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Law and Order

1932 1h 10m Western List
89% Tomatometer 9 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Frame Johnson (Walter Huston) is an itinerant gambler traveling among frontier towns with three companions. Arriving in Tombstone, they discover a corrupt outpost dominated by Poe Northrup (Ralph Ince) and his vicious brothers. Frame is recognized as the renowned former lawman "Saint" Johnson, but does not wish to get involved. After the Northrups push him too far, though, he accepts the job of town marshal. Conflict comes to a head with a climactic gunfight at the OK Corral.

Critics Reviews

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Andre Sennwald New York Times Walter Huston, as the gun-toting Saint, gives his usual expert performance, and he is admirably assisted by Raymond Hatton, Harry Carey, Ralph Ince and a generally capable cast. Law and Order is a superior specimen of Western heroics. Apr 16, 2024 Full Review Wolfe Kaufman Variety With all the cards stacked against him In this picture Walter Huston manages to crash though for another fine character portrayal, but it's still only a fair to middling horse opera. Apr 16, 2024 Full Review Irene Thirer New York Daily News Men and the younger male generation go big for this sort of stuff -- the old, old-fashioned Western cinema with all the trimmings... But ladies aren't going to get much out of Law and Order. Rated: 2/4 Apr 16, 2024 Full Review P.S. Harrison Harrison's Reports The action is fast and thrilling all the way through, but it is chiefly a man’s picture, for it is full of shooting. Apr 16, 2024 Full Review Lloyd S. Thompson San Francisco Examiner The most exciting western I've seen since Cimarron. Apr 16, 2024 Full Review Harold V. Cohen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Law and Order, of course, belongs to the old Western school of ten, twent' and thirt' melodramas, but there is still something altogether fascinating about its robust heartiness, the manner in which it goes about its business of blood and thunder. Apr 16, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Earp Rip off with only Huston to recommend it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/29/23 Full Review Audience Member The other half of a Edward L. Cahn double feature I saw at the Cleveland Cinematheque. This low budget Universal western of 1932 was remade with Ronald Reagan in the 50s. This is actually one of many adaptations of the tale of Wyatt Earp with Doc Holliday and their showdown in Tombstone. The Wyatt character becomes Frame Johnson played by Walter Huston. The Doc character becomes Ed Brandt played by Harry Carey. Frame has one brother with him and they fight the Northrup gang. It will all be quite familiar if you know the legend of Tombstone. I enjoyed seeing performances from Walter Huston and Harry Carey in their prime. With Law and Order being brought to the wild west the morality is in simple terms of black and white, good vs. evil. Again it falls right in the mediocre middle with earlier silent westerns establishing genre clichés and later westerns taking more risk with style and therefore becoming more memorable. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Law and Order

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Law and Order

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Movie Info

Synopsis Frame Johnson (Walter Huston) is an itinerant gambler traveling among frontier towns with three companions. Arriving in Tombstone, they discover a corrupt outpost dominated by Poe Northrup (Ralph Ince) and his vicious brothers. Frame is recognized as the renowned former lawman "Saint" Johnson, but does not wish to get involved. After the Northrups push him too far, though, he accepts the job of town marshal. Conflict comes to a head with a climactic gunfight at the OK Corral.
Director
Edward L. Cahn
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 10m