Been making my way through Julie Adams’ book The Lucky Southern Star, taking it slow so I can really enjoy it rather than blaze through it and wish it was twice as thick. I recommend the book highly.
It gets a lot of flak for various things, but I think The Lawless Breed(1952) is a terrific picture. You can’t team up Adams, Raoul Walsh, John McIntire and Rock Hudson and not come away with something worthwhile. It has a beauty to it, with a debt to Director of Photography Irving Glassberg, that makes it special. We can also thank Universal for giving it a lovely transfer for DVD.
In the book, Julie gives us this story about making the film:
“In one of the saloon scenes, a number of character actors were lined up drinking at the bar. One bearded fellow was puffing madly away on a giant cigar, with puffs of smoke rising up towards the ceiling. The camera was rolling, the scene was going on and suddenly our director shouted, “Cut! His muff is on fire!”
Could that be him in the shot below?
Isn’t it a beautiful book, Toby? They did such a nice job with the presentation — all those gorgeous photos! — along with the content. You highlighted a great anecdote!
I love the deep cast and the visual look of THE LAWLESS BREED, as I do all Universal Westerns of the era, but I confess didn’t care for this one at all, finding it a downer with one disastrous episode after another. It kind of cemented for me that I have trouble with the “outlaw” subgenre. They’re generally not feel-good movies, LOL. But that’s just me.
So glad you’re enjoying the book!!
Best wishes,
Laura
It IS a wonderful book. Thanks again for making sure I got a copy!
The Lawless Breed is a bit of a downer, but the scenes between Julie and Rock seem very genuine, which makes it all quite touching. In her book, Julie makes similar comments on those scenes.
It’s funny that you didn’t like the film I wrote about, since like you, I didn’t like the one you wrote about — A Place In The Sun. Pictures like that made me the genre fan I am today.
The reason I posted that today was that I woke up this morning with that scene with the wounded Hudson hiding in the brush stuck in my head. Not sure what put it there.
I don’t find THE LAWLESS BREED a downer–it’s a beautiful movie, and like many Walsh films especially good as an example of his cinema of the couple; male/female relationships are invariably strong in his films, and he loves women, one reason why this may be Julie’s best role (and I always love her) and I believe it is the best early film of Rock Hudson–he may be more made for Sirkian melodrama but was very good in Westerns too, especially in these years. The reunion scene of Rock and Julie is especially rich in emotion.
I’m with Toby in liking this one but also with both of you on A PLACE IN THE SUN, which to me is a false classic.
I haven’t read Julie Adams’ book yet but plan to and really looking forward to it. There are few actresses I love as much as her.
When two people whose opinions I value like a movie so well, it makes me think I should take another look at it in the future! 🙂
Incidentally, that photo at the top is especially terrific.
It’s nice to hear that I’m in good company on A PLACE IN THE SUN. I love the term “false classic.” The phrase “the emperor has no clothes” ran through my mind at one point as I watched. I actually chuckled as it ended, which I’m sure wasn’t the filmmakers’ intent!
Best wishes,
Laura
i wouldn’t call The Lawless Breed one of my favourite’s but it’s not bad. Even mediocre works by Walsh are worth a look – and it does end well.