Wallace Beery plays Bad Bascomb, the cuddliest outlaw in the West! He's a bank robber, a cattle rustler, and he's (oh my!) left-handed! But once he joins up with a wagon-caravan of Mormons--in order to escape the law--B.B. becomes humanized, a scoundrel with a squishy heart. This is a cute western with a warm theme, the best sequences involving Beery with teary Margaret O'Brien (they meet while he's stealing chicken). Marjorie Main is always fun to have around playing Bascomb's Mormon-intended. Strictly a formula film, sentimental and "nice", although some of the action scenes are sloppily-directed and there's some curious overdubbing (when O'Brien says to Beery, "Are you gonna marry her?", Beery answers, "You really are ill!" but his lips say "sick"). Still, quite enjoyable and with some very funny lines. *** from ****
17 Reviews
Sentimental and contrived but it works.
aimless-469 March 2006
Director S. Syvan Simon's 1946 film "Bad Bascomb" is truly amazing. As a western it is awful, almost as bad as the cheapest of the Republic features. Yet for all but the most cynical viewers the film is a real treat simply for the wonderful scenes between nine-year old Margaret O'Brien and 60 year-old Wallace Beery (and nicely complemented by Marjorie Main in a supporting role). These are so well written that they seem to have come from a different writer than the rest of the film. And fortunately their scenes together make up a sizable portion of the total.
O'Brien was simply the cutest child actor in cinema history. And not only did she instinctively know how to act but she worked hard to master accents for her roles and she took direction very well. In "Bad Bascomb" Simon had her turn up the cuteness meter even higher than when she played Lady Jessica opposite Robert Young and Charles Laughton in "The Canterville Ghost". He knew exactly what he was doing because Beery's gruff and blustery performance balances it out quite nicely. Their scenes mostly involve her setting him up to deliver a series of absolutely priceless lines.
The story (which is almost irrelevant) begins with Beery's title character being thwarted when his gang attempts a bank robbery. Bascomb and his sidekick Bart Yancy (J. Carol Nash) escape and attempt to leave the area with a Mormon wagon train heading for Utah. They discover gold hidden on the train and Yancy enlists a band of Indians to attack the wagons. This results in another of those silly ride-around-the-circled-wagons Hollywood Indian attacks and some additional action as Beery rides to a nearby fort so the cavalry can come and save the day.
Like "Angel and The Badman" (made just a year later), the outlaw Beery is gradually won over by the loving girl although in this case it taps into fatherly rather than romantic love.
The day-to-day journey of the wagon train is done very well but the larger scale action sequences are rather lame. Beery has an "obvious" double for the horse riding scenes and almost everything that involves physical movement. Nash's character is a bit discordant, as Yancy has a lot of nice guy moments that simply don't fit with what is supposed to be his true nature. And there is a "Shane" ending that probably should have been reworked. I suspect that the producers were trying to target two very different audiences with this film and ended up hurting its basic unity.
But ultimately these defects don't really matter because of the slick performances of O'Brien, Beery, and Main. It's sentimental and contrived but it works.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
O'Brien was simply the cutest child actor in cinema history. And not only did she instinctively know how to act but she worked hard to master accents for her roles and she took direction very well. In "Bad Bascomb" Simon had her turn up the cuteness meter even higher than when she played Lady Jessica opposite Robert Young and Charles Laughton in "The Canterville Ghost". He knew exactly what he was doing because Beery's gruff and blustery performance balances it out quite nicely. Their scenes mostly involve her setting him up to deliver a series of absolutely priceless lines.
The story (which is almost irrelevant) begins with Beery's title character being thwarted when his gang attempts a bank robbery. Bascomb and his sidekick Bart Yancy (J. Carol Nash) escape and attempt to leave the area with a Mormon wagon train heading for Utah. They discover gold hidden on the train and Yancy enlists a band of Indians to attack the wagons. This results in another of those silly ride-around-the-circled-wagons Hollywood Indian attacks and some additional action as Beery rides to a nearby fort so the cavalry can come and save the day.
Like "Angel and The Badman" (made just a year later), the outlaw Beery is gradually won over by the loving girl although in this case it taps into fatherly rather than romantic love.
The day-to-day journey of the wagon train is done very well but the larger scale action sequences are rather lame. Beery has an "obvious" double for the horse riding scenes and almost everything that involves physical movement. Nash's character is a bit discordant, as Yancy has a lot of nice guy moments that simply don't fit with what is supposed to be his true nature. And there is a "Shane" ending that probably should have been reworked. I suspect that the producers were trying to target two very different audiences with this film and ended up hurting its basic unity.
But ultimately these defects don't really matter because of the slick performances of O'Brien, Beery, and Main. It's sentimental and contrived but it works.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Most enjoyable but also rather formulaic
planktonrules17 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Wallace Beery plays pretty much the same style character he'd been playing in films for years. Like his Long John Silver from "Treasure Island", he's a bad guy in disguise as a good one...and deep within is a heart of gold. In fact, in many ways, the film is almost like a remake or at least was heavily influenced by this earlier Beery film.
The film is set in the old West and Beery is the head of a gang of outlaws. A posse is pursuing them when they come upon a lone Mormon scout--who they soon kill. Later, in order to avoid capture, Beery and his sidekick (J. Carrol Naish) join the nearby Mormon caravan--telling them how the man they actually murdered "died trying to save our lives" and that they are Mormon converts. Naturally, the two no-good galoots are accepted into the caravan and go along with them--at least until the coast is clear.
The Mormon folk are friendly, but Beery is particularly affected by sweet Margaret O'Brien--who, as usual, plays an adorable kid. Slowly, he turns from his evil ways thanks to the power of niceness. However, I could easily see someone being a bit creeped out by O'Brien's overtures towards Beery throughout the film--like she wanted him for her boyfriend or future husband. Weird stuff, huh, though I don't think this is what the writers at MGM intended.
Despite a few minor complaints, a most enjoyable but highly predictable and formulaic film--especially when O'Brien becomes ill at just the right time. Had this not been like many previous films, I probably would have rated this one a bit higher.
By the way, at the 52 minute mark, Beery is sitting at a picnic table talking. If you pay attention to the background, trees keep appearing and moving each time the camera pans on him! Also, at the 68 minute mark, much of Beery's dialog was clearly dubbed using someone else's voice. Who and why they did this, I have no idea and the voice sounds much more like Harry Carey, Sr.'s voice. Oops.
The film is set in the old West and Beery is the head of a gang of outlaws. A posse is pursuing them when they come upon a lone Mormon scout--who they soon kill. Later, in order to avoid capture, Beery and his sidekick (J. Carrol Naish) join the nearby Mormon caravan--telling them how the man they actually murdered "died trying to save our lives" and that they are Mormon converts. Naturally, the two no-good galoots are accepted into the caravan and go along with them--at least until the coast is clear.
The Mormon folk are friendly, but Beery is particularly affected by sweet Margaret O'Brien--who, as usual, plays an adorable kid. Slowly, he turns from his evil ways thanks to the power of niceness. However, I could easily see someone being a bit creeped out by O'Brien's overtures towards Beery throughout the film--like she wanted him for her boyfriend or future husband. Weird stuff, huh, though I don't think this is what the writers at MGM intended.
Despite a few minor complaints, a most enjoyable but highly predictable and formulaic film--especially when O'Brien becomes ill at just the right time. Had this not been like many previous films, I probably would have rated this one a bit higher.
By the way, at the 52 minute mark, Beery is sitting at a picnic table talking. If you pay attention to the background, trees keep appearing and moving each time the camera pans on him! Also, at the 68 minute mark, much of Beery's dialog was clearly dubbed using someone else's voice. Who and why they did this, I have no idea and the voice sounds much more like Harry Carey, Sr.'s voice. Oops.
A Charmer
cutter-1221 March 2006
By all accounts, Wallace Beery was a coarse and miserable A-hole off camera. It's no surprise the man lacked refinement, just look at him, but I hope he wasn't quite the jerk biographers have painted him since his death in 1949. I've always enjoyed watching Wallace Beery movies, if his personality was something less than desirable in real life you'd never know it from many of his films, where the man is just simply...lovable. And if it was only that way on screen, then that's all that really matters I guess. Beery played a persona that made him a good living, and he always delivered the goods once the cameras rolled.
In Bad Bascomb, Beery is hilarious. He spits as many mouthfuls of funny dialogue as he spits his food. He also shows himself to have been a far better actor than he's remembered for as he emotes menace, sweetness, redemption and morosity with his craggy mug as good as any actor of his day. I defy anyone to dislike Beery in this film.
The movie itself is at times unbalanced...moves between a children's film and a more conventional western, with all its back shooting nastiness, a little unseamlessly. But it was all shot outdoors on location and as Wagon Train movies go, this one has a fairly authentic look to it.
Maybe not a great western, but it's great fun to watch Beery and Margaret O'Brien play off each other. The kind of sweetness reminiscent of Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in Miracle in the 34th Street. One of Beery's must see roles. Well worth your time if you come across it on TCM.
In Bad Bascomb, Beery is hilarious. He spits as many mouthfuls of funny dialogue as he spits his food. He also shows himself to have been a far better actor than he's remembered for as he emotes menace, sweetness, redemption and morosity with his craggy mug as good as any actor of his day. I defy anyone to dislike Beery in this film.
The movie itself is at times unbalanced...moves between a children's film and a more conventional western, with all its back shooting nastiness, a little unseamlessly. But it was all shot outdoors on location and as Wagon Train movies go, this one has a fairly authentic look to it.
Maybe not a great western, but it's great fun to watch Beery and Margaret O'Brien play off each other. The kind of sweetness reminiscent of Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in Miracle in the 34th Street. One of Beery's must see roles. Well worth your time if you come across it on TCM.
With Beery, O'Brien and Maine, who needs a plot?
Silents Fan13 December 2001
Sure, this is just another horse opera, but who cares?
Wallace Beery is more entertaining just being Wallace Beery than most actors are with sparkling dialogue and auteur direction.
Magararet O'Brien: Shirley Temple she ain't! When people talk about child stars, they usually mention Jackie Coogan and Jackie Cooper; Mickey Rooney and Dickie Moore; Baby Peggy and Hailie Mills. Give me Margaret O'Brien any day.
Marjorie Main could lick her weight in Marie Dresslers, any day.
Pure entertainment!
Wallace Beery is more entertaining just being Wallace Beery than most actors are with sparkling dialogue and auteur direction.
Magararet O'Brien: Shirley Temple she ain't! When people talk about child stars, they usually mention Jackie Coogan and Jackie Cooper; Mickey Rooney and Dickie Moore; Baby Peggy and Hailie Mills. Give me Margaret O'Brien any day.
Marjorie Main could lick her weight in Marie Dresslers, any day.
Pure entertainment!
Bad Bascomb is a Classic & should be shown more often
logan-hill11 October 2001
Bad Bascomb is a true Western Classic. Wallace Beery was a great actor of his time; although there are other movies of his that my family and I liked, this one is the best.
Marjorie Main & Margaret O'Brien are also a great asset to this film. I am sorry to say this movie is not shown on TV very often and is not available on VHS/DVD; hopefully in the near future.
For all of you Wallace Beery fans, I am happy to report, I was e-mailed the other day from Turner Classic Movies, that this movie will be shown on TCM on Thursday, December 13th, at 6:00 pm ET; so have a new tape ready for this GREAT movie.
Thank You for your time!! JAL
Marjorie Main & Margaret O'Brien are also a great asset to this film. I am sorry to say this movie is not shown on TV very often and is not available on VHS/DVD; hopefully in the near future.
For all of you Wallace Beery fans, I am happy to report, I was e-mailed the other day from Turner Classic Movies, that this movie will be shown on TCM on Thursday, December 13th, at 6:00 pm ET; so have a new tape ready for this GREAT movie.
Thank You for your time!! JAL
Oh, for a colorized version!
dstenhouse6 August 2002
This movie inspired Anthony Mann to make his own western using one of its themes (bad guy hides in/leads wagon train) in 1954, "Bend of the River". He uses the opening scene to pay homage to "Bad Bascomb", by having James Stewart ride up to a wagon and receive a piece of food from a little girl. This points to another theme which is actually dropped from Mann's movie - father hunger in action. This theme is handled well in "Bad Bascomb", without it being overplayed. I could especially identify with the scene where the kid overreacts to the adult's supposed lack of interest in what he thinks is a trivial moment. Margaret and Wallace both sparkle in this - if only they had made more movies together! The only disappointment to me is that there is so much wonderful scenery, and it is in black and white! Finally, what's the best way to attack a wagon train in a circle? Watch this movie and find out!
Long John Silver Goes West
bkoganbing13 May 2006
Wallace Beery set the standard for lovable lugs when he essayed the role of Long John Silver in Treasure Island. Turned out the nastiest pirate on the Spanish Main was one lovable lug after all, especially around kids like Jackie Cooper.
Bad Bascomb is simply Beery as Long John Silver on two legs gone west. And this time it's the sweet innocence of little Margaret O'Brien that warms the old outlaw's heart.
Beery as Bascomb is a leader of a large band of outlaws with J. Carrol Naish as his second in command. The film opens with the Governors of three territories in conference about how to get him with federal government agent Donald Curtis. They almost do get him, trapping him like they did Jesse James in Northfield, Minnesota. But as the James Brothers escaped from that trap, Beery and Naish do likewise and hide undercover in a Mormon wagon train heading for Utah.
It's there that Beery meets up with little Margaret and her grandmother Marjorie Main. And he starts to change his evil ways.
There's a whole lot of action in this film for those who want their westerns to emphasize that. The ambush of Beery's gang, the posse chase and a serious Indian attack.
One scene I did find a bit much though was during that Indian attack, Margaret O'Brien using her peashooter against the Indians. Kind of dumb in my humble opinion.
But the chemistry between Main and Beery and O'Brien is on full throttle here. And that's reason enough to watch Bad Bascomb.
Bad Bascomb is simply Beery as Long John Silver on two legs gone west. And this time it's the sweet innocence of little Margaret O'Brien that warms the old outlaw's heart.
Beery as Bascomb is a leader of a large band of outlaws with J. Carrol Naish as his second in command. The film opens with the Governors of three territories in conference about how to get him with federal government agent Donald Curtis. They almost do get him, trapping him like they did Jesse James in Northfield, Minnesota. But as the James Brothers escaped from that trap, Beery and Naish do likewise and hide undercover in a Mormon wagon train heading for Utah.
It's there that Beery meets up with little Margaret and her grandmother Marjorie Main. And he starts to change his evil ways.
There's a whole lot of action in this film for those who want their westerns to emphasize that. The ambush of Beery's gang, the posse chase and a serious Indian attack.
One scene I did find a bit much though was during that Indian attack, Margaret O'Brien using her peashooter against the Indians. Kind of dumb in my humble opinion.
But the chemistry between Main and Beery and O'Brien is on full throttle here. And that's reason enough to watch Bad Bascomb.
A movie about redemption
dpoppyman16 September 2010
Bad Bascomb is a bad man. A very bad man. So is his sidekick, Bart Yancy. They are remorseless in all of their criminal activities, including the heartless murder of an elderly scout for a Mormon wagon train headed west. Hunted men, they take cover in the wagon train to avoid capture.
While undercover, "Bad" Bascomb's heart is stolen by pure love and trust from an 8 year old girl who l-o-v-e-s him without reservation and in spite of his coarseness and even cruelty.
The transformation is amazing to watch. Beery and O'Brien steal every scene and leave you anxious for their next one. Their banter is at times hilarious yet still remains poignant.
I understand the criticism of some of the action sequences. They seem hurried if not careless. The scene of the wagon train crossing the river, however, is excellent. This is a low budget programmer so I refuse to criticize a lot of the technical short comings. As is true of most of these low budget films, this one is elevated by the performances of unmatched character actors like Marjorie Maine, J. Carroll Naish, and Sarah Haden. In the end though, Wallace Beery and Margaret O'Brien will steal your heart forever.
While undercover, "Bad" Bascomb's heart is stolen by pure love and trust from an 8 year old girl who l-o-v-e-s him without reservation and in spite of his coarseness and even cruelty.
The transformation is amazing to watch. Beery and O'Brien steal every scene and leave you anxious for their next one. Their banter is at times hilarious yet still remains poignant.
I understand the criticism of some of the action sequences. They seem hurried if not careless. The scene of the wagon train crossing the river, however, is excellent. This is a low budget programmer so I refuse to criticize a lot of the technical short comings. As is true of most of these low budget films, this one is elevated by the performances of unmatched character actors like Marjorie Maine, J. Carroll Naish, and Sarah Haden. In the end though, Wallace Beery and Margaret O'Brien will steal your heart forever.
OK western with wiley Wallace, minutte Margaret & masculine Marjorie!
mark.waltz13 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A notorious bank robber joins a traveling caravan of Mormons, takes a shine to a little girl, and helps them face life on the plains, especially with attacking Indians and a bandit he betrays who vows revenge.
Bascomb (the irascible Wallace Beery) isn't all that bad. All he needs are cute little spelling contests with a little girl and the affections of an aging widow to look after his appetite. Margaret O'Brien, of course, is the cute little girl who enjoys spelling out words in conversation, while Marjorie Main is her cantankerous grandmother who dominates Beery's every minute after he promises to take care of them in the caravan. Beery wants to find the gold hidden somewhere in the caravan with the intention of robbing it, but changes his mind after becoming close with the group. This upsets his rough and tough partner (J. Carroll Naish).
Beery brings sweetness to his gruff role, a true acting feat considering his off-screen treatment of the child stars he worked with. The spelling out of words between Beery and O'Brien adds to the fun and brings some additional dimension to their relationship, although there is not as much comedy as a pairing of this nature (along with Main who is both a delightful comic and a touching serious actress) should have. There's a great scene between Beery, Main and tough-but-nurturing Connie Gilchrist in a moment where Gilchrist gives Beery her husband's old jacket and Main steps in to prevent any hanky panky. There's also a great camp fire sing-along in which pivotal plot points are taking place in the background.
The problem with the film is its over-length. There is a scene that is quite disturbing where Beery must verbally assault O'Brien to get her away from his plotting with Naish, but the tender moments between the two afterwords makes up for it.
Bascomb (the irascible Wallace Beery) isn't all that bad. All he needs are cute little spelling contests with a little girl and the affections of an aging widow to look after his appetite. Margaret O'Brien, of course, is the cute little girl who enjoys spelling out words in conversation, while Marjorie Main is her cantankerous grandmother who dominates Beery's every minute after he promises to take care of them in the caravan. Beery wants to find the gold hidden somewhere in the caravan with the intention of robbing it, but changes his mind after becoming close with the group. This upsets his rough and tough partner (J. Carroll Naish).
Beery brings sweetness to his gruff role, a true acting feat considering his off-screen treatment of the child stars he worked with. The spelling out of words between Beery and O'Brien adds to the fun and brings some additional dimension to their relationship, although there is not as much comedy as a pairing of this nature (along with Main who is both a delightful comic and a touching serious actress) should have. There's a great scene between Beery, Main and tough-but-nurturing Connie Gilchrist in a moment where Gilchrist gives Beery her husband's old jacket and Main steps in to prevent any hanky panky. There's also a great camp fire sing-along in which pivotal plot points are taking place in the background.
The problem with the film is its over-length. There is a scene that is quite disturbing where Beery must verbally assault O'Brien to get her away from his plotting with Naish, but the tender moments between the two afterwords makes up for it.
Excellent Trio
murdockceo11 March 2007
I have always loved old movies and most are the kind you can watch over again and again this is one of them! The last time I watched it I caught something new and thought was so cute Emmy (Maragret o'Brien)is dressing in a pretty dress to surprise Zed Bascomb (Wallace Beery)and her grandmother gives her two handkerchiefs and she tells her "Here is one for show and one for blow." I believe actors from this era were true artisan of their craft, something I find lacking in actors today.
For More Fun between Beery and Main I recommend Jackass Mail 1942 & Wyoming 1940. For You Margaret O'Brien fans one movie you must see is Our Vines Have Tender Grapes.
For More Fun between Beery and Main I recommend Jackass Mail 1942 & Wyoming 1940. For You Margaret O'Brien fans one movie you must see is Our Vines Have Tender Grapes.
A little saccharine
HotToastyRag30 March 2019
Unless you really love Wallace Beery, you're not going to like Bad Bascomb. He stars as an outlaw who hides out in a Mormon wagon train to elude the sheriff. While he dodges the romantic attentions of both Marjorie Main and Connie Gilchrist, he bonds with young Margaret O'Brien. Margaret softens his gruff exterior, and Wallace's buddy and fellow outlaw J. Carrol Naish isn't too happy about the change in his pal.
In Lost Angel, Margaret O'Brien falls hard for the handsome James Craig, and while the crush is cute, it almost gets serious enough to upset the rest of the plot. In this movie, when she flirts around with the rumpled Wallace Beery, it feels a little awkward. She gets hurt feelings that he doesn't notice her new dress, asks if he has anyone special in his life, and then requests a kiss. When he kisses her forehead, she says, "That's not a real kiss!" before planting a smack-a-roo on his cheek. It's all innocent of course, but if you're not a Wallace Beery fan, you probably won't find it as cute as the movie wants you to.
Then again, who doesn't love a story about a grumpy, crusty curmudgeon who learns to care for an innocent little child? This one isn't the best of that genre, because it does get a bit saccharine, but there are a few sweet moments between the two leads, especially when Margaret gets sick and Wallace sits by her bedside holding her hand.
In Lost Angel, Margaret O'Brien falls hard for the handsome James Craig, and while the crush is cute, it almost gets serious enough to upset the rest of the plot. In this movie, when she flirts around with the rumpled Wallace Beery, it feels a little awkward. She gets hurt feelings that he doesn't notice her new dress, asks if he has anyone special in his life, and then requests a kiss. When he kisses her forehead, she says, "That's not a real kiss!" before planting a smack-a-roo on his cheek. It's all innocent of course, but if you're not a Wallace Beery fan, you probably won't find it as cute as the movie wants you to.
Then again, who doesn't love a story about a grumpy, crusty curmudgeon who learns to care for an innocent little child? This one isn't the best of that genre, because it does get a bit saccharine, but there are a few sweet moments between the two leads, especially when Margaret gets sick and Wallace sits by her bedside holding her hand.
Excellent Movie!!
heavenschoir9 March 2007
I absolutely loved this movie, it's funny, sad and a real heart grabber. A must see for anyone who loves these kind of movies!!! The actors are all great, especially Margaret O'Brien, I love to watch her in movies, she's as good as Shirley Temple and Natalie Wood!!! Makes a person wonder how a child her age can act so well and be so convincing, you'd never know it wasn't really happening!! I had never seen this movie before today, didn't even know it was on until I flipped to the TCM channel; I missed the first part of it, but what I did see was great, was hoping it would be on again so I could see it all, but it's not in my TV listings. I would love to have it on DVD or VHS. Anyone know where or how I can purchase it?
A cute film
aberlour3628 February 1999
Bad Bascomb?....OR, Rooster Cogburn?
wmcarmody_127 August 2010
I remember catching this little gem a while back on TCM very early in the morning. I've always enjoyed Berry, the proverbial "they don't make them like this anymore" kinda guy. It was a while later when I happened upon an article written about "The Most Undeserved Oscars Ever". It was based on the writers point of view, I guess, with some strong arguments to back up Their points. The most puzzling, was the Best Actor Oscar handed out to John Wayne for "True Grit". This was the writers point, and it's a GOOD one. The point is, John Wayne did an almost dead-on impression of Wallace Berry's "Bad Bascomb" through the entire movie, and got an Oscar for it....? I didn't give it a second thought until a recent viewing of "True Grit", and, well, It's pretty apparent. As to whether Mr. Wayne deserved the Oscar or not, I think it's amusing that the only time He didn't act like "John Wayne", he got an Oscar, and for doing an impression of Wallace Berry! Check it out for yourself, and you'll see it, too. I love both movies, but "True Grit" will never look the same to me again.
An original movie of a bad guy turned good.
lobowolf11 December 1998
This was a good movie without any of the present day special effects. No swearing, no nudity and no sex. Just plain old good acting. Unfortunately, you have to be a fan of the older movies to really appreciate the quality of this movie and the actors of the era. J. Carrol Nash played the same type of villain as he did in Beau Geste, with Gary Cooper.
Good movie a little surprise with the ending.
smorose30 June 2000
Warning: Spoilers
I found this a very interesting movie, and enjoyed Beery in his role. I was just surprised with the ending, I was expecting the Federal Officer to turn his back and let Beery return to the Wagon Train, but it ended with him riding off with the Officer. Not a traditional ending. Hope I didn't blow the ending for anyone.
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