Rating: 
Summary: The chased and the chaste
Review: The first shot of a character in a movie often tells you quite a bit about them, and Gail Russell has a doozy of a first shot in THE ANGEL AND THE BADMAN. While the title is running an unidentified cowboy is being chased and shot at by another group of cowboys. Although he evades them, his horse stumbles and he falls to the ground. Thomas Worth (John Halloran) and daughter Penelope (Gail Russell) are nearby. Thomas jumps off the cart they're riding and rushes to the fallen stranger. He calls to Penelope to come here, quick, and she whips the horses into a quick gallop.
The first center-framed image in the film is of Penelope in the cart, shot from far below, standing tall with a dark and troubled sky framing her ethereal beauty. There is something, this shot tells us, that is majestic and strong about her. It's a beautiful shot.
The injured cowboy is Quirt Evans (John Wayne), the Badman. This being Wayne, and this being a film from a different era, you'll have to take his Bad-ness with a grain of salt. When the Worth's announce they're going to tend to the injured cowboy, a bystander tells them he'd "as soon have a black powder bomb in my house."
The Worth's are Quakers, and the movie convincingly traces the developing love between Quirt and Penelope. Not so convincing is the interest the Law, Marshall Wistful McClintock (Harry Carey) and the Bad Guys show in Quirt. They have to be there, I guess, because Evans will have to renounce the gun or renounce the girl. They have to be there, but the sub-plots are half-cooked.
What would thee do if thee were pitching woo at a Quaker beauty? Probably pretty much the same thing Wayne did - bounce a baby in your arms, pick a few blackberries, and leave your guns behind at the worst possible times.
For an action movie this one is a little too wordy. The Marshall and the doctor (Tom Powers) are given pages and pages of script to read. What action there is - particularly the stampede and the cart chase - are well choreographed.
THE ANGEL AND THE BADMAN is good clean fun, pleasant enough for all audiences.
Rating:
Summary: The chased and the chaste
Review: The first shot of a character in a movie often tells you quite a bit about them, and Gail Russell has a doozy of a first shot in THE ANGEL AND THE BADMAN. While the title is running an unidentified cowboy is being chased and shot at by another group of cowboys. Although he evades them, his horse stumbles and he falls to the ground. Thomas Worth (John Halloran) and daughter Penelope (Gail Russell) are nearby. Thomas jumps off the cart they're riding and rushes to the fallen stranger. He calls to Penelope to come here, quick, and she whips the horses into a quick gallop.
The first center-framed image in the film is of Penelope in the cart, shot from far below, standing tall with a dark and troubled sky framing her ethereal beauty. There is something, this shot tells us, that is majestic and strong about her. It's a beautiful shot.
The injured cowboy is Quirt Evans (John Wayne), the Badman. This being Wayne, and this being a film from a different era, you'll have to take his Bad-ness with a grain of salt. When the Worth's announce they're going to tend to the injured cowboy, a bystander tells them he'd "as soon have a black powder bomb in my house."
The Worth's are Quakers, and the movie convincingly traces the developing love between Quirt and Penelope. Not so convincing is the interest the Law, Marshall Wistful McClintock (Harry Carey) and the Bad Guys show in Quirt. They have to be there, I guess, because Evans will have to renounce the gun or renounce the girl. They have to be there, but the sub-plots are half-cooked.
What would thee do if thee were pitching woo at a Quaker beauty? Probably pretty much the same thing Wayne did - bounce a baby in your arms, pick a few blackberries, and leave your guns behind at the worst possible times.
For an action movie this one is a little too wordy. The Marshall and the doctor (Tom Powers) are given pages and pages of script to read. What action there is - particularly the stampede and the cart chase - are well choreographed.
THE ANGEL AND THE BADMAN is good clean fun, pleasant enough for all audiences.
Rating: 
Summary: Well Written, Well Acted, Well Done!
Review: This is a great Wayne flick, and a great western to boot. I wasn't expecting much from a 1940's western, and the first 15 minutes or so seemed to prove my worst fears right. There is some terribly preachy philisophical dialog between Gail Russell's Quaker father and the local athiest doctor, arguing about the inherent good in all men vs the stupidity of living life by high-ideals alone, blah blah blah. It was spoken in that stilted voice that every bit actor of the time seemed to imitate, as if they were reading the news. I could just see the ending, with the hero dead and the philosophers saying something like "All men pay the price who..." blah blah blah In comes John Wayne to save the day, with a wonderful freshness in his every manner and word. Young, cocky, Wayne's performance is totally deserving of his superstar status, and is only matched by Gail Russell, who is perhaps the best female lead of any Wayne film. Russell brings some real life to the peaceful ideals of the Quakers (which appear terribly naive given the setting), and you can't help but fall in love with her hope and beauty. The Duke matches her step for step, playing a wild boy who is only a few trigger-pulls away from a hanging. Wayne always obeys Russell's requests for non-violent, peaceful solutions to problems, yet he can't help but putting his own mischievious country-boy spin on everything. In one short scene, we discover that a mean neighbor has damed the local water source. Russell and her family pray for his cold heart to melt while Wayne rides off and intimidates him into undamming it. When the Quakers shower the neighbor with food and kindness, his heart does melt, and he thanks Wayne for "asking" him to undam the water. The Duke is stunned. And moments like these litter this movie. Watching the Duke's heart melt to Russell's charms is the best part of this movie. Their romance is perfectly paced and entirely believable. Wayne is at his romantic best, and Russell has enough ability and looks to match him. The ending is a little too neat and sudden, but I just wished I could watch another 2 hours. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written, Well Acted, Well Done!
Review: This is a great Wayne flick, and a great western to boot. I wasn't expecting much from a 1940's western, and the first 15 minutes or so seemed to prove my worst fears right. There is some terribly preachy philisophical dialog between Gail Russell's Quaker father and the local athiest doctor, arguing about the inherent good in all men vs the stupidity of living life by high-ideals alone, blah blah blah. It was spoken in that stilted voice that every bit actor of the time seemed to imitate, as if they were reading the news. I could just see the ending, with the hero dead and the philosophers saying something like "All men pay the price who..." blah blah blah In comes John Wayne to save the day, with a wonderful freshness in his every manner and word. Young, cocky, Wayne's performance is totally deserving of his superstar status, and is only matched by Gail Russell, who is perhaps the best female lead of any Wayne film. Russell brings some real life to the peaceful ideals of the Quakers (which appear terribly naive given the setting), and you can't help but fall in love with her hope and beauty. The Duke matches her step for step, playing a wild boy who is only a few trigger-pulls away from a hanging. Wayne always obeys Russell's requests for non-violent, peaceful solutions to problems, yet he can't help but putting his own mischievious country-boy spin on everything. In one short scene, we discover that a mean neighbor has damed the local water source. Russell and her family pray for his cold heart to melt while Wayne rides off and intimidates him into undamming it. When the Quakers shower the neighbor with food and kindness, his heart does melt, and he thanks Wayne for "asking" him to undam the water. The Duke is stunned. And moments like these litter this movie. Watching the Duke's heart melt to Russell's charms is the best part of this movie. Their romance is perfectly paced and entirely believable. Wayne is at his romantic best, and Russell has enough ability and looks to match him. The ending is a little too neat and sudden, but I just wished I could watch another 2 hours. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Gail Russel's Best!
Review: This Republic feature has the aura of a major studio production. John Wayne's acting here is several notches over his Lone Star flicks. But this film belongs to the beauteous Gail Russell. Many consider this her best film ever. It was downhill after this as she failed to overcome the alcoholic demon which eventually claimed her life at a young age of 36 in the early 1960s. There are several DVD rendition out there but the one by Goodtimes is outstanding. The picture quality is clear, clean and crisp. This more than makes up for their previous McClintok DVD fiasco.
Rating: 
Summary: Quirt closes mens eyes and opens womans.
Review: This Wayne movie made the year I landed on earth is amazing given the budget Republic gives these westerns.
Rating:
Summary: Quakers and John Wayne...
Review: Who would think these two would mix? As a Quaker, I'm always looking for videos and books to add to the family library, ones that are interesting and lively, not ones that make you yawn. This movie will fit the ticket! John Wayne is himself - or at least the character he plays. The Quaker family portrayed here has life, especially the charming Gail Russell as the love interest. Wayne's character has to evolve, moving from the way he's always done his problem-solving (guns and shoot 'em ups) to a new way that could bring him a longer, more peaceful life. A good movie for many different kinds of folks to enjoy!
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