The Broken Land is a 1962 CinemaScope DeLuxe Western film directed by John A. Bushelman, and starring Kent Taylor, Diana Darrin and Jack Nicholson.[2]
| The Broken Land | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John A. Bushelman |
| Written by | Edward J. Lakso |
| Produced by | Leonard A. Schwartz |
| Starring | Kent Taylor Jack Nicholson Diana Darrin |
| Cinematography | Floyd Crosby |
| Edited by | Carl Pierson[1] |
| Music by | Richard LaSalle |
Production company | Associated Producers Inc (API) |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film is about a cowboy who rides into a small town that is ruled with an iron fist by a corrupt sheriff. He becomes involved with a pretty young town girl and some residents who are trying to oust the sheriff, resulting in a robbery, a murder and his being pursued by a vengeful posse.[3]
Cast
edit- Kent Taylor as Marshal Jim Cogan
- Diana Darrin as Mavera
- Jody McCrea as Deputy Ed Flynn
- Robert Sampson as Dave Dunson
- Jack Nicholson as Will Brocious
- Gary Sneed as Billy
- Don Orlando as Frenchy Douchette
- Helen Joseph as Ruth Flynn
- H. Tom Cain as Mr. Flynn
- Robert Hinkle as Dave
- Bob Pollard as Stagecoach Driver
Production
editThe film was filmed in Apache Junction, Arizona during the summer of 1961. It was financed by Robert L. Lippert's Associated Producers. It gave an early role to Jack Nicholson. Nicholson later appeared in and wrote a number of films for Lippert, including Thunder Island.[4]
Reception
editReviewing the film in 2015 for the cinephile website Once Upon a Time in a Western, Mark Franklin wrote:
Some folks will likely want to watch this because of Nicholson's involvement. It actually marked his sixth appearance on the big screen. He'd fair better in the twin 1966 Westerns The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind.
As the female lead, this was an unusually large role for Diana Darrin, who normally wound up in supporting parts. And, yep, that’s Joel McCrea’s son, Jody, as the deputy who turns on Cogan because of his cruelty. Another problem with the film: Cogan doesn’t seem all that cruel.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ AFI CATALOG OF FEATURE FILMS : THE FIRST 100 YEARS 1893–1993. "The Broken Land (1962)". American Film Institute.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "BROKEN LAND, The". Monthly Film Bulletin. 29 (336). London: 50. January 1, 1962. ProQuest 1305830569.
- ^ "The Broken Land (1962)". Moviefone.com. Moviefone. March 31, 1962.
- ^ McGilligan, Patrick (2015). Jack's Life: A Biography of Jack Nicholson. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393350975.
- ^ Franklin, Mark. "The Broken Land (1962)". OnceUponaTimeinaWestern.com. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
External links
edit- The Broken Land at IMDb
- The Broken Land at the TCM Movie Database
- The Broken Land at AllMovie
- The Broken Land at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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