Tribute to a Bad Man *** (1956, James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Irene Papas, Stephen McNally, Vic Morrow, Royal Dano, Lee Van Cleef) – Classic Movie Review 7437

Director Robert Wise’s 1956 Western Tribute to a Bad Man stars James Cagney, who replaces the originally cast Spencer Tracy (who walked out after falling out with director Wise) as Jeremy Rodock, a vicious horse rancher who fights with his Greek girlfriend Jocasta (Irene Papas) and befriends an eastern youngster, Steve Miller (Don Dubbins), arrived from Pennsylvania.

This time Cagney, usually not at his best in his rare Western outings, gives a blistering performance as a man who loves to hang rustlers, in this otherwise disappointingly soapy yarn.

Cagney’s acting, a strong Western cast (Stephen McNally, Vic Morrow, Royal Dano, Lee Van Cleef, James Griffith, Onslow Stevens, James Bell, Jeanette Nolan), Robert Surtees’s meticulous Eastmancolor CinemaScope widescreen cinematography and Miklos Rozsa’s music score are major assets to a minor production that stays interesting but not fascinating, helped by its short running time of 95 minutes.

The writers are Michael Blankfort (story) and Jack Schaefer (short story).

Also in the cast are Chubby Johnson, Peter Chong, Billy Dix, Roy Engel, John Halloran, Tony Hughes Tom London, James McCallion, Dennis Moore, Bud Osborne, Carl Pitti, Buddy Roosevelt and Clint Sharp.

To create an ominous mood for the hanging scene, Surtees delayed filming for four days for the right overcast weather conditions at dusk.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7437

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