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Dark Command

Play trailer Poster for Dark Command 1940 1h 34m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
As the Civil War erupts, the townsfolk of Lawrence, Kansas side with either the North or the South, and a deeply embittered sheriff allies himself to the South as a cover for his outlaw gang to pillage and intimidate those who support the North. When his wife realizes his true violent nature, he not only has to rescue her but save the town.
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Dark Command

Critics Reviews

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Aurelio Pego Cine-Mundial 04/09/2021
The action develops, thanks to Raoul Walsh's capable direction, without interruption, intensely absorbing the viewer's attention. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 07/17/2009
Unusual Western, with eerie, sinister atmosphere, lots of political commentary, and strange relationships. Go to Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com 03/22/2008
4/5
Above average western covering the Quantrill territory, full of fiction over fact, and starring John Wayne and Roy Rogers. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 03/11/2008
B+
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. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 10/08/2005
B
Republic's costliest film; it was also its biggest box office hit. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D 03/17/2024 Its Wayne's film and all the worse for it. See more Deke P 05/26/2017 JOHN WAYNE. ROY ROGERS! GABBY HAYES! WALTER PIDGEON. Interesting fictional story loosely based on Quantrill's Raiders in Lawrence, Bleeding Kansas. But the movie character name is Cantrell. I have never forgotten seeing a part of this movie when i was a young kid. Recognize it when i watched the entire movie for first time on ThisTV 5-2017. But now 12.3.23, watching some of the 2nd hour on the Grit Channel 5.3, it seems disappointing from a historical perspective as i wonder if Quantrell, played by Pidgeon, was so debonair. And the plot is a lot about a love triangle twix John Wayne, and Quantrell's wife, Mary. And now, after a glance at Wikip, it says that Quantrell was caught up by the North, and as he tried to escape he was SHOT in the back, paralyzed from the waist down, and died some days later. He was only 27. So the ending of this flick is completely BOGUS, and much less interesting. So I am grading it down, from 3 stars to 2. Why Bother making a bogus story?? Well, cuz the movie was very succesful. See more 05/20/2012 Not bad revisionist take on Quantrill's Raiders repurposed into a John Wayne vehicle. The film, the followup to Stagecoach, was the picture that actually confirmed the Duke's marketability since it ended up being a huge hit. Roy Rogers, free of Trigger for a change, does a good job as Claire's brother. See more 05/27/2011 Brilliant and eccentric film from the great Raoul Walsh. It alternates between broad comedy, overwrought melodrama, and increasingly dark and apocalyptic undertones. Walsh handles it all very well and John Wayne gives a fine performance. See more 11/26/2010 good fun John Wayne Western as he takes on Sothern Americans in the early civil war See more 11/22/2010 Very dated western which is of no real suprise as it is 70 years old but with it's silly characters and poor jokes it struggles to stand up to anything since Leone changed the genre. See more Read all reviews
Dark Command

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Cast & Crew

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Raoul Walsh

Director

Claire Trevor

Mary McCloud

John Wayne

Bob Seton

Walter Pidgeon

William 'Will' Cantrell

Roy Rogers

Fletch McCloud

George "Gabby" Hayes

Doc Grunch

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Dark Command

The Dark Command (1940) The Dark Command (1940) The Dark Command (1940) The Dark Command (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis As the Civil War erupts, the townsfolk of Lawrence, Kansas side with either the North or the South, and a deeply embittered sheriff allies himself to the South as a cover for his outlaw gang to pillage and intimidate those who support the North. When his wife realizes his true violent nature, he not only has to rescue her but save the town.
Director
Raoul Walsh
Screenwriter
Grover Jones, Lionel Houser, F. Hugh Herbert, W. R. Burnett
Distributor
Republic Pictures
Production Co
Republic
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 4, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 4, 2017
Runtime
1h 34m
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