Badmen of Tombstone **½ (1949, Barry Sullivan, Marjorie Reynolds, Broderick Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 10,299

Director Kurt Neumann’s 1949 robust, enjoyable black and white action adventure crime Western film Badmen of Tombstone from King Brothers Productions stars Broderick Crawford, Barry Sullivan and Marjorie Reynolds, and is based on the novel The Last of the Badmen by Jay Monaghan.

Robert H Barrat plays the Leadville town Sheriff contending with marauding outlaws Tom Horn and William Morgan (Sullivan and Crawford) terrorising Arizona. Morgan’s men, Mingo (Fortunio Bonanova), Red (Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams) and Curly (John Kellogg), rescue him from jail and his cell-mate Tom escapes with him.

A fair cast (though Crawford doesn’t sit easily on a horse), a tough tone and a good pace help along this interesting version of the old story, based on the real-life escapades of the Clanton clan. It is especially intriguing to have all three stars as baddies, including Reynolds as Tom (Sullivan)’s sweetheart Julie, plus the three main character actors too.

Also in the cast are Julie Gibson, Fortunio Bonanova, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, John Kellogg, Mary Newton, Dick Wessell, Virginia Carroll, Robert H Barrat, Dennis Hoey, Louis Jean Heydt, Dick Foote, Olin Howlin, Morris Ankrum, Tom Fadden, Billy Gray, Joseph Crehan, Ted Mapes, Rory Mallinson, Ted French, Douglas Fowley and Claire Carleton.

The screenplay is by Philip Yordan and Arthur Strawn.

Badmen of Tombstone is also known as Bad Men of Tombstone and Kurt Neumann was billed as Kurt Newman.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,299

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com