The Johnson County War (TV)

Johnson County War – U.S.A. title

Os Implacáveis – Brazilian title

Войната в окръг Джонсън – Bulgarian title

Oi pyles tou Paradeisou – Greek title

Ítéletlovasok – Hungarian title

La guerra di Johnson County – Italian title

La ley de los Fuertes – Spanish title

Johnson County War – English title

A 2001 U.S.A., German television co-production [Hallmark Entertainment, Larry Levinson Productions, Mat 1 Productions (Hollywood), RTL Television (Munich)]

Producers: Stephen W. Bridgewater, Mary Church, Frank Q. Dobbs

Director: David S. Cass, Sr.

Story: “Riders of Judgment” by Frederick Manfred

Teleplay: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana

Photography: Douglas Milsome [color]

Music: Sheldon Mirowitz

Running time: 240 minutes

Cast:

Cain Hammett – Tom Berenger (Thomas Moore)

Harry Hammett – Luke Perry (Coy Perry III)

Dale Hammett – Adam Storke

Rory Hammett – Michelle Forbes (Michelle Guajardo)

Marshal Hunt Lawton – Burt Reynolds (Burton Reynolds, Jr.)

Queenie – Rachel Ward

Jesse Jacklin – Jack Conley

Mitch Slaughter – Silas Weir Mitchell (Silan Neilson)

Timberline – Adrien Dorval (Patrick Dorval)

Lord Peter – Christopher Cazenove

Clara Jager – Fay Masterson

Arthur – William Samples

Dencil Jager – Stephen Bridgewater

Hambone – Blu Mankuma

Bat Waddy – Tim Koetting (Tom Koetting)

Wally Tascott – Ken Pogue (Kenneth Pogue)

Sam the wolfer – Jimmy Herman

Governor Barb – Henry Beckman

Senator Thorpe – Ron Hartman (Ronald Hartman)

Irv Hornsby – Hal Kerbes

Allen Stone – David Lereaney

Rodney Claybourne – Paul Coeur (Paul Jolicooeur)

Texas Charlie – Tom Erikson (Tom Eirikson)

Texas Ike – Doug Lennox

Texas cowboy – Tom Carey

Butcherknife – Bunk Duncan

Sheriff Sine – Tom Heaton

Night herder – Chris Ippolito

Jimmy Albert – Kirk Jarrett (James Jarrett)

Joey – Stevie Mitchell

Ringbone – Billy Morton (William Morton)

Texas gunman – Shawn C. Orr

Russell – John F. Parker

Tom – J.C. Roberts

Bobby – Joe Norman Shaw

First bad cowboy – Steve Shayler (Steven Shayler)

Second horseman – John Dobbs

Avery – Lyle St. Goddard

Spade – Stephen Warner

Telegraph operator – Peter Strand Rumpel

Skunker – Jerry Wills

Bagpiper – Rodger Yule

Voice – Carol Stanzione

Stunt coordinator: Tom Eirikson

Stunts: Ryan Barron, Dwight Beard, Dusty Bews, Guy Bews, Joe Bews, Peter Bews, T.J. Bews, Tom Bews, Dave Borley, Jim Campbell, Marty Chiefcalf, Harley Cole, Jim Cooper, Chad Cosgrave, Joe Dodds, John Dodds, Wanda Ferraton, Jim Finkbeiner, Ben Gauthier, Frank Gauthier (François Gauthier), Corry Glass, Reg Glass, Tom Glass, Art Graves, Wade Graves, Kevin Jarrett, Kirk Jarrett, Gary Lauder, Dave Leader, Roger Lewis, Tim McLean, James Paradis, Shane Pollitt, Max Radford, Greg Schlosser, Cam Sutherland, Cathy Vayda, John Wigley, Dwayne Wiley, Ken Zilka, Shawn C. Orr

The novel Riders of Judgment was the source for the U.S.A., German co-produced made-for-television film “The Johnson County War”, starring Tom Berenger. Manfred's novelization uses Nate Champion, Jack Flagg, and John Tisdale as the models for his Hammett brothers, Cain, Harry, and Dale, and turns Frank Canton into a strange family nemesis called variously Hunt Lawton and Link Keeler. Manfred changes the names of the county and the nearby towns.

The Hammet family, a rough-and-tumble band of three who go to great lengths to protect their livelihood. Cain is the wise older one, a cautious and diplomatic leader whom everyone in surrounding towns admires from afar for his bravery and work ethic. In the middle is Dale, a kindly cowpoke who talks tougher than he is, and whose wife, Rory, thinks is a pansy for not avenging her father’s death at the hands of dastardly Marshal Hunt Lawton. Cain and Dale are both trumped in charm and looks by Harry, a young thief who’s left for dead one day by the land tycoons (but eventually saved) after attempting to rustle livestock.

The Hammets are up against Lord Peter, a discredited nobleman who hires henchmen like Jesse Jacklin and Mitch Slaughter to do his business, which involves doing away with the little men of Antelope by any means necessary. At first they offer a job to Cain, but it’s clear he wants no part of them, so he becomes enemy No. 1. While turning their sights to killing Cain and his posse, Lord Peter and his high-society friends at the Cheyenne Social Club raid whomever they can in order to clear out the locals and have the valley all to themselves.

That includes the hanging of prostitute Queenie, who warned the Hammets about the roundup, and friends of Cain who simply want to help and maintain a modest lifestyle. The prosperous industrialists take matters into their own hands and join the battle, even though they have zero frontline experience. Realizing they can take advantage of that, the Hammets and the small army they’ve been able to rustle up do what they can to fend off an attack that proves too powerful.

The production was filmed in Alberta, Canada and shown on The Hallmark Channel.

YouTube film clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1XOEIs5UMg