Summary

THE LAW COMMANDS

Source Archive Films by Getty Images
Title: THE LAW COMMANDS
File Number: DN-CLB-012 Beta SP
Color: B W
Type: Sound Western
Year: 01/01/1937
Description: B W 1937 CAST: Tom Keene ("Dr. Kenton") Lorraine Randall [as Lorrraine Hayes] ("Mary Lee Johnson") Robert Fiske ("Abbott") Budd Buster ("Kentuck' Jones") Matthew Betz ("Frago, lead henchman"") John Merton ("Frank Clark") Carl Stockdale ("Jed Johnson") Marie Stoddard ("Min Jones") Charlotte Treadway ("Martha Abbott") David Sharpe ("Danny Johnson") Allan Cavan ("Judge") Horace B. Carpenter ("Jason, lead farmer"). Night riders are terrorizing homesteaders, and the town doctor tries to keep the locals from forming a vigilante group. After more townspeople are killed, however, the rest of the town makes the doctor the town sheriff and tells him to clean up the gang. HOMESTEAD ACT - HOMESTEADERS - SQUATTERS - IOWA - FRONTIER - NIGHT RIDERS 06:32:36:00 B W 1937 sign stuck to door with knife, "YOU SQUATTER, get off this land and be out of Johnson County by sundown, this is your last warning" 06:32:48:00 B W 1937 gang of pistol and rifle-wielding night riders riding on horses, shoot into cabin windows 06:33:18:00 B W 1937 night riders throw burning torch into cabin, shoots man dead as wife screams 06:34:31:00 B W 1937 night rider sticks warning sign onto cabin door with a knife, worried Johnson family huddles around note, "Jed Johnson, get out and be out by sundown", worried-looking father and daughter hold each other 06:35:35:00 B W 1937 "General Merchandise" country store, braggadocious old man Kentuck tells tall tales about "injuns" while pointing two rifles, gets scolded by his fat wife 06:37:16:00 B W 1937 "Jumping jeepers, this'll keep my blood circulating", fat wife grabs old man and kisses him, he lets a yelp of joy "KEEEEWHHHOOOOO HAAAAHAAAA" (great excited reaction) 06:38:05:00 B W 1937 old man Kentuck hands country doctor a rifle, puzzled-looking doctor looks back and forth at his medicine bag and rifle... galloping horses 06:38:56:00 B W 1937 old man Johnson hands rifle to proud son 06:39:19:00 B W 1937 "Jumping jeepers, let em' come, i'm ready for em'" (old man Kentuck uses this term throughout the film) "Why you lop-earred, slab-sided son-of-a-woodtick...you fire-eating old catamount" (old-school insults, frontier version of "the dozens") 06:42:04:00 B W 1937 showdown gun fight between Johnson family and gang against the night riders, the night riders retreat 06:44:00:00 B W 1937 maid wife? serves coffee to master of the house Abbott, house guest lights up a cigar, maid wife hovers over Abbott as she suspiciously eyes house guest and intently listens to conversation 06:45:24:00 B W 1937 town hall meeting 06:46:30:00 B W 1937 country doctor makes hokey speech about his vision for Johnson County, "Where people can enjoy the peace and happiness all humans are entitled to... but you never can make this possible by violence and bloodshed" 06:47:25:00 B W 1937 suspicious-looking man listens to speech and raises one eyebrow 06:48:50:00 B W 1937 angry mob quickly assembles, confrontation between doctor and Johnson about how to deal with the night riders 06:50:32:00 B W 1937 sign "Johnson County Claim Association" 06:50:50:00 B W 1937 old man Johnson fusses while getting haircut from daughter, yells at son 06:51:38:00 B W 1937 night rider hiding behind stack of logs, old man Johnson spots him and reaches for his holster but night rider shoots him dead, daughter screams... townspeople gather around as doctor examines Johnson 06:52:48:00 B W 1937 daughter crying as she's led away from old man Johnson's body... tells doctor "Don't come near me, dad would be alive if it weren't for you... he's dead because he listened to you... don't touch me, you killed my father" 06:54:14:00 B W 1937 depressed doctor wanders the country hills, winces as VO of Johnson daughter wails and cries 06:54:45:00 B W 1937 mourners at old man Johnson's funeral 06:56:19:00 B W 1937 grieving son and daughter walk past doctor, son says "Why don't you let us alone, haven't you done enough?" 06:57:16:00 B W 1937 townspeople berate doctor, someone throws a rock through doctor's office window, Kentuck comes to his defense and challenges entire mob to a fist-fight, "why you wall-eyed slab-sided woodtick you... I'll knock your durn pants right off of you" 06:58:52:00 B W 1937 gossiping towns women talking in front of Kentuck country store, old woman Kentuck chases gossiper away with a two-by-four 07:00:52:00 B W 1937 old woman Kentuck kisses girl on the forehead, very motherly 07:05:24:00 B W 1937 Abbott puts arm around Johnson son and sweet talks him 07:06:26:00 B W 1937 town hall meeting, townspeople clap 07:08:58:00 B W 1937 CU shot of hand signing contract, signature 07:09:53:00 B W 1937 doctor makes earnest speech to the governor, the two men shake hands 07:12:37:00 B W 1937 night rider mocks worried-looking couple 07:12:56:00 B W 1937 doctor sworn-in by governor while holding bible, deputized 07:13:39:00 B W 1937 sign "Town Hall, Johnson County Protective Association" 07:14:46:00 B W 1937 confused-looking man scratches his beard 07:16:20:00 B W 1937 night rider hides behind wheel, shoots farmer dead with a rifle 07:17:09:00 B W 1937 Johnson son begins to whine and cry, "I only wanted to do what was right... why do they blame me?", Kentuck consoles him 07:20:00:00 B W 1937 Kentuck pounds on door, points to his deputy badge, hands summons notice to Abbott and Clark... as he leaves he pulls up his overcoat to reveal two pistols in his back pockets 07:21:15:00 B W 1937 doctor consoles crying Johnson daughter 07:23:28:00 B W 1937 summons hearing town hall meeting, man pulls nervously at his collar, judge pounds his gavel, doctor begins line of questioning 07:24:36:00 B W 1937 night rider peers into courthouse window, aims rifle at witness... Kentuck spots night rider and pulls his pistol and shoots... injured night rider brought into court house 07:25:52:00 B W 1937 Abbott reaches for his gun, doctor rushes over and beats him up 07:26:39:00 B W 1937 doctor and Johnson daughter kiss
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