The Dark Command (1940)
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59% of users liked it
(1,326 ratings)
Set in the years leading up to the Civil War and its outbreak, Dark Command tells a fictionalized version of the story of William Clarke Quantrill, the schoolteacher-turned-renegade, whose raids -- ostensibly on behalf of the Confederacy -- turned Kansas into a charnel house. John Wayne plays Bob… More Set in the years leading up to the Civil War and its outbreak, Dark Command tells a fictionalized version of the story of William Clarke Quantrill, the schoolteacher-turned-renegade, whose raids -- ostensibly on behalf of the Confederacy -- turned Kansas into a charnel house. John Wayne plays Bob Setton, a young Texan who arrives in Lawrence, KS, in 1859 on his way west, partnered with George "Gabby" Hayes. He meets Marie McCloud (Claire Trevor) and her younger brother, Fletch (Roy Rogers), and takes a liking to them, especially Marie. His only competition for her is William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon), the local schoolteacher, who has big ambitions in life. He is nominated for town marshal and seems a shoo-in, especially as his only rival is Bob Setton, who admits he knows nothing about the law and can't even read, but Setton wins with his honest, unpretentious speech. At the time, Kansas is riven by strife, as settlers from the North opposed to slavery and those from the South supporting it pour into the territory, and Setton has his hands full. His most difficult personal moment comes when he must arrest Fletch for shooting an anti-slavery farmer (Trevor Bardette) to death. Cantrell leads a campaign of terror against the jury, however, which finds the young man not guilty just as the Civil War breaks out. In the months that follow, Setton and his posse go after the raiders who are stealing and destroying huge amounts of property in Kansas on behalf of the Confederacy. He suspects Cantrell is their leader, but can't prove it, and has to tread carefully. As the raids worsen, and the war drags on -- even Marie's pro-Confederacy banker father is murdered during a run on his bank -- their conflict comes to a violent end as Cantrell launches an attack on Lawrence, vowing to destroy the town, with only Bob Setton and Cantrell's own mother (Marjorie Main) standing in his way. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Directed By
- Raoul Walsh
- Written By
- Grover Jones, Lionel Houser, F. Hugh Herbert, Jan Fortune
- Genres
- Western, Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
R,
- In Theaters
- Apr 4, 1940 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Unusual Western, with eerie, sinister atmosphere, lots of political commentary, and strange relationships.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Above average western covering the Quantrill territory, full of fiction over fact, and starring John Wayne and Roy Rogers.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Nominated for the Interior Decoration and Score Oscars, this John Wayne pre-Civil War adventure is better than the norm due to Raoul Walsh's direction and good cast.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Republic's costliest film; it was also its biggest box office hit.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Cast
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Claire Trevor
as Marie McCloud
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John Wayne
as Bob Setton
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Walter Pidgeon
as William Cantrell
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Roy Rogers
as Fletch McCloud
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George 'Gabby' Hayes
as Doc Grunch
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Porter Hall
as Angus McCloud
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Marjorie Main
as Mme. Cantrell/Elizabeth Adams
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Raymond Walburn
as Judge Buckner
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Joe Sawyer
as Bushropp
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Helen MacKellar
as Mrs. Hale
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John Farrell MacDonald
as Dave
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Trevor Bardette
as Hale
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Ernie S. Adams
as Townsman
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Richard Alexander
as Sentry
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Al Bridge
as Slave trader
- Budd Buster
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Edmund Cobb
as 3rd juror
- Tex Cooper
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Harry Cording
as Killer
- John Dilson
- Edward Earle
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Mildred Gover
as Ellie
- Frank S. Hagney
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Edward Hearn
as 1st juror
- Howard Hickman
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Tom London
as Messenger
- Jack Low
- Cliff Lyons
- Joe McGuinn
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John Merton
as Cantrell Man
- Dick Rich
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Jack Rockwell
as Assassin
- Clinton Rosemond
- Harry Strang
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Glenn Strange
as Yankee
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Hal Taliaferro
as Townsmen
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Ferris Taylor
as Banker
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Wally Wales
as Vigilante
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Yakima Canutt
as Townsman
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Harry Woods
as Dental patient
- Jack Montgomery
