The Bushwhackers (1951)

Plot here has Confederate veteran Jeff Waring arriving in Independence, Missouri shortly after the Civil War, and intending never again to use a gun. He finds that rancher Artemus Taylor, ... See full summary »

Director:

Rod Amateau

Writers:

Tom Gries (screenplay), Rod Amateau (screenplay)

Stars:

John Ireland, Wayne Morris, Lawrence Tierney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Ireland	...	Jefferson Waring
Wayne Morris	...	Marshal John Harding
Lawrence Tierney	...	Sam Tobin
Dorothy Malone	...	Cathy Sharpe
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Artemus Taylor (as Lon Chaney)
Myrna Dell	...	Norah Taylor
Frank Marlowe	...	Peter Sharpe
William Holmes	...	'Ding' Bell (as Bill Holmes)
Jack Elam	...	Cree
Ward Wood	...	Second Henchman (as Bob Wood)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Justin Stone
Norman Leavitt	...	Deputy Yale
Stuart Randall	...	Slocum
George Lynn	...	Guthrie
Gordon Wynn	...	John Quigley (as Gordon Wynne)

Storyline

Plot here has Confederate veteran Jeff Waring arriving in Independence, Missouri shortly after the Civil War, and intending never again to use a gun. He finds that rancher Artemus Taylor, an arthritic despot, and his henchies, Sam Tobin and Cree, are forcing out the settlers in order to claim their land for the incoming railroad. The plot nearly predates "The Great Train Robbery" in age but the gritty execution and well-acted performances take it out of the norm... way out, in a couple of instances. Brassy Myrna Dell is on hand as Taylor's independent daughter, only slightly less meaner than her father, and the always welcome Dorothy Malone is the pretty school marm on the side of good. Needless to say, Ireland's passive outlook on life changes before the end.

---

Plot Keywords:

female gunfighter | ex confederate | opening action scene

---

Taglines:

REVENGE - Frightening in it's Naked Fury!

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Rebel

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jack Broder Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Jefferson Waring: I can't feel a thing for ya, Taylor. You're a beaten old man and I'm not sorry. You've ruined so many lives yours isn't even a down payment.

User Reviews

Great B-Western!

Ex-Confederate John Ireland flees reconstruction and it's test of his vow of non-violence. Heading west, he winds up in a town under the thumb of powerful land baron Lon Chaney and his sadistic enforcer Lawrence Tierney, who are killing stealing land in anticipation of the railroad. Trying to leave, Ireland is only pulled in deeper.

Another hard-boiled, low-budget 1950's western noir, The Bushwhackers is vivid and fairly violent entertainment that's definitely worth checking out. Like nearly all good westerns, it does a great job of manipulating the viewer, building up to the moment when all bets are off and the hero straps on his six-gun to take care of business.

Here, Ireland and Tierney are fantastic. It's too bad that these two great actors were pretty much relegated to minor films (Tierney especially) due their alleged drunken exploits.

The rest of the cast, Wayne Morris, Dorothy Malone (who's beautiful), and Jack Elam, are all great too.