The Law and Jake Wade (1958)

Western involving an outlaw who forces his reformed co-hort to lead him to some buried loot.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 883929005093 Manufacturer No: 1000036298 Product Description

The Law And Jake Wade

Excellent DVD !!!! Sous-titres en français, comme promis !!!! Je suis enchantée de mon achat!!!! MERCI à l'excellent vendeur dont l'envoi fut rapide!!!
Christiane September 30, 2008

The Law and Jake Wade

Dear Amazon:
The western movie "The Law and Jake Wade" is a classic movie. The western films always have the good and the bad; and supports crime does not pay. This is a typical classic western film that portrays the Hollywood of the past, with a super cast in Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark. Very enjoyable for the western film collectors and lovers of the the traditional movie making that has long been forgotten.
Mario C.
Concord, CA. September 29, 2008

"Robert Taylor Series ... The Law and Jake Wade (1958) ... MGM (2008)"

MGM presents "THE LAW AND JAKE WADE" (6 June 1958) (86 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Our story line and plot, Jake Wade (Robert Taylor) is a one-time outlaw who has gone straight and is now the Marshall in a small town --- His past catches up with him when his former partner, Clint Hollister (Richard Widmark), takes him prisoner in order to get his share of the loot from their last job together --- To make sure Jake cooperates, they also take his fiancée Peggy (Patricia Owens) along for the trip --- Peggy learns all too quickly about Jake's past --- When they reach the ghost town where Jake hid the money, they have to fight off a band of marauding Indians --- An all too well told, western melodrama that doesn't pull any punches --- Taylor getting on in years is still a strong presence in the tale penned by Marvin H. Albert --- With good shots of the High Sierras and Death Valley, "Law and Jake Wade" is a good standard Western filled with irony dialog and sardonic humor, enjoyable throughout --- Richard Widmark's gang which included DeForest Kelley, Robert Middleton, and Henry Silva bring to the table an outstanding cast of players.

Under the production staff of:
John Sturges - Director
William Hawks - Producer
Marvin H. Albert - Book Author
William Bowers - Screenwriter
Robert Surtees - Cinematographer
Ferris Webster - Editor
Daniel B. Cathcart - Art Director
William Horning - Art Director
Henry W. Grace - Set Designer
Otto Siegel - Set Designer
Walter Plunkett - Costume Designer
William J. Tuttle - Makeup
Lee Le Blanc - Special Effects
Robert Saunders - First Assistant Director

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Robert Taylor
Date of Birth: 5 August 1911 - Filley, Nebraska,
Date of Death: 8 June 1969 - Santa Monica, California

the cast includes:
Robert Taylor ... Jake Wade
Richard Widmark ... Clint Hollister
Patricia Owens ... Peggy
Robert Middleton ... Ortero
Henry Silva ... Rennie
DeForest Kelley ... Wexler (as De Forest Kelley)
Burt Douglas ... Lieutenant
Eddie Firestone ... Burke
Richard H. Cutting ... Luke, Jake's Deputy
Roy Engel ... Avery
Al Ferguson ... Bit Role

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow Western Classics --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 86 mins on DVD ~ Warner Home Video ~ (8/26/2008) September 22, 2008

THE LAW OF A GREAT SCRIPT AND GOOD ACTING

The source of this very good film released through MGM on June 6, 1958, was a book written by the incomparable Marvin H. Albert. Mr. Albert has written many westerns (Clayburns) and mysteries (Lady In Cement), with many brought to film (Duel At Diablo & Tony Rome), from novels that are very near classics of the writer's art.

This film was shot on location in California's High Sierra Mountain Range, Lone Pine location, and in Death Valley. Both the filming sites and the actors allow great realism in this western. The 88 minute film was shot in both great color and wide screen.

For Robert Taylor (1911-1969) this film would be one of the better ones he had left to make, with Richard Widmark (1914-2008) having yet a longer string of films to make with some very good ones to come. Neither actor could have had any bad feelings concerning their stellar performances in this film. Both Taylor and Widmark do show their age somewhat in this film, however, their combined performance is a veritable thing of beauty to behold. For one seeing this film for the first time elements of suspense are encountered with the ending scoring a point for the 'good guys' believing in rule of law.

Great story, sustaining suspense, admirable locations, and a plethora of very good actors, help turn this western story into more than just a western. The label 'classic' isn't too far behind this movie. All-in-all, Hollywood seldom did a western any better than THE LAW AND JAKE WADE. Watch it and you will probably understand why I enjoyed this one so much.

Semper Fi. September 9, 2008

a good solid western

Not a classic like "my Darling Clementine" or "High Noon", of course, but this film has a lot to offer. Richard Widmark always made one of the best villains in the movies. He really puts on a show in this film, as the leader of a former Civil War guerilla outfit that just kept on robbing banks after the war ended. Widmark, and the scipt, give the character a borderline psychotic persona, with a 1950's-ish vague hint of homosexuality in his obsession with his former second in command, played by Robert Taylor.

Taylor, playing the lead and title character in this movie, was a somewhat limited actor, often appearing stiff and wooden in his roles, though that did not keep him from getting some of the best movie roles of the 1950's - Ivahoe int he movie of the same name, Marcus Vinnicius in Quo Vadis. And he made some highly entertaining action films in the post-war years. In this film his unemotional stiffness works in his favor, as his character is unusually stoic, even for a western "hero". Not that Jake Wade is exactly a typical western hero. He used to be the gang's second in command, but now he's trying to reform, having become a well respected sheriff and engaged to one of the towns most eligible single girls. This film was probably the aging Taylor's last really good big screen role, and he pulls it off pretty well.

The easily described plot is that Jake took off with some money after a robbery 1 year before, and hi old gang wants it back. Widmark's character Clint, wants more than just the money, he wants to punish Jake for having deserted him. The gang finds Jake and kidnaps both him and his fiancee and demands that Jake lead them to the loot. Jake knows they will kill him after he hands over the money, and he tries to reconcile with his fiancee, who is understandably confused and taken aback to learn of Jake's sordid past.

The movie is a kind of a bridge (albeit one of many) between the less morally ambiguous westerns of the 1940's and 50's and the anti-heroic westerns of the 60's ad 70's.

The tension builds up on the trail to the buried money, not only between Jake and his former comrades, but also between the gang members themselves, as they realize that Widmark's monomaniacal quest to get the money back is leading them all to almost certain death at the hand of hostile Indians.

A nighttime fight with the Apaches, a little help from one of the old gang who still feels some friendship toward Jake, and a final showdown between Clint and Jake make up the cimax of the movie.

Terrific location filming in the Alabama Hills at the base of California's Mount Whitney and in Death Valley add to the quality of the picture.

It'll never be considered one of the best westerns ever made, but it's a good story and an entertaining flick. August 30, 2008

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