The Young Land (1959)

Plot: American justice is put on trial when an American kills a Mexican in the newly-formed state of California.



Starring. . . .

Patrick Wayne
Yvonne Craig
Dennis Hopper
Dan O'Herlihy
Roberto De La Madrid
Cliff Ketchum 
Ken Curtis
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez

Directed by Ted Tetzlaff
Produced by Patrick Ford, Lowell J. Farrell, and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Dist. by Columbia Pictures, Inc.

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Storyline Roundup: (note: SPOILERS)

California has just come under American rule, and Mexican citizens are waiting to see what kind of life they will have in the new state.

In this small California town, tempers are especially fragile when a white man named Hatfield Carnes (Hopper) brutally guns down a Mexican in front of a saloon. He is arrested by the sheriff (Wayne), who is scarcely out of his teens and carries neither badge nor gun.

The man who was murdered was employed by Don Roberto de la Madrid (De La Madrid), a man of local nobility. Don Roberto also has a beautiful daughter, Elena, and "Sheriff" Jim fancies himself in love with her---which is okay, because she fancies herself in love with him.

A judge (O'Herlihy) from Washington D.C. comes to give Carnes his trial. Joining the judge is Deputy Marshal Ben Stroud. They quickly learn to accept the unorthodox Sheriff Jim, although they are somewhat baffled by his method of keeping law and order.  

Judge Isham 

Carnes goes on trial and keeps soberly insisting, "I had to kill him," but it is apparent that the killing was purely out of hate for the Mexican people. And mental unbalance.

The jury goes into conference for a couple hours, and Carnes is escorted back to jail to wait. Sheriff Jim tries to prepare for possibly having to keep Carnes' friends from breaking him out---or having to keep the Mexicans from lynching Carnes.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Jim goes to break up a noisy group of dancers in front of the saloon, and a shady character named Lee Hearn (Curtis) starts a fight with him.

The sheriff wins

The sheriff wins, knocking Hearn to the ground.

Elena Madrid insists on being in town while the action is going on, although her beau, the sheriff, would rather that she stay safely at her father's ranch.

The sheriff has his hands full and has all he can do to keep things under control.

Shortly after his fight with Hearn, Jim goes into the saloon and shocks everyone by hiring Hearn as deputy to keep an eye on Carnes.

Deputy?

The move turns out to be wise, because even though Hearn is wanted by the law in other states, he is a capable man willing to do an honest job.

Finally, court is called back is session and the jury announces their decision. . . .

"Guilty."

The judge gives Carnes a light sentence---25 years in prison---on account of the crime being commited during a period of transition to Constitutional law. The judge suspends even that sentence on the grounds that Carnes will never own, nor so much as touch, a firearm.

Carnes is free to go.

While Carnes is considering the consequences of not carrying a gun, Hearn laughs at him. "You know you ain't gonna live very long without [a gun]," he says.

That settles it. Carnes deftly swipes Hearn's pistol, strikes him out with it, and threatens to shoot anyone who hampers his escape from the courthouse. He tells the sheriff to come shoot it out with him.

Jim will go---but not with a pistol. He needs his rifle from the jailhouse, across the street. He sneaks around, narrowly avoiding Carnes, and makes it to the jailhouse.

Elena is still waiting there, and she begs him not to go out and fight Carnes. She kisses him to emphasize her pleading. "That's the first time I ever kissed you," Sheriff Jim says, right before he goes out the door.

Carnes is waiting, using a horse to shield himself. Jim tells him to give himself up.

"When I come over there, it'll be with my gun," Carnes insists, and swings up onto the horse. He rides right at the sheriff and shoots him, winging his right shoulder.

The sheriff fires off a shot. Carnes turns and rides towards the edge of town. He falls off the horse; the outlaw is dead.

Sheriff Jim hollers for Marshal Stroud to come out, and informs him that Carnes is dead.

All along, it was American justice that was on trial, not just one man. The town is happy; American justice won.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This movie was co-produced by John Ford's son, Patrick, and stars John Wayne's son, Patrick. 
The theme song ("Strange Are the Ways of Love") was sung by Randy Sparks. 

If you want to read a couple other reviews of The Young Land, here are some good ones (note: I have no affiliation with these blogs or their moderators):

Buddies in the Saddle blog

Jeff Arnold's West blog


Here's a Wikipedia article on the Mexican-American War.

The Young Land on DVD