Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinegarroon, Texas, befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who opposes Bean's policy against homesteaders.
Cole Harden just doesn't look like a horse thief, Jane-Ellen Matthews tells Judge Roy Bean as she steps up to the bar. Cole says he can't take it with him as he empties all of his coins on the bar to buy drinks for the jury. He notices two big pictures of Lily Langtry behind the bar. Sure, Cole has met the Jersey Lily, whom the hanging judge adores, even has a lock of her hair. Hanging is delayed for two weeks, giving Cole time to get in the middle of a range war between cattlemen and homesteaders and to still be around when Lily Langtry, former mistress of Edward VII who became an international actress, arrives in Texas.—Dale O'Connor <[email protected]>
Texas, post-Civil War. Judge Roy Bean is the notorious hanging judge of Vinegarroon - "The Law West of the Pecos". An accused horse thief, Cole Harden, is brought before him one day who, to everyone's surprise, manages to smooth talk himself out of being hanged. Meanwhile tensions are running high between cattle ranchers and new settlers, crop farmers - "Homesteaders". This is a lopsided battle in that Bean tends to side with the ranchers.—grantss
It's the post-Civil War era in the West Texas town of Vinegaroon. Saloon owner Roy Bean is the official unofficial judiciary - hence he being called "Judge" despite not legally being one - the kangaroo courts over which he presides held in the saloon administering his brand of justice, namely hanging those going against the cattlemen. As such, he views the recent influx of homesteaders, whose use of the land is incompatible with the cattlemen, as the enemy. One defendant in his court, Cole Harden who is solely passing through on his way to California, seems destined for the noose despite being innocent of the charge of stealing a horse. However, Cole is able not only to save himself but befriend the Judge by falsely claiming that he personally knows performer Lily Langtry with who the Judge is infatuated. On the issue the source of all the conflict in the region, Cole can see both sides and believes they all can somehow live in harmony if they only talk to each other rather than have the Judge do the cattlemen's dirty work. While he largely learns of the cattlemen's side of the issue through the Judge, Cole learns of the homesteaders' side largely from one of their own, strong-willed Jane Ellen Mathews, with who he falls in love. When the conflict reaches a new height, Cole has to decide where he falls on the issue, which may be answered by finding out the instigator of the rise in temperature.—Huggo
In his saloon in the town of Vinegaroon, Texas Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan) holds court and proclaims himself the only law west of the Pecos. When Cole Harden (Gary Cooper) is brought before him for judgment on a horse stealing charge it appears that the good-natured drifter will be hanged by the judge. When Cole notices the many images of the famed performer Lilly Langtry around the saloon he begins spinning a tale of his friendship with the woman, intriguing the judge and causing a suspended sentence to be handed down on the agreement t that Cole will give the judge a lock of the womans hair that he has hidden in El Paso. The judge develops a strange admiration for Cole and the men become friendly until a local homesteader Jane Ellen Mathews (Doris Davenport) comes to the judge to complain of his hanging one of her hands. It seems the aggression between the cattlemen, which Judge Ben supports, and the homesteaders is bubbling over and Jane and her father who have a small farm are being pushed out. When Bean initiates a fire that destroys Janes farm and kills her father Cole gets an arrest warrant and has himself deputized to arrest the judge, but a shoot-out erupts ending in tragedy.
