This film is one of the reasons why people LOVED going to the movies.
Hangmans Knot is only slightly better than the average western of its time.However there is one huge difference between this film & film of today.
Randolph Scott was a top rated STAR of his time,he was able to carry a movie all by himself, BUT the powers that be back then always surrounded there star with major featured players who were well known at the time. In todays film, you are lucky if you even recognize any one else but the star.
The supporting cast of Hangmans Knot is a who's who of players, some were well known, some just starting out & some old timers who seemed to be in many films.
The cast here includes. Donna Reed,Lee Marvin,Claude Jarmen Jr, Clem Bevans, Jeanette Nolan, Frank Faylen, Richard Denning among others.
The payroll was not inflated either, as nearly every one of them were on contract to the studio.
Roy Huggins of TV fame both wrote & directed this film & it is quite violent for its time.
Do not expect a great film, it is just a slightly better than average routine western of its time.
In fact the only annoying note is the overly romantic kiss between Randolph Scott & Donna Reed at next to last scene . Back then it was required to have either or both a comic bit or a clinch.
The running time is only 81 minutes BUT there is more action than in todays 2 hour films.They thankfully did not have endless song scores to stop the action..
It was filmed in Technicolor in an area just north of Los Angeles that was wide open space back then. Today its all homes & shopping centers.
Ratings: *** (out of 4) 82 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)
score 7/10
jaybob 16 September 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1947209/34825
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