Bad Men of Missouri (1941)

Director:

Ray Enright

Writers:

Robert E. Kent (story)
Charles Grayson (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 July 1941 (USA)

Genre:

History | Romance | Western

Tagline:

They Out-Shot The James Boys And Out-Rode The Daltons!

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Younger Family | Sheriff | Missouri | Jail

Cast

Dennis Morgan	...	Cole Younger
Jane Wyman	...	Mary Hathaway
Wayne Morris	...	Bob Younger
Arthur Kennedy	...	Jim Younger
Victor Jory	...	William Merrick
Alan Baxter	...	Jesse James
Walter Catlett	...	Mr. Pettibone
Howard Da Silva	...	Greg Bilson (as Howard da Silva)
Faye Emerson	...	Martha Adams
Russell Simpson	...	Henry 'Hank' Younger
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Hathaway
Erville Alderson	...	Mr. Adams
Hugh Sothern	...	Fred Robinson
Sam McDaniel	...	Wash - Youngers' Handyman
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Mrs. Dalton

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7297, General Audience)

Filming Locations:

Sonora, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Humphrey Bogart rejected a role in this film, with the words "Are you kidding?"

Soundtrack:

Polly Wolly Doodle

Bad Men of Missouri

Don't know exactly why but this is one of my favorite all time westerns. Remember seeing it on TV many years ago but I don't think it has been on TV in a long, long time. Turner Classic Movies has the film in it's vault. Story concerns the Younger brothers returning from the civil war to their small Missouri town only to find out the carpetbaggers have taken over and are running out all the peaceable, old folks, taking over their farms and property with delinquent tax deeds. The people cannot pay their tax bills because confederate money is considered worthless. Victor Jory, one of the best villains ever in the movies, plays a ruthless carpetbagger who shows no signs of pity on the poor, hapless farmers. Throw in the evil, sinister, looking Howard DaSilva as a crooked sheriff and you've got a mean mix of villains. The Younger brothers fight back after the murder of their father by Jory and his cutthroats.....they decide to take justice into their own hands and start robbing banks...in turn they give the loot back to the farmers and downtrodden to pay off their tax bills. Sort of like a Robin Hood of the west. A very young Jane Wyman as a love interest of Arthur Kennedy, one of the Younger brothers. Check out the hapless, bumbling Walter Catlett as a goofy middle man transporting Jory's money to a bank only to have the Younger brothers take it away from him. In the end the Younger brothers are all wounded from gunfights and lay in hospital beds while a movement is started by the Missouri downtrodden to get them pardons from the governor. Pretty good western for it's time.....only problem is the film is fairly short...only about an hour and fifteen minutes long....could have been a little longer for my tastes.