The Bushwhackers

(1952)

70 minutes

Western

Directed by Rod Amateau

Cast: John Ireland, Wayne Morris, Lawrence Tierney, Dorothy Malone, Myrna Dell and Lon Chaney Jr.

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 henchmen, 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 mean than her father, and the always welcome Dorothy Malone is the pretty school teacher on the side of good. Needless to say, Ireland's passive outlook on life changes before the end.