This low-budget but offbeat Twentieth Century Fox western generates a lot of interest despite its B-movie origins. The lead actor Kent Taylor specialized in B-movies, but today's audiences probably wouldn't recognize him. On the other hand, the actor listed fifth in the credits Jack Nicholson is probably the only reason that most viewers would watch this 60-minute oater. "The Broken Land" turns out to be more rewarding than a lot of westerns because the characters stand out more than the actors playing them. Indeed, the lead actor in a movie is typically a sympathetic character, someone that we either identify with or we like because they have charisma. Kent Taylor doesn't radiate charisma of any kind, but he is ideally suited to play the character of Marshal Jim Cogan. Cogan isn't the kind of lawman you want to cross swords with, and he doesn't tolerate those he doesn't like.
Less than twenty minutes into "The Broken Land," you'll find yourself wondering where this modest western is heading. Cogan catches a glimpse of a person and makes up his mind about him without any solid evidence. He has the Jack Nicholson character under lock and key for no good reason. Later, he arrests a simple-minded twentysomething whose infatuation with a pretty woman prompted him to give her a necklace that he has not bought. When Billy (Gary Sneed) offers Mavera (Diana Darrin of "Reform School Girl") a necklace, his boss discovers he hasn't paid for the item. Billy assures him he plans to work off what he owes for the necklace. Suddenly, the necklace comes apart and falls into the middle of the street. The storeowner is upset, and Cogan decides Billy is a thief and arrests him. Reluctantly, the storekeeper signs a complaint so Cogan can keep Billy in jail. When a stranger, Dave Dunson (Robert Sampson of "Re-Animator"), tries to intervene only Billy's behalf, Cogan decides to throw him in jail, too. Dunson and Cogan brawl on the street, and Cogan's deputy, Ed Flynn (veteran western actor Joel McCrea's son Jody McCrea), gets the drop on Dunson, and they lock both Billy and Dunson up. Basically, everybody Cogan either arrests or runs out of town receives unfair treatment. Eventually, even Cogan's deputy decides Cogan rules the town like a dictator, imprisoning people for acts that aren't necessarily crimes.
Mavera knows something about Cogan that Cogan doesn't want the townspeople to learn. He threatens her if she doesn't keep quiet about his past, but she gets on his bad side early on because she creates a minor disturbance with a customer at the restaurant where she works as a waitress. Dunson has just ridden into town and had run-in when Billy. Billy upsets a stack of metal milk containers, and the noise of these containers falling into the street spooked Dunson's horse. Dunson isn't too happy when he orders his meal, and she baptizes him accidentally with water . Dunson complains to the manager. Cogan has just entered the restaurant, and he watches Dunson just long enough to decide Dunson needs to be run out of town. Somehow Dunson persuades Cogan to give him the benefit of the doubt so that he can dine. Later, however, Cogan isn't so indulgent with Dunson, and he slings him in jail. Meanwhile, Mavera delivers food to the prisoners, and she has meet harmless Will Brocious (Jack Nicholson of "Chinatown") and takes pity on him because Cogan arrested him for no good reason. After Cogan tells her to leave town on the next stagecoach, she slips over to the jail and gives the keys to the prisoners. She tells them to wait until she has left town before they escape. Unfortunately, Deputy Flynn sees her leaving, so when Dunson, Brocious, and Billy break out, they have to overpower Flynn and leave him locked up. Brocious steals four horses for them and explains to Dunson that they need to overtake the stage and get Mavera off it because Cogan will figure out her role in their jailbreak. Meanwhile, harmless but simple-minded Billy buckles on a gun belt. When they halt the stage to rescue Mavera, the shotgun rider wounds Billy. Brocious threatens them with his rifle and the coach driver tosses the money pouch at their feet before he drives the coach off. It doesn't take Cogan long to hit the trail after the jail breakers. By this time, Deputy Flynn has decided that Cogan creates more problems than he solves. He tries to intervene for the jail breakers and Cogan shoots him and rides off after his prisoners.
Movies where either the lead actor or apparent protagonist is villainous are always more interesting since these movies shatter the formula. The lawman in a western is usually the good guy, but Cogan is anybody good. Eventually, we learn from Mavera that Cogan was once a Union officer who declared marshal law and ruled a town ruthlessly. Since Cogan has the power, he can take advantage of his position as the top lawman to do whatever he pleases. "The Broken Land" is interesting because the man who is supposed to be the protagonist turns out to be the antagonist. Dunson is the real hero, and Brocious is the first to tell him he considers his acts of intervention on Billy's behalf qualifies him as a hero. Dunson shrugs off this label; he only wants to get out of jail.
Director John A. Bushelman of "Sniper's Ridge" does a really good job with this routine sagebrusher. He paces the action well, and this 60-minute B-movie is constantly provocative. "The Broken Land" wasn't a major production, but this minor western is still fun to watch because it goes against the grain. The western scenery from which the film derives its title is also a plus.
