Crawford seems too fat to be fast at anything except maybe eating a big bowl of ice cream. He probably would have been fast at a hot dog eating contest, but not in a gunfight.
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I have always thought Broderick Crawford was the absolute worst actor ever... and I still think so. Followed close behind by Richard Boone and the funny thing is, Boone even had an acting school in Florida..... Watch Crawford in 'Highway Patrol' and anything else and the acting is exactly the same. Good guy or bad guy, no difference... just flat monotone with no inflection except from the pain the camera lens is reflecting back at him. Wow, that sounded mean but I promise it was not meant to.
He did win a best actor Oscar.
shareIn all the pictures of the old west, I've never seen a fat person except for generals, politicians and some rich people.
It's unrealistic that a gunfighter would be fat.
With so many lean and mean western stars around at the time, why did fat Crawford get the part?
Lee Marvin had not yet become a big star. He'd have been great in the part.
Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.
I thought Broderick Crawford was great in this movie. Not at all too fat, just solidly stocky. This was certainly the type of role he excelled at.
shareThe greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.
shareMaybe this guy here a decade older ? Seems a little paunch didn't hinder his draw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bh4FBFZVXk
Just sayin' ...
It's a loudmouth gunfighter
shareI doubt that being heavy would hinder reflexes, hand speed, and most importantly, nerve. Crawford had a really nasty look about him, his bearing, eyes, and dialogue.
Saying all of the above however, I'd be remiss in pointing out something that I found interesting. In the last ten minutes of the movie, he actually showed hitherto "humanity", "wouldn't hurt kids or dogs", and he didn't kill the saloonkeeper because he had "spine". And his remarks about the church's singers, almost wistful. And they finally gave away what what driving his character, his wife running off with another man. He was more kindred in his motivations with Ford than superficial viewings reveal. Under-rated film.
He even said 'I'm sorry' as he left the bar - for what I don't remember now, but he did.
shareThis was done first as a TV play called 'The Last Notch' with a still young looking Richard Jaeckel playing the Crawford role -- and he was perfect casting. The part called for a psychotic 'Billy the Kid' type, not someone too old, too urban, too paunchy.
Jaeckel played opposite Glenn Ford in three other Westerns at about that same time -- THE VIOLENT MEN, 3:10 TO YUMA, and COWBOY. A shame they could not have collaborated on a fourth.
Take 'em to Missouri
THX for that bit of information! Amazing, the "Threads" that bind......
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