(1955)
2.5
Craig Butler
A Lawless Street is a slightly above average Western that is perhaps more interesting for what it shows about the way the genre was developing than because of its dramatic import. By 1955, the "oater" had begun the change from a good guys vs. bad guys set-up to one that explored what makes a good guy and what makes a bad guy. In Street, the divide between the two is still solid, but there are some interesting wrinkles. Randolph Scott's ultra-good guy character suffers from his choices; his life has been lonely because he has chosen to fight evil. Meanwhile, the bad guys who are after him aren't after him simply because he's a symbol of virtue; they're being paid to take him out by townsfolk who basically think the sheriff is bad for business. Unfortunately, this sounds more interesting than it actually is when presented on the screen; still, Street has enough action, color and characterization to make it worth watching. It also has one of Scott's better performances, perhaps motivated by working with Angela Lansbury, who is terrific (and looks like a million bucks). He's also aided by some imaginative work from director Joseph H. Lewis.
cast-crew for A Lawless Street on AllMovie
A Lawless Street (1955)
crew
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Paul Sawtell
- Composer (Music Score), Musical Direction/Supervision
