Everyman's Law (1936) Review: Outlaws with Badges

If you have an hour to kill and like seeing guys in big hats argue about dirt, Everyman's Law is worth a look. It is for the person who misses that old Saturday morning matinee vibe where the good guy is very good and the bad guy has a suspicious mustache.

If you hate slow horse chases or 1930s audio that sounds like it was recorded in a tin can, you will probably hate this. It is definitely a product of its time.

Johnny Mack Brown is the star here. He plays the Dog Town Kid, which is a name that feels like he should have outgrown it by now.

The plot is kind of a mess if you think about it too hard. This guy Jim Morgan wants to kick homesteaders off their land, so he just hires three wanted outlaws and makes them deputies.

I love how the Sheriff just goes along with it. It is so corrupt it is almost funny.

The Kid, Gibbs, and Pike get these shiny badges pinned on them. They look so uncomfortable in them, like they are wearing itchy sweaters.

There is a scene where they are supposed to be intimidating the homesteaders. One of the extras in the background is just staring at the camera for a second too long.

I noticed that the horses in this movie look more tired than the actors. They spend a lot of time just standing around in the sun.

Then we get to Lobo Joe. Frank Campeau plays him and he looks like he has seen some things.

The Kid actually arrests Lobo Joe, which is the first time he does anything remotely like a real deputy. It is probably the best part of the whole movie because Lobo Joe is actually scary.

When Morgan realizes his new deputies are not mean enough, he turns to the outlaw he just had arrested. That is a bad move.

The logic in these old westerns is always a bit loopy. Why would you trust the guy you just put in jail to help you steal land?

The action is okay, but it is very 1936. Lots of guys falling off horses and landing in the dirt very dramatically.

It reminds me a bit of Chip of the Flying U, but maybe with a bit more grit. Not much more, but a little.

The way the homesteaders talk is very stiff. They keep saying things about their right to the land like they are reading a legal document.

There is a woman in it, Beth Marion. She does not have much to do except look worried and wait for Johnny Mack Brown to save the day.

The ending feels rushed. It is like they realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap everything up with a big shoot-out.

One reaction shot of the Sheriff lingers so long it becomes funny. He just looks confused about where he is.

It is not as big or sprawling as something like The World Changes, but it does its job. It is a small movie for a small afternoon.

I liked the dust. You can see the dust kicking up in every scene, making everything look hazy and real.

Sometimes the music just stops for no reason. It leaves these weird silences where you just hear the hiss of the old film reel.

The Kid arrest the outlaw Lobo Joe, and you think the movie is over. But then it just keeps going for another twenty minutes of betrayal.

Morgan is a terrible villain because he keeps making the worst choices possible. He basically invites his own disaster.

Small things I noticed:

• The badges look like they were made of tin foil.
• Johnny Mack Brown never has a hair out of place, even after a fight.
• Lobo Joe's hat is way cooler than the hero's hat.
• The sound of the gunshots is very wimpy.

Overall, it is a decent way to spend sixty minutes if you are into the genre. It is not going to change your life or anything.

It is just a movie about guys in the desert being mean to each other until the hero stops them. 🤠

I might watch it again if it was on TV and I could not find the remote. But I would not go searching for it on a Friday night.