Powerful

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Hell's Heroes is a 1930 western drama film. The story follows a group of bandits who find themselves in dire straits after a botched robbery. In an unforgiving desert, the men face a series of events that changes their lives.Entertaining and moving, Hell's Heroes is a heartfelt movie. The story is fantastic and unexpected events keep the picture fun. This film is a true emotional roller coaster.There are a few faults with the film, such as bad acting at times and some faulty premises. The way two beautiful women are fighting over a poor and gross ruffian is hard to believe. Parson Jone's 100-yard shot with a revolver is also a stretch, not to mention some parts toward the end that I don't want to give away. The movie also gets a bit boring and slow during the last act.Overall, I recommend Hell's Heroes. Entertaining and unexpected, this film has a short running time and is well worth a viewing. Definitely a must for any fans of older western movies.

In the western town of New Jerusalem, rough Charles Bickford (as Robert "Bob" Sangster) cajoles his sexy girlfriend to sing and dance while he waits for the gang to arrive. The men rob the bank, killing a teller in the process, and escape from the sheriff's posse in a sandstorm. Left without horses and possessing only a small portion of water, Mr. Bickford and his two pals prepare to face the harsh elements. Sporting a shoulder wound, Raymond Hatton (as Thomas "Barbwire Tom" Gibbons) notes religious allegory. Self sacrificing Fred Kohler (as William "Wild Bill" Kearney) carries most of the baggage...The three men happen upon a woman moaning in a covered wagon. They appear to agree that the man who saw her first gets to be the first rapist. However, Bickford and company discover the woman is pregnant with the baby of the bank teller they killed. Before expiring, she dubs the bandits her "Three Godfathers" and asks them to take care of her baby son. "Hell's Heroes" is a crude version of the frequently-filmed Christian story. Bickford and director William Wyler combine to create some memorable images.****** Hell's Heroes (12/27/29) William Wyler ~ Charles Bickford, Raymond Hatton, Fred Kohler, Maria Alba

I viewed this film as a historical piece on locations. It is footage of the town of the old mining town of Bodie, pre-fire which destroyed 90% of the remaining town in 1933. It is now a state park and the official ghost town of Calif. Having visited several times, it was amazing to see actual businesses and buildings that no longer stand. And the ones that do - 80 years later. The church that is seen in several of the exteriors is still there today, but none of the buildings seen between it and the main street exist. This would have been, in 1929, a long way to travel for a location shot with crew and equipment. I'm glad they did.

Much tighter and less bloated with extra characters and subplots than the later versions. The story has enough plot on it's own. It avoids the pitfall of being syrupy, a pitfall that the John Wayne version does not avoid. It's not the sanitized west of most films of the genre. You just know that those hombres hadn't bathed in a month of Sundays. The film gets right down to business. It avoids another pitfall, as well. Early talkies tended to be just that--talkie. This film makes good use of visuals in developing the characters and moving along the story. It has much more of the feeling of the just past silent era about it than the just arrived talkie era.