The Badlanders (1958)

In 1958, Alan Ladd was on the downside of his career*, as he starred in this Western remake of The Asphalt Jungle** with Katie Juarez, and Ernest Borgnine.  In this version,  a rancher and mining engineer return to a small town to rob a Gold Mine they've been cheated out of. Unlike Asphalt Jungle  the "crooks" are the good guys, the supporting characters are ciphers, and it has a happy ending***. Clocking in at 85 minutes, its solid, fast moving, but unspectacular entertainment. There's plenty of action, but nothing memorable.  Rating 2.5 out of 4

Notes
* =  Ladd was only 45, but seems tired and has a puffy face.  Of course, Ladd was never an energetic, dynamic actor. He always gave off a cool, low-key charisma and reacted to situations and other characters. He really lost a step from 1953 to 1958.  Even Widmark would've been a better lead.

The history of the Hollywood leading men born 1908-1913 is a sad one.  Ladd dead at 52, Flynn dead at 50,  Tyrone Power dead at 45,  Dana Andrews sidelined by alcoholism at 52,  Robert Taylor -lung cancer at 56. Gene Kelly an acting has-been at 50.  Exceptions? Lancaster and Stewart. And then there's Reagan - but that's politics.

** =  the scene where the crooked financier (aka the Louis Calhern role)  tries to double-cross the robbers is an almost word for word remake.
*** = instead of a bloody shoot-out,  the local Mexicans, celebrating Cinco De Mayo,  come to the rescue. One villain  is set on fire when the fireworks are set off!