Men Without Law (1930) - A Dusty Buck Jones Identity Crisis

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a real soft spot for early sound Westerns where you can practically hear the film grain scratching against the lens. If you like seeing the legendary Buck Jones do his thing before everything became too polished, you'll have a good time. People who hate slow pacing or crackly audio should probably just go watch Redemption or something with a bit more budget behind it. 🤠

The whole thing starts with Buck coming back from the war. You’d think the guy would get a break, but no, his brother is in deep trouble. It’s one of those plots where everything happens because people don't talk enough, or they talk to the wrong people.

Then we meet Murdock. He’s the kind of guy who looks like he’s never washed his hands in his life. He steals Buck's letter of introduction, which is such a weird, old-timey thing to steal. Like, 'I'm going to take your mail and pretend to be you to rob some rich folks.' It’s identity theft 1930s style.

The movie gets really weird when Buck decides the only way to catch Murdock is to... also pretend to be Murdock. So now you have Murdock pretending to be Buck, and Buck pretending to be Murdock. I had to pause for a second to remember who was supposed to be who. It’s like a low-budget version of Face/Off but with more leather vests and less Nicolas Cage. 🎭

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Men Without Law (1930) through its definitive frames.

I noticed the sound is really hit or miss here. Since it was 1930, you can tell they were still figuring out where to hide the microphones. Sometimes a character will be shouting and it sounds like they are in a tin can, and then they move three inches and you can barely hear them. It makes the serious scenes feel a bit funny if you’re not in the right headspace.

The Vibes and the Dust

The scenery is just... dry. You can almost feel the grit in your teeth watching them ride around. There is a scene where they are at the Del Ray place, and everything looks so stiff. It’s like the actors were afraid to move too fast or they’d knock over the set.

Carmelita Geraghty plays Juanita, and she’s mostly there to be the 'most precious jewel.' That’s a bit much, even for 1930. She spends a lot of time looking worried, which, to be fair, is the correct reaction when two different guys are claiming to be the same person and both of them are carrying guns.

I did like the horse stunts though. Buck Jones was a real rider, and you can see it. There’s no stunt double doing the heavy lifting here. When he’s on a horse, he looks like he belongs there, unlike some of the other guys who look like they’re sitting on a vibrating chair. 🐎

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Men Without Law (1930) through its definitive frames.

The writing by Dorothy Howell is pretty standard for the era. It doesn't try to be smart. It just wants to get to the next shootout. It reminds me a bit of the simplicity in Snow White, where the good guys are very good and the bad guys have no hobbies other than being mean.

One thing that really stood out was a random extra in the background during one of the town scenes. He’s just leaning against a post, watching the main actors talk, and he looks like he’s about to fall asleep. Honestly, I get it. It was probably a long day in the sun.

Was it actually good?

It’s fine. It’s not a masterpiece. It’s the kind of movie you put on when you want to turn your brain off and just see some old-school justice. The ending is exactly what you think it is. No spoilers, but let's just say the guy with the biggest hat usually wins.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Men Without Law (1930) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is a bit clunky. The middle section drags because they spend so much time explaining the plan. We get it, Buck. You’re the other guy now. Just go get the girl and the jewels already.

If you’re looking for something with a bit more whimsy, maybe check out Call of the Cuckoo instead. But if you want to see a man pretend to be a criminal to catch a criminal who is pretending to be him... well, this is your movie.

• The way Murdock’s mustache seems to change shape between scenes.
• That one horse that clearly wanted to go in the opposite direction during the big chase.
• The audio popping every time someone says a word starting with 'P'.
• Buck Jones has a very specific way of squinting that makes him look like he’s trying to read a menu from a mile away.
• The jewels look suspiciously like pieces of glass from a chandelier. 💎

It’s a bit of a relic, but a charming one. It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to fill an hour of time with some galloping and some grumbling. Sometimes that's all you really need on a Sunday afternoon.

The way the light hit's the dust in the final scene is actually kind of pretty, in a weird, accidental way. I don't think the cinemotography was trying to be art, but it happened anyway.

Anyway, Murdock is a total snake. You'll enjoy seeing him get what’s coming to him. Just don't expect any deep character arcs or anything. It’s just Buck being Buck. And Murdock being Buck. And... well, you get it.