Review of The Hangman

Just watched this western on YouTube. It stars Robert Taylor as a deputy marshal who's looking for a Johnny Butterfield because he was believed to be involved in a stage coach robbery. The town Taylor comes to where he believes Butterfield now resides don't seem to want him to find him, not even the sheriff (Fess Parker), as he's quite helpful to the townspeople. And the woman (Tina Louise) he believes knows this Johnny won't betray her friend to him, not even with the reward money though initially she had thought of doing so...For the most part, I had thought this was a well-made drama that happened to take place in a western town thanks to both characterizations and the sure-footed direction of pro Michael Curtiz. But near the end, when Ms. Louise suddenly changes from a proud, angry woman to one crying at the drop of a hat and Taylor suddenly goes soft after being cynical most of the time, I thought the narrative was weakened and didn't recover enough for me. Like I said, though, I did like the performances which included that of Jack Lord as the one Taylor's after-oh, and what a nice reunion with Ms. Louise a year after both previously appeared in God's Little Acre. Also among them that I liked seeing besides those I mentioned were Mabel Anderson who's quite amusing as one elderly lady who takes a shine to Taylor when he checks into a hotel, Lorne Greene as Taylor's superior, and Betty Lynn-later Thelma Lou on "The Andy Griffith Show"-as the waitress Molly who also likes Taylor whenever she serves him. In summary, The Hangman was mostly excellent to me until the unbelievably happy ending.