Angel and the Badman (1947)

67% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(6,812 ratings)

One of John Wayne's most mystical films, Angel and the Badman is also the first production that Wayne personally produced. The star plays a wounded outlaw who is sheltered by a Quaker family. Attracted to the family's angelic daughter Gail Russell, the hard-bitten Wayne undergoes a slow and subtle… More One of John Wayne's most mystical films, Angel and the Badman is also the first production that Wayne personally produced. The star plays a wounded outlaw who is sheltered by a Quaker family. Attracted to the family's angelic daughter Gail Russell, the hard-bitten Wayne undergoes a slow and subtle character transformation; still, he is obsessed with killing the man (Bruce Cabot) who murdered his foster father. The storyline traces not only the regeneration of Wayne, but of the single-minded sheriff (Harry Carey) who'd previously been determined to bring Wayne to justice. Not a big hit in 1947, Angel and the Badman has since become the most frequently telecast of John Wayne's Republic films, thanks to its lapse into Public Domain status in 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: James Edward Grant
Written By: James Edward Grant
Genres: Western, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Feb 15, 1947 Wide
On DVD: Oct 14, 1999
Studio: Republic Pictures

Critic Reviews

Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
One of Wayne's top B efforts; an offbeat love story that works as a romance as well as a Western. Russell is luminous.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
This black-and-white Western, which is Wayne's debut as producer, signals several elements of what would become the John Wayne iconic screen image, partly due to writer James Grant who was a frequent collaborator.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Genteel Western.

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

One of the best of Wayne's Westerns and for the curious reason that in it the Duke goes from one tough hombre to ... to a farmer (?!?). Injured man on the run and fast draw Quirt Evans is sheltered by a family of Quakers and slowly starts to question his life of boozin',… More
One of the best of Wayne's Westerns and for the curious reason that in it the Duke goes from one tough hombre to ... to a farmer (?!?). Injured man on the run and fast draw Quirt Evans is sheltered by a family of Quakers and slowly starts to question his life of boozin', rustlin', gamblin', brawlin' and killin'. Well, not brawlin'. Gail Russell is the reason why, and I understand that.
Tim S

Pretty good western about a man who sees the error of his ways, but the slow pace of the thing kind of kills it. Thankfully it has John Wayne, Bruce Cabot, and the beautiful Gail Russell in it, so it's definitely worth watching. It's just not quite as exciting as an… More
Pretty good western about a man who sees the error of his ways, but the slow pace of the thing kind of kills it. Thankfully it has John Wayne, Bruce Cabot, and the beautiful Gail Russell in it, so it's definitely worth watching. It's just not quite as exciting as an average John Wayne western usually is.
jay n

Decent western with a good redemption theme, John Wayne is more thoughtful than usual and Gail Russell is lovely with a wonderful quiet strength that she imparts to her character.
Deb S

This is a leisurely paced tale of an outlaw (John Wayne) who is befriended by a Quaker family, becomes ensnared by a Quaker girl (Gail Russell) and struggles to give up his past; gun slinger tries to hang up his guns and become a farmer. "Angel and the Badman" is a very… More
This is a leisurely paced tale of an outlaw (John Wayne) who is befriended by a Quaker family, becomes ensnared by a Quaker girl (Gail Russell) and struggles to give up his past; gun slinger tries to hang up his guns and become a farmer. "Angel and the Badman" is a very enjoyable film with a great love story and recommended for fans of John Wayne.