"The Bad Man " is a surprisingly fun film...something that really caught me by surprise. After all, with Wallace Beery playing a Mexican bandito, I assumed it would be pretty bad.
The context for this film is something many folks today won't recognize. Back in the 1910s, the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa, was a revolutionary bent on land redistribution. His plan was to take away the land from the rich landlords and give it to the poor...and make himself rich along the way. The United States took notice when Villa and his army crossed the border and began raiding sites in the US. This would explain why the original story came out in 1920 as a play...a very timely one considering Villa's exploits were fresh in the minds of audience members.
The film is set along the US-Mexican border. A married couple (Laraine Day and Tom Conway) have arrived at a ranch...and it just happens that the wife used to be the sweetheart of the young man running the place (Ronald Reagan). Despite the fact that Day and Reagan obviously care deeply for each other, she plans on staying with her rich husband...though through the course of the film he proves himself to be a real jerk. So how does his nasty and pusillanimous side reveal itself? Well, Pancho Lopez (Wallace Beery) and his men arrive and hold everyone captive...and the husband as well as the landlord who is planning on taking the ranch away from Reagan and his uncle (Lionel Barrymore) both are there and think their money can buy them out of trouble with Lopez. Instead, however, Lopez recognizes the owner of the ranch, as years before he saved Lopez's life. So how will he repay this kindness? See the film and find out for yourself.
This is a hilarious and fun film. While having Beery playing a Mexican might seem offensive to some today, he did an excellent job in the lead and was terribly charismatic and effected a good Mexican accent. But the best part of the film, by far, was Lionel Barrymore's character...a cantankerous old man who HOPED and BEGGED Lopez to kill the landlord and the nasty husband! The script is never dull and the film is among the better movies of 1941. Interestingly, the sepia toned print shown by Turner Classic Movies appeared brand spanking new.
The context for this film is something many folks today won't recognize. Back in the 1910s, the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa, was a revolutionary bent on land redistribution. His plan was to take away the land from the rich landlords and give it to the poor...and make himself rich along the way. The United States took notice when Villa and his army crossed the border and began raiding sites in the US. This would explain why the original story came out in 1920 as a play...a very timely one considering Villa's exploits were fresh in the minds of audience members.
The film is set along the US-Mexican border. A married couple (Laraine Day and Tom Conway) have arrived at a ranch...and it just happens that the wife used to be the sweetheart of the young man running the place (Ronald Reagan). Despite the fact that Day and Reagan obviously care deeply for each other, she plans on staying with her rich husband...though through the course of the film he proves himself to be a real jerk. So how does his nasty and pusillanimous side reveal itself? Well, Pancho Lopez (Wallace Beery) and his men arrive and hold everyone captive...and the husband as well as the landlord who is planning on taking the ranch away from Reagan and his uncle (Lionel Barrymore) both are there and think their money can buy them out of trouble with Lopez. Instead, however, Lopez recognizes the owner of the ranch, as years before he saved Lopez's life. So how will he repay this kindness? See the film and find out for yourself.
This is a hilarious and fun film. While having Beery playing a Mexican might seem offensive to some today, he did an excellent job in the lead and was terribly charismatic and effected a good Mexican accent. But the best part of the film, by far, was Lionel Barrymore's character...a cantankerous old man who HOPED and BEGGED Lopez to kill the landlord and the nasty husband! The script is never dull and the film is among the better movies of 1941. Interestingly, the sepia toned print shown by Turner Classic Movies appeared brand spanking new.