton in City of Bad Men (1953)

Lloyd Bridges as Gar Stanton, Brett’s often misguided brother in City of Bad Men (1953)

Brett Stanton, after Cynthia London presents him with a fancy new saddle: “I’m not used to getting something for nothing.”
Cynthia, referring to Stanton’s new deputy’s badge: “Change is always refreshing. You should know that. You made a big one this afternoon.”

Brett Stanton, preparing to return a fancy saddle: “I’ve got a present for you.”
Cynthia London: “You needn’t bother, Mr. Stanton. I have no use for it.”
Brett: “I wouldn’t say that. Maybe you can saddle someone else with it.”

Linda Culligan, when Brett rejects her offer to run off with him: “That key you said you lost, Brett — you didn’t lose it. You threw it away.”

Pascaul Garcia Pena as The General and Rodolfo Acosta sa Joe Mendoza, following Brett Stanton into Carson City in City of Bad Men (1953)

John Doucette as Cinch and Leo Gordon as Russell, reacting to their gang boss donning a badge in City of Bad Men (1953)

Carole Mathews as Cynthia London and Jeanne Crain as Linda Culligan, admiring Brett Stanton from afar in City of Bad Men (1953)

Dale Robertson as badge-wearing outlaw Brett Stanton, confronting a brother gone mad in City of Bad Men (1953)