Dark Command (1940)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Grover Jones (screenplay) &
Lionel Houser (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 April 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

A drama of undying love

Plot:

When transplanted Texan Bob Seton arrives in Lawrence, Kansas he finds much to like about the place...

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Romantic Rivalry | Fistfight | Teaching | Deception

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Claire Trevor	...	Miss Mary McCloud
John Wayne	...	Bob Seton
Walter Pidgeon	...	William 'Will' Cantrell
Roy Rogers	...	Fletcher 'Fletch' McCloud
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Andrew 'Doc' Grunch (as George Hayes)
Porter Hall	...	Angus McCloud
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Cantrell, aka Mrs. Adams
Raymond Walburn	...	Judge Buckner
Joe Sawyer	...	Bushropp (guerrilla) (as Joseph Sawyer)
Helen MacKellar	...	Mrs. Hale
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Dave (gunrunner)
Trevor Bardette	...	Mr. Hale (shot by Fletch)

Runtime:

94 min | UK:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Germany:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5985) (original rating) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Placerita Ranch - 24715 Oak Creek Avenue, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

The character of Will Cantrell is loosely based on the real life Confederate guerrilla leader William Quantrill. Like Cantrell, Quantrill was born in Ohio, taught school in Lawrence, Kansas, became a guerrilla fighter on the Confederate side and burnt Lawrence to the ground. However, the Confederacy eventually distanced itself from, and eventually disowned, him because of his band's propensity for executing prisoners, massacring civilians, looting and raping. The real Quantrill was killed in an ambush, beheaded by a Union cavalryman's saber, in Kentucky at the ripe old age of 27 instead of at the hands of Bob Seton.

Quotes:

Mrs. Cantrell: You're no good, Will.
William Cantrell: I've killed men for saying less than that!
Mrs. Cantrell: You've killed a lot of men for saying nothing at all!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Law of the Golden West (1949)

Soundtrack:

Oh Susanna

John Wayne+Raoul Walsh+Republic=Great western

Few people did westerns better than John Wayne, few directors did them better than Raoul Walsh, and NO studio did them better than Republic--and when you put the three of them together, the results are pretty near unbeatable.

This film, based on the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, during the Civil War by the Confederate guerilla Quantrill, bears little relation to the actual event--but if you want a history lesson, turn on the Discovery Channel. Instead, just sit back and marvel at the rousing action sequences that Republic was renowned for, enjoy the sea of great old cowboy actors (Gabby Hayes, Harry Woods, Wally Wales, Trevor Bardette, Glenn Strange, etc.), check out the performance of a young Roy Rogers (he's actually very good), and enjoy the talents of masters like Wayne and Walsh at their prime--and remember that this is the kind of movie people are talking about when they say, "They don't make 'em like they used to."