Angel and the Badman
Notorious shootist and womanizer Quirt Evans' horse collapses as he passes a Quaker family's home. Quirt has been wounded, and the kindly family takes him in to nurse him back to health against the advice of others. The handsome Evans quickly attracts the affections of their beautiful daughter, Penelope. He develops an affection for the family and their faith, but his troubled past follows him.
-
- Cast:
- John Wayne , Gail Russell , Harry Carey , Bruce Cabot , Irene Rich , Lee Dixon , Tom Powers
Similar titles
Reviews
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.
The "badman" in this movie is Quirt Evans. Since he is played by John Wayne, we wonder, "Just how bad can he be?" I mean, has John Wayne ever played a badman in the movies? It turns out, much as we suspected, that for all the talk about his being a badman, it seems to be just that, talk. Apparently, he once worked as a lawman for Wyatt Earp. Then he became a cattleman for a while. But one day, Wall Ennis, the man who raised Quirt like a father, was shot down by Laredo Stevens (Bruce Cabot) while another man grabbed his hand as he was going for his gun. That's when Quirt sold his herd and began plaguing Laredo, hoping to goad him into a gunfight in front of witnesses. For example, when Laredo and his gang rustle some cattle, killing all the cowboys who were herding them, Quirt and his boys bonk Laredo's gang over the head, knocking them off their horses. Then Quirt's gang takes off with the cattle and presumably sells them. I guess the idea is that the cattle were already stolen, so what Quirt did was not really so bad.Before that however, at the beginning of the movie, Quirt beats Laredo to some land he wanted. Laredo's gang chases him until he collapses from exhaustion and a gunshot wound. A couple of Quakers help him get to a telegraph station to make the claim and then take him in so that he can convalesce. One Quaker in particular, Penny (Gail Russell), is the "angel" in this movie.Dr. Mangram (Tom Powers) comes over to take the bullet out. He makes a snide remark about the way the wicked always seem to be able to survive gunshot wounds while the godly succumb to infection, and Penny's father chastises him, saying, "You so-called atheists. You always feel so compelled to stretch your godlessness." With this brief exchange, the movie expresses its attitude toward atheists. First, the atheist is rude and churlish, entering the house of a family he knows to be devout and mocking their religion. For a long time in the movies, atheists were never allowed to be congenial and easygoing, as in reality, many of them are. Movie atheists had to let everyone know just how much they despised religion. Second, this movie was made at a time when a lot of people believed that there really was no such thing as an atheist, that their denial of God's existence was a self-deluding pretense. Hence the use of the term "so-called."Another feature of the stereotypical movie atheist is the emphasis on reality and logic, at the expense of sentiment and feeling. Mangram says to Penny's mother, "You can carry this head-in-sand attitude just so far in the world of reality." She replies, "We assure you that you will finally realize that realism untempered by sentiments of humanity is really just a mean, hard, cold outlook on life." She is right, of course. But that is precisely the sort of thing David Hume might have said. In reality, atheists have as much sentiment as anyone else, but movie atheists tend to lack these feelings.Anyway, Quirt and Penny fall in love. She is willing to follow him anywhere, but he is not sure he wants to be tied down. So this struggle goes on throughout the movie, while she acquaints him with the views of the Society of Friends, such as that a person can harm only himself, even if he appears to harm someone else. One day, she gets him to leave his gun behind while they go for a ride. As this is shortly after the cattle rustling incident, Laredo and his boys show up and give chase until the wagon goes over a cliff and into the water. Penny almost drowns. Quirt gets her back to the house and Dr. Mangram is sent for. When it looks as though Penny is likely to die, Quirt decides to kill Laredo.Right after he rides off, Penny comes to. She seems to be completely well. Mangram is stunned. "I can't understand it," he says. "I can't understand it at all. There must be some logical, scientific explanation. I am too old to start believing in miracles." And thus does the movie refute the atheist.A common feature of the Western is the gunslinger with a guilty past. He wants to hang up his guns, but there is one last thing he must do. Another recurring feature involves revenge. The hero relentlessly pursues his goal of getting his revenge against a man who killed someone he loved. But when the moment arrives, he renounces his revenge. However, the man he was pursuing somehow gets what is coming to him anyway.And so it is with "Angel and the Badman." Quirt rides into town and calls out Laredo, who is in the saloon with the sidekick who helped him gun down Wall Ennis. Suddenly, Penny's parents ride into town in a wagon with Penny in the back. She gets Quirt to hand her his gun. Just then, Laredo and his companion step out into the street. Quirt turns around unarmed. And then Marshall McClintock (Harry Carey), who has been threatening to hang Quirt and Laredo throughout the movie, shoots Laredo and his friend, killing them both. Quirt tells McClintock that from now on he is a farmer.It is worth noting that, although Penny and her family would have been disappointed with Quirt if he had killed Laredo, they are just fine with the way McClintock killed Laredo instead. In other words, pacifists manage survive in a violent world, because someone else is willing to do the killing for them.
. . . in the Election Year of 2016, though ANGEL AND THE BADMAN is so ancient that not only is most of the cast deceased, but the vast majority of its original movie theater audiences, as well. While some Presidential Primary voters may misread this title as ANGEL VERSUS BADMAN (predicting a Hillary vs. Trump contest), this John Wayne flick actually is eerily accurate in outlining the main features of the on-going Water Crisis in Flint, MI. Playing the part of businessman-turned-governor is "Frederick Carson," who shuts off the Poor People's access to Fresh Mountain Stream Water, forcing them to drink from lead-contaminated wells. Rather than backing Carson as his long-standing adherence to Rich People Party Principles in Real Life would require, John Wayne's "Quirt" (rhymes with "squirt") talks Carson into a less lucrative policy of sharing Unpoisoned Water with the normal people. As if this weren't far-fetched enough for one flick, Quirt then gives up his six-shooter (like Montgomery Clift at the end of RED RIVER). Probably the vast majority of folks seeing this in the theaters expected Wayne to shout out "Just kidding, folks!" before the lights came up. It's as if Darth Vader has resigned his position to open a Petting Zoo.
Very different John Wayne film. A romantic western, if you will. Wayne plays notorious gunslinger Quirt Evans, who is wounded and nursed back to health by a Quaker family. The sweet and innocent daughter, Penelope (Gail Russell), falls in love with Quirt. But the gunfighter's got some bad guys to deal with, chiefly an hombre named Laredo (Bruce Cabot). Quirt will have to choose between his way and the Quaker way, which means choosing Penelope or the gun.John Wayne is really good in this one. He's a very underrated actor that is often slighted by people that don't like the man, usually because they don't like his politics or something along those lines. But he was actually a very good actor who brought depth to most of the characters he played. Here he gets to show his softer side and it's one of his best performances from the '40s. Gail Russell is young and very pretty here. She does a great job in one of her two best-known films (the other being The Uninvited). Russell and Wayne have terrific chemistry. It's sad how her life turned out as she had the potential to be one of the greats. Harry Carey, Sr. plays a grizzled old marshal dubious of whether Quirt can change. As was often the case, he stands out above the pack. An excellent actor who could say more with a smile or a look than most could with a page of dialogue. Amusingly there are characters in this movie named Hondo and McClintock, both names for future Wayne characters. It's a charming and enjoyable western that fans of the Duke will love but also I think people who don't normally like westerns can enjoy.
Angel and the Badman is written and directed by James Edward Grant. It stars John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey, Bruce Cabot, Irene Rich, Lee Dixon and Stephen Grant. Music is by Richard Hageman and cinematography by Archie J. Stout.Quirt Evans (Wayne), a notorious gunman is hurt and on the run. Taken in by The Worth's, a Quaker family, Quirt forms a "special" bond with daughter Penelope (Russell). With the law and other badmen on his tail, will Quirt change his ways before it's too late? John Wayne's first film as a producer and star is also his most romantic. That's not to say it lacks action or Wayne's fine tuning of his macho image is halted, because that's not the case, but this carries a dreamy like old fashioned value that has helped the film endear over the years. It's a touch too slow at times for its own good and runs for ten minutes longer than was needed, things that no doubt stunted its financial growth at the 1947 box office, but there is much to enjoy here.Technical values are high, from Stout's photography that beautifully realises locations in Sedona, Arizona (Monument Valley standing out, naturally!), to cast performances from Carey, Wayne and the gorgeous Miss Russell (chemistry unbound between the three actors), film never lacks for quality. Memorable scenes are plenty, such as The Duke sitting in a chair facing down three henchmen led by Cabot's Laredo Stevens; his gun empty, a free-for-all punch up in a saloon, and some very tender moments between Wayne and Russell. While narratively there's the deft pitching of Quaker values into a wild west setting.A lovely film which also manages to pump the adrenaline as well. 7.5/10DVD version viewed was Region 2 taken out of the John Wayne Out West 6 film Box Set. A good quality black and white print.