Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Bad Lands Synopsis
Hal Owen, late of West Point, is traveling in a wagon train to join his father's regiment at Fort Sumner in the Bad Lands, when a lone rider tries to warn the wagon train of an impending Indian attack. Owen, struck with cowardice, escapes on the rider's horse, leaving others to battle the Indians. After the Indians attack the wagon train, only "Freckles," the young son of a pioneer family, and Patrick Angus O'Toole, the lone rider, survive. O'Toole, known in the Army as "Famous Sergeant O'Toole," is also on his way to Fort Sumner and is assigned to clear up a smuggling operation there. Because of his un-soldierly appearance, O'Toole has difficulty gaining the troops' confidence. His difficulties increase when he thrashes Captain Blake for forcing his attentions on Mary Owen, the colonel's daughter, whom he secretly admires. Incensed, Blake vents his anger on her brother, Hal Owen, by giving him only twenty-four hours to pay his gambling debts. Hal Owen attempts to hold up the Pony Express, but Blake arranges for O'Toole to be arrested for the crime. Colonel Owen leaves his son in charge of the fort while the garrison rides out to reconnoiter. Suddenly, the Indians attack the fort, and during the excitement Freckles frees O'Toole, who finds Hal Owen hiding in a corner, trembling in fear. When O'Toole finally gets him to fight, Hal Owen battles the Indians like a demon until he is fatally wounded. The garrison returns to turn the tide of battle, and Charlie Squirrel, a half-breed, is captured and confesses to smuggling guns and liquor with the aid of Captain Blake, the leader of the band. Hal Owen, on his deathbed, confesses to the robbery, clearing O'Toole. Mary and O'Toole are united.
Who Loved Him Best? Synopsis
Pretty young seamstress Doria Dane is discovered by a motion picture producer, who transforms her into a film star and then proposes. Doria, however, has fallen in love with a sculptor named George Steele, who has asked her to pose for his statue, "American Militant." Under Doria's influence, George concentrates on his work and avoids his frivolous Greenwich Village friends, with the result that he wins a prestigious award for the statue. Basking in the limelight, George neglects Doria and falls prey to the fashionable Mrs. Schuyler, a wealthy widow who wants him for herself. George's friends are horrified when Doria bursts into his studio and shatters his masterpiece, but soon afterwards, she leads him into artist Harry North's studio, where the statue is standing intact. After explaining that she destroyed only Harry's replica of the work, Doria accepts George's heartfelt apology, and the two are reunited.
"Who Loved Him Best?" is currently leading in ratings, making it a stronger choice for newcomers to the genre.
Suggested Watch:
The Bad Lands