The Law and Jake Wade (1958): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1958, The Law and Jake Wade is an action and western film directed by John Sturges, running about 86 minutes. “The girl is a captive hostage at the mercy of the West's most notorious bandit-killer.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Jake Wade breaks Clint Hollister out of jail to pay off an old debt, though it's clear there is some pretty deep hostility between them. They part, and Jake returns to his small-town marshal's job and his fiancée only to find he has been tracked there by Hollister. It seems they were once in a gang together and Jake knows where the proceeds of a bank hold-up are hidden. Hollister and his sidekicks make off into the hills, taking along the trussed-up marshal and his kidnapped bride-to-be to force the lawman to show them where the loot is.

Who’s in it. The Law and Jake Wade stars Robert Taylor as Jake Wade, Richard Widmark as Clint Hollister, Patricia Owens as Peggy and Robert Middleton as Ortero, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, The Law and Jake Wade has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Law and Jake Wade page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Law and Jake Wade tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.