Movie Reviews for Dark Command

Dark Command

	List Price: ~~$9.92~~ Our Price: $9.88 You Save: $5.06 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases

Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

Movie Reviews of Dark Command

Movie Review: "a fella doesn't get any place unless he tries"
Summary: 5 Stars

This was director Raoul Walsh's second film with Wayne as the male lead. The first, "The Big Trail", was Wayne's first big film role, having just acquired his new stage name. Unfortunately, this very expensive film, as one of the first talkie westerns, was a box office bomb, with Wayne unfairly shouldering most of the blame. The present film is a mixed western-Civil War drama set in bleeding Kansas. Wayne has plenty of support from a cast of well known actors in this well paced drama/comedy.
Claire Trevor is actually given top billing as the belle around which Wayne, Walter Pigeon and a young Roy Rogers revolve. It seems highly implausible that Wayne, as illiterate drifter Bob Seton, should become infatuated with prim snobbish Claire Trevor, nor that she could ever consider him husband material. Wayne's persistence in promoting this union, even after her marriage, is a recurring source of comedy and drama. Initially, another source of comedy is the recently established working partnership between Wayne and immimical Gabby Hayes, a one time doctor, reformulated as a traveling dentist, barber and whatever else he can fix for you. Character actor Raymond Walburn also provides comedic touches as the bug-eyed stammering stuffed shirt of a judge and apparent mayor of Lawrence, Kansas. Roy Rogers looks rather incongruous as the frustrated brother of Claire, under his father's overbearing thumb, who yearns for the excitement of being a cowboy or soldier. His hot head nearly gets him strung up or otherwise killed. Wayne, on the other hand, with the backing of Gabby, changes from an apparent hot head into an honest coolheaded sheriff. Walter Pigeon is the eloquent-speaking legally literate but financially struggling rival of Wayne for the affections of Claire and for the office of sheriff. The striking contrast in personalities and skills of Wayne and Pigeon in their various competitions is another recurring source of comedy and drama throughout the film. We wonder why Pigeon, with his obvious gift for oratory and knowledge of law, is a poorly paid schoolteacher instead of a lawyer. We suspect that he has been a lawyer, but was forced to resign for some transgressions. In engineering Roger's murder defense, we see for the first time the snake that he is under all that eloquence. From his mother's comments, we are led to believe that the desire to do unethical things is a family trait he inherited or was taught.
Things get a lot more serious and complicated as the story progresses. Pigeon,as William Cantrell, knows he is a natural leader of men. Frustrated in obtaining a prominent position in the legal establishment of Lawrence, he organizes a large band of outlaws, posing as Confederate soldiers, as did his historical counterpart, William Quantrell. The film title may suggest this evil gang of thieves and murderers, or it may equally suggest the fact that most of the violent and smuggling confrontations occur at night. Pigeon faces the difficult task of trying to justify or hide from his new wife his rapacious activities. The continuing back and forth relationships between Rogers, Wayne, Pigeon and Claire provide much of the continuing drama of the film.

Movie Review: Early Wayne A-Western for Republic with a big budget and production values to match.
Summary: 5 Stars

After Wayne hit the jackpot in John Ford's groundbreaking Western STAGECOACH (1939) he was quickly reunited with his co-star Claire Trevor in ALLEGHENY UPRISING (1939) and again here in the DARK COMMAND (1940). Directed by Raoul Walsh, the man who incidentally gave young Michael Morrison his first starring role as a very young "John Wayne" in THE BIG TRAIL (1929) but it was a box office failure and Wayne was relegated to mainly B-Westerns until rescued by John Ford.

The fact based story is from the period starting just before the outbreak of the American Civil War depicting growing tensions on the Kansas Missouri border leading up to the infamous William Quantrill and his guerrillas burning down the town of Laurence, Kansas on August 21 1863. Based on the novel by W R Burnett Will Cantrill (Walter Pidgeon) an ex-school teacher who organises a guerrilla band to carry out raids on the Kansas Missouri border country, whilst purporting to be on the side of the Confederates. Up against him is town marshal Bob Seaton (John Wayne) assisted by `Doc' Grunch (George `Gabby' Hayes). To complicate matters further Cantrill and Seaton are vying for the attention of local banker's daughter Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor), also caught up in the events is Mary's wayward trigger-happy brother Fletcher `Fletch' McCloud (Roy Rogers). The film climaxes with Cantrill and his band of guerrillas attacking the town of Laurence, defended by Seaton and the townsfolk.

This early black and white Republic Western was one of its most successful and expensive films with a budget of three-quarters of a million dollars. The most famous scene in the film is where Seaton (Wayne) and Grunch (Hayes) up front, plus two others in a wagon being chased by Cantrill's gang, the wagon and horses are driven by Seaton over a cliff into the lake below. The scene was actually filmed by second unit director Joseph Kane with Yakima Cannut and Cliff Lyons doubling for Wayne and Hayes respectively. Other less careful second unit directors and stunt men copied this, leading to the formation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The film gathered two Oscar nominations one to John Victor Makay for black and white Art Direction and the other to Victor Young for the Musical Score. The film was also of interest to see Roy Rogers out of his normal series Western role and to his credit didn't seem out of place at all.

This 2006 DVD Release through Universal. Excellent DVD transfer, with sharp clear sixty-five year old black and white images. Plus an added bonus of an excellent documentary on Wayne's early career YOUNG DUKE (The making of a movie star) Hosted by Leonard Maltin.

Movie Review: A lesser known Wayne Classic
Summary: 5 Stars

This movie solidified Wayne's place as a western star after Stagecoach. It is a rollicking fun western that has plenty of action. A really amazing cast was assembled for this film starting with Claire Trevor (of Stagecoach) and Walter Pidgeon. Gabby Hayes and Roy Rogers round out the stars of this movie. This is just a joy to watch. The pace never falters and it delivers plenty of fights. Find out if the illiterate cowboy from Texas can overcome the learned teacher who becomes the leader of a vast outlaw band during the Civil War. Will John Wayne get the girl? Forget that I asked. Get this movie.

Movie Review: roys' revenge
Summary: 5 Stars

it was a very long time ago that i first saw this film.what stuck in my mind after
all these years is a very young roy rogers getting knocked on his rear.he got into
an arguement with an abolitionist sympathizer.at some point blows were thrown and
roy rogers wound up on the floor on his behind.the other guy turns away,roy draws
his pistol and shoots the man in the back.yes,quite hard to believe.that is how i remember it.if anyone ever told you that they saw roy rogers shoot a man in the back,would you believe them?see for yourself in this classic western shootem up.