Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)

★ 7.0 1h 35m IMDb

Western

Jeremy Rodock is a tough horse rancher who strings up rustlers as soon as looks at them. Fresh out of Pennsylvania, Steve Miller finds it hard to get used to Rodock’s ways, although he takes an immediate shine to his Greek girl Jocasta.

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Cast

James Cagney as Jeremy Rodack Died 1986 · New York City, New York, USA James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough gu...

Don Dubbins as Steve Miller Died 1991 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA Don Dubbins (June 28, 1928 - August 17, 1991), originally Donald Dubbins, was an American actor of film and television who in his early career usually played younger military roles, particularly in su...

Stephen McNally as McNulty Died 1994 · New York City, New York, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally, July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many Westerns and act...

Irene Papas as Jocasta Constantine Died 2022 · Chiliomodi, Corinth, Greece Irene Papas (Greek: Ειρήνη Παππά, born Eirini Lelekou (Greek: Ειρήνη Λελέκου), 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning mo...

Vic Morrow as Lars Peterson Died 1982 · The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA Victor "Vic" Morrow (February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor, whose credits include a starring role in the 1960s TV series Combat!, prominent roles in a handful of other television an...

James Griffith as Barjak Died 1993 · Los Angeles, California, USA James Griffith was an American character actor, musician, and screenwriter..

Director Robert Wise

Cast James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Stephen McNally, Irene Papas, Vic Morrow, James Griffith, Onslow Stevens, James Bell, Jeanette Nolan, Chubby Johnson

John Chard 8/10 Nov 04, 2013

Jeremy Rodock’s Valley.

Tribute to a Bad Man is directed by Robert Wise and adapted to screenplay by Michael Blankfort from the short story Hanging’s for the Lucky written by Jack Schaefer. A CinemaScope/Eastman Color production, it stars James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Stephen McNally and Irene Papas. Music is by Miklós Rózsa and cinematography by Robert Surtees.

Jeremy Rodock (Cagney) is a no nonsense rancher whose ruthless hold on his considerable spread of land includes hanging rustlers without trial or sentence. When young Steve Millar (Dubbins) helps Rodock in a time of need, he is offered work on the ranch. But when his Greek mistress Jocasta Constantine (Papas) attracts interest from Steve and wrangler McNulty (McNally), it forces Rodock into even darker shades of his character.

Following on from the wonderful Run for Cover the previous year, Cagney returned to the Western arena for the last time for Tribute to a Bad Man, and what a fitting picture on which to leave the West.

The film encountered problems in early production when Spencer Tracy had a sulk and walked off of the picture. So in came Cagney. Steve Millar was being played by Robert Francis, but the actor was tragically killed in a plane crash, so in stepped Dubbins. Wise’s film is essentially a coming of age frontier Western, though it concerns two male characters coming of age at different places in their life. Millar is the young pup who has come West to seek employment and meaning in his life, Rodock is hard-bitten, grizzled and can’t see further than his own pig-headed beliefs. Rodock will either have to change his ways, wake up and smell the coffee, or risk losing everything.

Will Rodock come through? Can an old dog be taught new psychological tricks? When he once again deals out his own brand of justice he has surely gone too far this time? It also opens up an old rivalry wound that will ultimately define all involved. What is in store for Millar? Once his eyes have been opened and he sees that cowboy life can actually be harsh, as can his young emotions. Then there is the beautiful Jocasta, a woman ashamed of her past life back in Cheyenne, forever grateful to Rodock for taking her away from that life. The age difference between the two is considerable, but their relationship is based on trust, loyalty and realism. That is until the equilibrium is upset…

Technically it’s a sumptuous production, where even if the thematics of the story doesn’t sound like your thing, it’s a film worth spending time with just to see Surtees’ Scope photography and hear Rózsa’s score. The former brings the striking Colorado Rockies to life with some breath taking distinction, while the latter provides music that positively swells then swirls around the magnificent back drop. With Cagney on mesmerising form, Papas and Dubbins not letting their inexperience affect the picture (Cagney took both under his wing), and Wise stringing it together as a knowing character based tapestry, it rounds out as a darn great and beautiful Oater. 8/10