The Young Land (1959)

Dennis Hopper plays Hatfield Carnes, who guns down a Mexican outside a cantina in 1840s California and so becomes a test case as to whether American justice will be applied to whites and Mexicans fairly.

Patrick Wayne plays Sheriff Ellison, the young man responsible for keeping the peace and who does it without a gun or a badge; Yvonne Craig is his pretty Mexican fiancée.

Ellison has his hands full keeping her out of trouble and keeping Carnes in jail and safe. His friends would like to break him out; the Mexicans would like to see him lynched.

Meanwhile, Judge Isham comes from the East to preside over Carnes’ murder trial. He’s first disgusted by the lack of formality, but comes to respect Ellison and the jury that decides Carnes’ fate.

Carnes claims he killed in self defense. Given a second chance — freedom as long as he never again picks up a gun — will Carnes take it?

Patrick Wayne as Sheriff Jim Ellison, looking for a deputy to guard his prisoner in The Young Land (1959)

Dennis Hopper as Hatfield Carnes, telling about the encounter with a Mexican ranchhand that led to his murder trial in The Young Land (1959)

Review:

Excellent performances by Hopper and Don O’Herlihy as the judge, and a fine ending make this worth watching, in spite of a wooden performance by Patrick Wayne in his first starring role (at age 20) and a film that drags in spots.

As for the cast … well, that’s what makes this interesting. In addition to Wayne and Hopper, the film was produced by Patrick Ford … yep, the son of John Ford. And that’s Ken Curtis of “Gunsmoke’s” Fetus fame as one of Hatfield Carnes’ good friends.

The cast also includes Yvonne Craig as the very pretty Elena de la Madrid. She gained cult TV immortality in the 1960s when she played Batgirl in the TV series “Batman,” starring Adam West. She appeared in 26 episodes, more than The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler or Catwoman.

Yvonne Craig as Elena de la Madrid, explaining to Jim Ellison how she has maids to do the cooking in The Young Land (1959)

Dan O’Herlihy as Judge Millard Isham, giving the jury instructions as deliberations begin in The Young Land (1959)

Directed by:
Ted Tetzlaff

Cast:
Patrick Wayne … Sheriff Jim Ellison
Yvonne Craig …Elena de la Madrid
Dennis Hopper … Hatfield Carnes
Don O’Herlihy … Judge Isham
Roberto De La Madrid … Don Roberto
Cliff Ketchum … Marshal Ben Stroud
Ken Curtis … Lee Hearn
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez … Deputy Santiago
Ed Sweeney … Sully

Runtime: 89 min.

Title tune: “The Young Land”
aka “Strange are the Ways of Love”
by Randy Sparks

Ken Curtis as Lee Hearn, about to be selected as deputy to watch over a jailed friend in The Young Land (1959)

Roberto de la Madrid as Don Robert de la Madrid, explaining to the judge how the U.S. justice system is on trial in The Young Land (1959)

Memorable lines:

Sheriff Ellison to bartender: “You’d set fire to your mother if you could get a good price for the ashes.”

Sheriff Ellison to Judge Isham: “Are you the big judge?”
Isham: “I’m not exactly gigantic, but I am a judge. Millard Isham is the name.”
Ellison: “I didn’t mean it that way, sir. Well out here, a sure enough United Sates judge is real big.”

Sheriff Ellison: “You’re a little fox.”
Elena: “I do not care if you think I am like a fox. Foxes are pretty.”

Cliff Ketchum as Deputy Marshal Ben Stroud, the man who prosecutes the case against Hatfield Carnes in The Young Land (1959)

Yvonne Craig as Elena de la Madrid, watching Hatfield Carnes’ movements from the presumed safety of the jail in The Young Land (1959)

Dennis Hopper as Hatfield Carnes, awaiting his sentencing along with Lee Hearn (Ken Curtis) and Sheriff Ellison (Patrick Wayne) in The Young Land (1959)

Dennis Hopper as Hatfield Carnes, threatening Elena de la Madrid (Yvonne Craig) in front of boyfriend Sheriff Jim Ellison (Patrick Wayne) in The Young Land (1959)