Because it's partly an emblematic morality tale, we get a few too many long significant looks and widescreen shots to make it look big, but there's a good strong plotline to hold it together. It's not a shoot 'em up, just some rustling wars between neighbouring farmers who hate each other's guts, and some jealousy over the woman, but it hangs together decently enough. More horses are stolen, and the culprits are found to be drifters in league with Jeremy's old partner Peterson (James Bell), who lives nearby. Peterson, his wife (Jeanette Nolan) and son Lars (Vic Morrow) have failed at ranching and hate Jeremy.

But actually, this is a good film...just a poor choice for the lead. Somehow, Cagney on a horse just doesn't sit right...so to speak. It's one of those sorta "big" Westerns, with spectacular scenery, a decent story, and some good actors. So if you're watching this for Jimmy Cagney, you may be disappointed. If you're watching this just as a Western, you'll probably enjoy it despite Jimmy Cagney...and it is a cut above most Westerns. Cagney and Papas carry most of the weight as far as performances go, but DON DUBBINS (who looks like a Robert Redford clone in a boyishly handsome sort of way), does a standout job as the young ranch hand who saves Cagney's life and is rewarded with a job as a wrangler who comes to detest the brutality of the vigilante justice. Starring James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Irene Papas, Stephen McNally, Vic Morrow, Onslow Stevens, James Bell, Jeanette Nolan, Royal Dano, Lee Van Cleef.Cagney didn't make many westerns, which is a shame because he's pretty wonderful in this film which is largely a character study of his titular character. Dubbins is the nominal star, but he exists in Cagney's shadow and the film's biggest question is whether Cagney will come around and do the right thing. Papas is the only one who manages to equal Cagney, although Vic Morrow stands out in a prime supporting role. One of the strong points of the movie is to watch how Cagney's character changes from a hard nosed, determined man to some one who gains a different perspective from those he admires, the young ranch hand and the woman whom he befriended. The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.

The characters aren't exactly complex, but the actors all turn in better than average performances. The Warner Archive Collection DVD-R of Tribute to a Bad Man is a fine enhanced transfer of this CinemaScope film with rich color and clear sound. Metrocolor from this year sometimes doesn't age well but hues appear accurate.Don Dubbins is very good here as the young man, although I guess I would never have seen him as a future lead actor (and he wasn't). Stephen McNally plays the really bad guy well. Irene Papas, despite the illogical aspect of her character, does nicely here. Vic Morrow is overrated as a young man beginning to move toward the wrong side of things; he thought he was James Dean...he wasn't.

Best in the film however by far is Vic Morrow. He's the son of a rival rancher who Cagney catches stealing his horses. I can't say, but watch what he does to 'punish' him and then lets up. But Morrow's speech letting him know he's got a permanent enemy is the highlight of the film. One of the members of McNally's bunch is a Scandinavian farmer's young son (Vic Morrow). The kid has a huge chip on his shoulder after his pa dies, and he nearly goes too far to prove his manhood. Morrow's ma is played by the always dependable Jeanette Nolan. She has turned a blind eye to her son's past activities, but now she just wants all the killings to stop. Following on from the wonderful Run for Cover the previous year, Cagney returned to the Western arena for the last time for Tribute to a Bad Man, and what a fitting picture on which to leave the West. Production began with Spencer Tracy as the star of the film, but he clashed with director Robert Wise and was extremely temperamental causing several delays in filming. When Tracy claimed that the high altitude of the mountain set was making him ill and insisted that the set be moved to a lower location, he was finally dismissed from the film by MGM and replaced by James Cagney. Robert Francis was originally cast in the role of Steve Miller, but he was killed in an airplane crash just before filming began. Francis was replaced by Don Dubbins. [3] Irene Papas replaced Grace Kelly who turned the film down [4] as did Eva Marie Saint and Jennifer Jones. [5] Reception [ edit ]

Production of Tribute to a Bad Man

Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. Jocasta: “Steve, we’ve only talked a few times since you came here. But I know this about you. You are gentle. You haven’t been used, and made hard. This is not your kind of life. Look at the men in the bunkhouse: Baldy, and Fat Jones, and Abe. Never a chance for a family, or a home. In ten years, you’re gonna’ be like them – a “nobody” on a horse. That’s what a wrangler is: a “nobody” on a horse. With bad teeth, broken bones, double hernia, and lice.” Writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head and media titan, Tyler Perry, is America’s consummate multihyphenate. But underneath this entertainment behemoth is a man working humbly to heal his childhood trauma by transforming his pain into promise. Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, a nod to his mother’s love, is a tender and intimate portrait of visionary and innovator Tyler Perry: his harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him. With unfettered access, directors/filmmakers Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz lead us into the inner-world of a man, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The product is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go. A trailer is included that introduces James Cagney on his (New York?) farm. Cagney drives up in a jeep to praise the film's new young actors. He must have had a personal interest in Don Dubbins, as Dubbins appears in his next picture, These Wilder Years. Cagney may be showing his age, but he's in fine physical shape ... his fight scene with the bigger Stephen McNally is a good one.

James Cagney was in only a couple of Westerns so far as I know, this being one of them, and after seeing 'Tribute To A Bad Man' I wish he had been in more of them. He makes a very appealing and authentic Western character. Don Dubbins, who plays the part of the young Pennsylvania grocery clerk who 'went West', is really good too, and plays his role in earnest. Irene Papas did a very good job at her part, but did not stand out quite as much as did the other leads. In fairness to her, I don't think her role gave her the chance to.

Celine Rattray, p.g.a., Trudie Styler, p.g.a., Jamie Foxx, p.g.a., Datari Turner, p.g.a., Jenette Kahn, p.g.a., Adam Richman, p.g.a., Bobby Shriver, p.g.a.