The Lawless (1950)
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The Lawless was director Joseph Losey's second feature-length film. The story concerns a group of Mexican-American migrant workers who are subjected to all sorts of abuse and intolerance by their California bosses. A violent clash between whites and Latinos at a dance results in a torrent of bigotry. Seemingly the only Californian willing to champion the workers' cause is crusading newspaperman Larry Wilder, and soon he too is the victim of senseless mob violence. The story boils to a manhunt for a fugitive fruit-picker who has been accused of fomenting the aforementioned riot. Director Losey, producers William Pine and William Thomas and screenwriter Geoffrey Homes (aka Daniel Mainwaring) are to be commended for tackling a controversial issue in an honest, no-nonsense fashion; even so, the film ends in standard Hollywood-liberal fashion with a white man coming to the rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- MacDonald Carey - Larry Wilder
- Lalo Rios - Paul Rodriguez
- Johnny Sands - Joe Ferguson
- Maurice Jara - Lopo Chavez
- Argentina Brunetti - Mrs. Rodriguez
- Gloria Winters - Mildred Jensen
- Martha Hyer - Caroline Tyler
- Paul Harvey - Chief of Police Blake
- Ian MacDonald - Sgt. Al Peters
- Tab Hunter - Frank O'Brien
- Robert B. Williams - Boswell
- Julia Faye - Mrs. Jensen
- Gordon Nelson - Cadwallader
- Ray Hyke - Motorcycle Officer
- John Murphy - Mayor
- Gail Russell - Sunny Garcia
- John Hoyt - Ed Ferguson
- Lee Patrick - Jan Dawson
- Walter Reed - Jim Wilson
- William Edmunds - Mr. Jensen
- John Davis - Harry Pawling
- Frank Fenton - Mr. Prentis
- Felipe Turich - Mr. Rodriguez
- Noel Reyburn - Fred Jackson
- Russ Conway - Eldredge
- James Bush - Anderson
- Howard Negley - Pete Cassell
- Frank Ferguson - Carl Green
- Pedro de Cordoba - Mr. Garcia
- Herbert Anderson - Jonas Creel
- Director(s):
- Joseph Losey
- Writer(s):
- Daniel Mainwaring
- Producer(s):
- William C. Thomas, William Pine
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