Badman's Country

Routine, by-the-numbers western about Pat Garrett, Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill and Bat Masterson joining forces--which, in reality, never happened--to fight off Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang in their attack on Abilene, Texas, to rob a bank--which, in reality, never happened either. But even if there weren't the overabundance of historical inaccuracies in this film, it still wouldn't be very good. It's a very low-budget affair and its cheapness shows in every frame, from the cardboard sets to the poorly lit and badly photographed exterior scenes. The action scenes are few and far between and not done very well when they do occur; the setpiece near the end, when the bandits attack the town, is predictable, poorly staged and about as exciting as watching paint dry. It's got a decent supporting cast-- Morris Ankrum, Buster Crabbe, Malcolm Atterbury, Richard Devon--but star George Montgomery just seems to be going through the motions and Neville Brand is sorely miscast as head bad guy Butch Cassidy. Fred F. Sears was a mediocre director at best, and he doesn't rise above his reputation with this film.

The "novelty" of having a group of real-life figures working together may be enough of a reason to watch this dull, listless oater for some people, but that's pretty much all--if anything--it has going for it.