Law And Order (1932)

A lawman (Walter Huston) reluctantly takes on the job of deputy marshal in Tombstone, Arizona and soon comes into conflict with the corrupt Northrup gang, who pretty much have a hold on the town. Based on the novel SAINT JOHNSON by W.R. Burnett (THE ASPHALT JUNGLE) and directed by Edward L. Cahn (THE SHE CREATURE). An exceptional (some call it a masterpiece) western which is still underseen and deserves to be better known. A thinly disguised version of Wyatt Earp and the gunfight at the OK Corral, it's a somber western that eliminates the usual trimmings like a romantic subplot. There was a female (Lois Wilson) in the original cut but her character has been eliminated and it's pretty much an all male cast. The film foreshadows HIGH NOON (1952) with its tale of a town that wants law and order but eventually caves in when push comes to shove and doesn't support the very man they demanded enforce law and order in their town. It's a stark and bleak western and if it weren't for Ford's STAGECOACH, one could easily call it the best western of its decade. A must for any genuine westerns fan. With Harry Carey, Andy Devine, Raymond Hatton and Russell Simpson.