Review of Man in the Shadow

The law in the nineteen fifties was straight forward enough, if you happen to be white. Minorities on the other hand were lucky if ever there were men behind the badge with the willingness to stand up to wealthy, powerful men. This 1950's film was directed by Jack Arnold and written by Gene L.Coon. It depicts the story of Ben Sadler (Jeff Chandler) the town's sheriff, who is informed of the death of Jesus Cisneros (Martin Garralaga), an immigrant worker or 'Bracero' who is murdered by two ranch hands. From the moment the sheriff begins his investigation into the murder, he is besieged by local town's people of the danger of taking on Mr. Virgil Renchler (Orsen Wells) the most powerful man in the state. Still, Sadler is determined to bring the two men to justice. John Larch, Royal Dano, Paul Fix, Leo Gordon and William Schallert are among the most notable actors who give life to this otherwise Black and white picture. The acting is good and so too is the dark drama, which allows the movie to be interesting. Chandler gives a powerful performance and shows why he became a popular staple of the era. ****