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Dark Command

Play trailer Poster for Dark Command Released Apr 4, 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

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Aurelio Pego Cine-Mundial The action develops, thanks to Raoul Walsh's capable direction, without interruption, intensely absorbing the viewer's attention. [Full review in Spanish] Apr 9, 2021 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Unusual Western, with eerie, sinister atmosphere, lots of political commentary, and strange relationships. Jul 17, 2009 Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com Above average western covering the Quantrill territory, full of fiction over fact, and starring John Wayne and Roy Rogers. Rated: 4/5 Mar 22, 2008 Full Review 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. Rated: B+ Mar 11, 2008 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Republic's costliest film; it was also its biggest box office hit. Rated: B Oct 8, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Its Wayne's film and all the worse for it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/17/24 Full Review Deke P 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/04/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member good fun John Wayne Western as he takes on Sothern Americans in the early civil war Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review 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

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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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