MovieChat Forums > El Dorado (1967) Discussion > First Degree Murder?

First Degree Murder?

posted 14 years ago by vancecheek
12 replies | jump to latest

When Mississippi rides into town it is to commit the premeditated murder of Charlie Higgin. Cole obviously is friends with the Sheriff, Todd Draper, and he leaves Milt's and Pedro's guns with Todd's office. Why is no one concerned with the fact that Mississippi committed a premeditated murder? Did Cole's influence get him a "pass"? J.P arrested Bart Jason for being an accessory to attempted first degree murder. I would have liked to have seen how Mississippi skated around stabbing Higgin.

[–] CmdrCody 14 years ago

Very good point. I suppose...if you want to stretch the legal point...Charlie had his chance when confronted to be peace-able like, drop his gunbelt, throw up his hands and say to Mississippi, "...Son, I've been feeling awfully guilty about whut I dun to yor friend, Ol' Johnny Diamond. I give up."

But he didn't do that...did he ?

CmdrCody

[–] truffleshuffle03 13 years ago

Well back then it wasn;t considerd pre meditated murder when both men had a fighting chance. It was considerd fair it was basicly a dual. It wasn't like he stuck him in the back with the knife while he was drinking a beer. It would have been considerd murder and pre meditated murder if pedro and milt had shot mississippi and cole when they were hinding in the shadows unseen when cole and mississippi came out of the cantina. They arrested bart jason because he hired men to kill and bully the family and the killings were not all fair duals some of the people killed or shot were unarmed.

John wayne:If you say three you will never hear the man count ten.

[–] p_amalthea2004 13 years ago

This is very true. Also, because Mississippi was killing the man in revenge for killing Johny Diamond, he would have been less likely to get charged. Add onto that that guy probably wasn't very well liked to begin with by the general public, and there you go. Wouldn't pass muster in today's legal system, but back then....

[–] Tresix 13 years ago

The guy drew on Mississippi first. Mississippi basically acted in self-defense and had a bar full of witnesses.

Yippee: "For king!"
Yappee: "For country!"
Yahooie: "And, most of all, for 10¢ an hour!"

[–] doobienick 12 years ago

The sheriff of the town where Cole met Mississippi was named "Doc" Draper, not Todd.

I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 0DegreesKelvin 10 years ago

Makes me think of a Far Side cartoon.

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[–] deforest-1 10 years ago

Only a good point if you're a lawyer and want to make money as the ever-present middle man in the so-called justice system. In the West we had to seek our own justice, and ever since in western movies. Anyway, why single out "Mississippi" when "Joey" spent the whole film going around trying to assassinate people from hiding -- first Cole Thornton from ambush, where she almost succeeds; then Bart Jason, in the dark, but can't get a clear shot. Of course, because she's a good-looking woman with great hair and ass, she's welcomed as a spirited character -- and a potential great lay in the hay when Mississippi jumps on her.

[–] msgreen-53599 8 years ago

He needed killin' for what he did to Johnny Diamond. What more needs to be said?

[–] jbuckets 7 years ago

And how would Mississippi prove that the bad guy killed Johnny Diamond?

Also, isn't Mississippi now being a vigilante instead of making a citizen's arrest?

You're gonna need a bigger boat.

[–] mammamia1216 7 years ago

I don't think it was Cole's influence that gave him a pass; I think it was the nature of the altercation. At this time, it wouldn't have been seen as "murder," just retribution. Men lived by different codes. Besides, the fact that the four committed murder and escaped justice in the first place would have likely provided the extenuating circumstances necessary for Mississippi to avenge the death of ... the guy.

[–] liscarkat (16515) 3 years ago

It's vigilante justice, which is not the same as murder.