Return of the Bad Men

Name: Return of the Bad Men
Genre: Western
Released: 1948-07-17
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Rating: 6.3
Cast: Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys

19481948
PGPG
1h 30m

When part of Oklahoma Territory becomes officially part of the U.S., Vance Cordrell is forced to deal with some of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West.When part of Oklahoma Territory becomes officially part of the U.S., Vance Cordrell is forced to deal with some of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West.When part of Oklahoma Territory becomes officially part of the U.S., Vance Cordrell is forced to deal with some of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West.

6.3/10

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Director
- Ray Enright
Writers
- Charles O'Neal(screenplay)
- Jack Natteford(screenplay)
- Luci Ward(screenplay)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:00

Official Trailer

Randolph Scott in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Chet Brandenburg in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Anne Jeffreys in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Gary Gray, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Robert Ryan, and Jacqueline White in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Anne Jeffreys and Robert Ryan in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Randolph Scott, Steve Brodie, and Robert Ryan in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Randolph Scott, Anne Jeffreys, and Robert Ryan in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Randolph Scott, Gary Gray, Robert Ryan, Charles Stevens, and Jacqueline White in Return of the Bad Men (1948)

Director
- Ray Enright
Writers
- Charles O'Neal(screenplay)
- Jack Natteford(screenplay) (story)
- Luci Ward(screenplay) (story)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

When part of Indian Territory is incorporated into the United States, good-natured rancher Vance Cordell reluctantly accepts the badge of federal marshal when a flood of notorious outlaws views the new area as ripe for banditry. Included are the Dalton and Younger Gangs, Billy the Kid, and the Sundance Kid led by the notorious Wild Bill Doolin. Cordell has a personal stake in his campaign to eradicate the bad men because of a friend's murder and the robbery of the local bank owned by his future father-in-law. —duke1029@aol.com

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Taglines
- THE TEN WORST KILLERS OF THE UNTAMED WEST...and the Lady they called 'Cheyenne'...on a rampage of murder and terror in the blood-red days of frontier Oklahoma!
Genre
- Western
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Final (#427) film of Ernie Adams'.

Goofs
During the fist fight between Vance and the Sundance Kid, Sundance grabs a bottle behind the saloon counter. In the next shot, it appears to have been smashed, but we don't see him doing it.

Quotes
John Pettit: Muley, don't you know that a bank is an institution that'll lend money to a man only upon his furnishin' absolute proof... that he don't need to borrow it in the first place?

Crazy credits
Opening credits prologue: These outlaws, famed in the history of the west, are riding to new riches and plunder -- the Oklahoma of 1889. A whole new territory was about to spring up overnight.

Ranchers, cattlemen, even whole towns -- their land bought by the government -- had been given thirty days to move elsewhere. Land hungry pioneers were gathering for the race for free land. And behind them, waiting and ready for this rich prey, came the outlaws.

Connections
Features Cimarron (1931)

Top review

8/10

More than another "middling Western"

What an oddly compelling film this is. Using the usual array of Westerns clichés, Enright directs an excellent cast with a light touch of noir. The RKO production team enhances the scenes and the takes - I don't think I've ever seen a bad guy knock out a saloon window in a gunfight then poke the gun through a cobweb while firing! This was Randolph Scott's bread and butter, though like Joel McCrea, he could pull on some mighty acting chops when needed. Add Robert Ryan (steely-eyed wooden evil), George "Gabby" Hayes (His old self subdued as a banker), Anne Jeffries, Robert Armstrong and a strong supporting cast, decent production values and the ability to take each cliché just a step more personally, and you've got a pretty engaging film - Western or no.

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