Wallace Beery Double Feature - The Bad Man of Brimstone/The Bad Man

He was gruff around the edges and soft on the inside, blustery traits fans greatly enjoyed in The Champ, Treasure Island and other memorable Wallace Beery films. Wrap a holster around that persona and put a horse under it and you've got this Western twinbill starring the shambling star. As Pancho Lopez, the bandito gang leader in The Bad Man, he makes things right for a gutsy rancher (Ronald Reagan) who once saved his life and also squelches the attempt of a loan shark ("loan fish" Lopez says) eager to claim the ranch. And Beery is The Bad Man of Brimstone, a notorious robber who secretly helps a young lawman who doesn't know the outlaw is his father. Giddy up!

• western