"I'm hired to keep the peace, not kill people."
Ronald Reagan never became an A-list star, but was well-suited for Westerns. Nathan Juran's Law and Order (1953) is a good vehicle for Reagan, a routine oater given respectable polish.Frame Johnson (Ronald Reagan) tires of marshalling Tombstone, his dedication to law clashes with the townspeople's bloodlust. With his brothers Lute (Alex Nicol) and Jimmy (Russell Johnson), Johnson retires to Cottonwood, itself riven with problems. Kurt Durling's (Preston Brooks) criminal gang rules, with town elders and impotent Sheriff (Barry Kelley) intimidated. When one of Durling's goons murders the town marshal, Frame's forced to step in.
Law and Order seems a watered-down Earp tale, with law-enforcing brothers cleaning up the Southwest. W.R. Barnett's script is predictable as a teleplay; however much he complains, Frame's destined to strap on his gun. Frame's conflict with his hotheaded brothers adds an extra dimension, complicated by Jimmy's romance with a Durling sister (Ruth Hampton) and violent acts. Frame outlaws firearms and imposes his will on the town, his actions rubber-stamped by the meek town council.
Nathan Juran had a modest B Movie career, directing cult favorites like The Deadly Mantis and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. He manages some nice views of Red Rock Canyon and handling the action with skill. Law and Order has a few shootouts, but the biggest action scene is a climactic dust-up with Durling: Durling and Frame fight with hoes and whiskey jugs, then duke it out on back of a coach! Afterwards, Frame's confrontation with Jimmy seems a dud.
Reagan has Randolph Scott's weathered look and toughness, but is more amiable and friendly, a good guy rather than an antihero. He's a natural fit for Westerns, a genre well-served by straightforward heroism. He's given a competent supporting cast: Dorothy Malone is the unimpressive love interest, Russell Johnson and Alex Nicol as his brothers, Kurt Durling and Dennis Weaver sneering villains.
At a lean 79 minutes, Law and Order makes decent entertainment. Its formulaic plot would fit snugly on Gunsmoke or The Rifleman, and should please undemanding Western fans.
