Review of No Man's Law

Recognize the gent in the foyer photo? It's Oliver Hardy in a rare dramatic role as the most vicious of two outlaws. Frankly, this is both a lacerating and disturbing movie experience as well as an extremely suspenseful one that will have you on the edge of your seat. Hardy's acting is superb. If anything his portrayal of a callous rapist is too convincing. He even uses some of his comic props to such brilliant effect that when the movie commences he beguiles us into thinking that his intention is to play the part mostly for laughs. But this expectation is steadily disillusioned as he surely but inexorably increases the tension and piles on the horror until the hideous triple climax in which he... The stunningly lovely Barbara Kent plays the object of Sharkey's attention with such style, charm and panache, we wonder how come she didn't graduate into the major league. Theodore von Eltz spent most of his extensive film career (he appeared in over 200 movies) in character parts. But here he plays the soiled hero with convincing aptitude. Director F. Richard Jones (who handled the studio set-ups with photographer George Stevens) astutely focuses his camera almost exclusively on von Eltz's face in the scene in which he sets out to rape the heroine but then changes his mind when she unexpectedly wakes up and smiles at him. Finlayson is also well cast. It's a difficult role which he wisely plays with a touch of comedy. The fact that he doesn't realize that the heavies are planning to murder him actually adds to the tension. Co-director Fred Jackman concentrated on the location exteriors, including all the footage with Rex with whom he had worked on his initial movie, The King of the Wild Horses, in 1924. He and his brother, Floyd Jackman, also both worked with Rex on Black Cyclone in 1925 and The Devil Horse in 1926. In No Man's Law, Rex's role, despite his star billing, is actually subordinate to the human players, although he does have some important action at the climax. Locations are most dramatically utilized throughout the movie, and are so skillfully matched with the studio scenes that many fans came away with the impression that the whole film was lensed out- doors.

AVAILABLE on DVD through Sinister Cinema. Quality rating: 10 out of ten. A very good print indeed, with one of the most effective music scores we've ever heard. We weren't conscious of it at all.