Today I found the pilot episode of "Hec Ramsey" and was shocked how much I liked it. The story is about an old-time western sheriff who has embraced more modern forensics...and Richard Boone was wonderful in this episode. I liked it so much, I then watched the second, "Hangman's Wages" and enjoyed it...though not nearly as much. It's still worth seeing but was a minor disappointment.
When the story begins, a man (Steve Forrest) is in jail awaiting execution by electric chair. Yes, the new invention of the electric chair is supposed to be used in this Oklahoma town circa 1900...which isn't impossible but also very, very unlikely. But before they can execute this no-good galoot, two thing happen. First, a dopey little kid idolizes the evil man and wants to help him by smuggling him a gun! Second, some unknown person just murdered someone....and they inform the law that they'll keep killing innocent people until they let the condemned man go free! Well, of course they won't free him...but it's up to Hec and the other members of this police department to find the accomplice and hold them to account for their nasty ways.
I wasn't thrilled with the electric chair angle. Technically speaking, bringing an expensive chair to a rather rural area at about 1900 isn't all that easy. I liked seeing Ramsey using more modern techniques (such as ballistics and finger prints) in the first installment...but an electric chair?! I also wasn't thrilled with the kid and felt bad for H. Lee Montgomery, as I noticed Hollywood often put him in bad films with poorly written parts for kids (such as "Ben", which was a terrible sequel to "Willard"). I know one book picked him as the worst child actor ever...but this seems cruel. I think he could act...but often he was given annoying roles...which wasn't his fault, as he was just a kid! Overall, enjoyable but flawed...deeply flawed...and I hope the next movie in the series is better.
When the story begins, a man (Steve Forrest) is in jail awaiting execution by electric chair. Yes, the new invention of the electric chair is supposed to be used in this Oklahoma town circa 1900...which isn't impossible but also very, very unlikely. But before they can execute this no-good galoot, two thing happen. First, a dopey little kid idolizes the evil man and wants to help him by smuggling him a gun! Second, some unknown person just murdered someone....and they inform the law that they'll keep killing innocent people until they let the condemned man go free! Well, of course they won't free him...but it's up to Hec and the other members of this police department to find the accomplice and hold them to account for their nasty ways.
I wasn't thrilled with the electric chair angle. Technically speaking, bringing an expensive chair to a rather rural area at about 1900 isn't all that easy. I liked seeing Ramsey using more modern techniques (such as ballistics and finger prints) in the first installment...but an electric chair?! I also wasn't thrilled with the kid and felt bad for H. Lee Montgomery, as I noticed Hollywood often put him in bad films with poorly written parts for kids (such as "Ben", which was a terrible sequel to "Willard"). I know one book picked him as the worst child actor ever...but this seems cruel. I think he could act...but often he was given annoying roles...which wasn't his fault, as he was just a kid! Overall, enjoyable but flawed...deeply flawed...and I hope the next movie in the series is better.
