Dark Command (1940)

Very best movie i ever watch

Instant Favorite.

good back-story, and good acting

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Made on a million dollar budget, would you believe, this is a fine "A"- grade movie from Republic Pictures, starring Walter Pidgeon (borrowed from M-G-M) as Cantrell, Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Roy Rogers, George Hayes (sic), Porter Hall and Marjorie Main – in that order! Despite some banal dialogue, this account of Quantrill's raiders has a broad sweep and power. The screenplay's writers have made a commendable attempt to explore the socio-economic background of historical events. Raoul Walsh's direction displays his usual pace and flair and there is some fine 2nd unit work by Yakima Canutt, including a spectacular cliff plunge by a buckboard. Acting is excellent all around. Production values, including Jack Marta's superlative photography, are really top class.

. . . it immediately began cutting corners. Republic replaced GONE WITH THE WIND's lavish color with often murky black & white film (especially the many Dark-O-Vision night scenes straining the eyes of DARK COMMAND viewers). Instead of a rousing Max Steiner original musical score, DARK COMMAND's audience is treated to a repetitious and often anachronistic stew of over-used oldies, such as "Camptown Races." With a running time less than half GWTW's, there's not a chance of straining even the tiniest bladders in attendance. Compared with GWTW, DARK COMMAND's cast is made up of strictly "B-Listers," with John Wayne assuming the Rhett Butler role, "Mr. Miniver" (Walter Pidgeon) trying to inject some gumption into his version of Ashley Wilkes, Claire Trevor giving us a Scarlett O'Hara without a single "Fiddle-Dee-Dee" (or chuckle of any sort), and Roy Rogers oozing into the Melanie Wilkes space in a bit of gender-blind casting. This sorry quartet play a pack of Fifth Column Losers who try to spread the venom of the Old South's Lazy Racist Black Slavery into a hotbed of Freedom Fighters in Lawrence, KS. (Which, of course, they manage to burn to the ground, as most of the population is slain.) Wayne personally knocks out the teeth of 17-plus Abolitionists, and Rogers guns down an unarmed 18th Union Backer in his haste to jump into Satan's Surrey. Wayne proposes Bigamy to Ms. Trevor, and it takes a Nasty-Gram from the U.S. Production Code Administration to keep Rogers from doing it with Trigger.

Wandering Texas cowpoke Bob Seton (John Wayne) and a bewhiskered dentist, Dr. Grunch (George 'Gabby' Hayes), have a neat racket going for them when they ride into Lawrence, Kansas. You see, Bob baits people into brawls, usually about politics, slugs them, and they wind up going to see Dr. Grunch to have their damaged teeth pulled. When they ride into Lawrence, Bob has been assuring Grunch that he wants to see mountains. No sooner has Bob made himself clear about his destination than he lays his eyes on pretty Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor of "Stagecoach") as she is trying to cross the street. As it turns out, Bob and Dr. Grunch are blocking her way because they have paused at the local school house. Bob loves the sound of children warbling a patriotic song. The local school teacher William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon) leaves his class room to see Mary. Suddenly, Bob's itchy-footed desire to go west is vanquished by Mary's beauty. She is the daughter of the local banker, Angus McCloud (Porter Hall), and she and Cantrell are sweethearts. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in Lawrence between the anti-slavery fraction and the pro-slavery fraction. This contentiousness prompts the town to seek a sheriff. The literate Cantrell runs for office and Mary believes that he will triumph over the opposition, Bob Seton, who is illiterate. Initially, Bob goes to Cantrell to get him to teach him. During the political campaign, Cantrell boasts about Bob's honesty and courage, but Bob knows that he is just trying to make himself look like a more appealing candidate. Bob tells the populace that Cantrell has paid him a left-handed compliment, and explains that Cantrell is referring to his illiteracy. Bob turns the tables on Cantrell and uses simple, homespun humor to win the election. An embittered Cantrell decides to hit the outlaw trail rather than remain honest. Eventually, when he isn't freeing slaves and having his henchmen resell the over the border, Cantrell goes into the gun-running business. At one point, Cantrell's men confiscate uniforms for the Fifth Confederate Army, and they wear the outfits when they mount their marauding campaign of terrorism against the locals. Mary's brother Fletch (Roy Rogers) shoots a man during a fight, and Cantrell defends him at trial. Before the jury has a chance to bring in a verdict, Cantrell has scoured the countryside and threatened everything with death and violence if they don't bring in the correct verdict to free him. Late, in this 94 minute Raoul Walsh directed western, Cantrell and Bob shoot it out in his home after his mother has died. Nevertheless, Lawrence, Kansas, goes up in flames. This historical opus qualifies as an above-average sagebrusher. Walsh also directed Wayne in his first starring role in "The Big Trail" back in 1930.

Loosely based around a true story, Dark Command sees John Wayne play Bob Seton, an uneducated cowboy from Texas who wins around the people of Lawrence, Kansas to become their town Marshall just prior to the outbreak of the civil war. This angers the previously respectful town teacher, Will Cantrell {Walter Pidgeon}, who after being beaten on the vote by Seton, forms guerrilla groups to raid, pillage and gun run around the Kansas countryside. Seton, now ensconced in the ways of the law, sets about crushing Cantrell and his unfeeling raiders, but there is also another matter at hand. Both men have deep affection for the same woman, Mary McCloud {Claire Trevor appearing with Wayne again after Stagecoach the previous year}, so things are just that little bit more spicy between them as things start to come to a head.Directed by Raoul Walsh and adapted from the novel by W.R. Burnett {Little Caesar & High Sierra}, the picture also contains fine support from Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes and features a pleasing score from Victor Young. Tho historically dubious, Dark Command is no less enjoyable for being a creaky distortion of the "Quantrill's Raiders" {re: Cantrell} period in history. Those after a history lesson would be well advised to source from elsewhere in that respect. Catching John Wayne just as he was about to become the towering presence he was, the film also serves as notice to a time when stunts and character interplay were precious commodities. Walsh, ever the sharp eye for action, delivers some wonderful sequences here, horses and carts are a thundering, even careering over cliffs at one point. Whilst the final raid on Lawrence is a blood pumping feast for the eyes. But it's with the feel of the film that it ultimately succeeds as a period piece of note. The mood is dark as the civil war looms, slave trading and gun running sit distastefully with dubious politics, and then the war, with Cantrell and his raiders taking their spoils of war leaving a particularly nasty taste in the mouth. All of which is moodily cloaked in a Raoul Walsh inspired sheen.A tip top production all round, and a fine cast on form makes Dark Command a must see for Republic Studios enthusiasts. See it if you can. 7/10