Fighting Man Of The Plains [DVD]

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Dancer agrees to take the job, even though the town is run by Bert Slocum, the man who killed his brother during the war; and the home of Evelyn Slocum, whose father Dancer killed during the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in an attempt to avenge his brother’s death. The thing about "Fighting Man of the Plains" is that whilst many movies use that as the entire story this one develops further with more twists. Now you could say well it isn't exactly original as an outlaw using a fake identity ending up being asked to become a lawman has been done a few times as has the outlaw saving the life of the daughter who hates him but it works. There is a nice amount of complexity to it which sets up an element of surprise because you are not entirely sure how this is going to play out.

Summary: Former bandit Jim Dancer becomes marshal of a Kansas town and cleans up the criminal element - with the help of his old pal, Jesse James. Scott is a man running from his past who is mistaken for the lawman who captured him but got killed along the way to bringing Scott to justice. We learn later that Scott was justified in killing a man in self-defense and did not deserve a reputation as a lawless outlaw. One of the nice things about FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS is seeing VICTOR JORY in a role where he's playing the hero's friend rather than a villain. It's an above average RANDOLPH SCOTT western that was apparently filmed originally in Cinecolor but the TCM print is in B&W. I'm a big Westerns fan, Randolph Scott fan, and a fan of director Edward Marin, who directed one of my all-time favorite movies, John Wayne's "Tall In the Saddle." This movie started out brightly. I liked the plot device where Scott is being taken to jail by detective Milligan. The two are handcuffed together; Milligan is killed by accident, and Scott switches identities, which leads to his becoming town sheriff. There was also a welcome gritty scene where Victor Jory uses a pen knife to cut off the dead detective's hand to free Scott. Dale Robertson, in his first credited role, has two refreshing scenes.Lanyard town leader: “We want the Texas men to bring their cattle here, but that doesn’t mean they can shoot up the town. Now go out and stop them.”

Renowned western novelist Frank Gruber wrote the script of FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS (1949) based on his own book. It tells the story of Jim Dancer (Randolph Scott), a fugitive outlaw who'd been part of Captain William Quantrill's infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863. Dancer is apprehended by a "Pleasanton" (read: Pinkerton) detective who is then killed in an accident, allowing Dancer to take his identity and wind up in Lanyard, Kansas, where he's pressured into taking the job of Marshal after fearlessly subduing some rowdy cowboys. It's a fairly corrupt town, but the new Marshal does a good job of keeping the peace and gets aid from some unexpected quarters at the local gambling hall. Fighting Man of the Plains is a 1949 American Western film produced by Nat Holt and directed by Edwin L. Marin. It starred Randolph Scott, Bill Williams, Victor Jory, and Jane Nigh. The supporting cast included Joan Taylor, Barry Kelley, Douglas Kennedy, Paul Fix, Rhys Williams, James Millican and, in his first credited role, Dale Robertson as Jesse James. [1] Plot [ edit ]

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Without breaking any new ground this still manages to get the key ingredients right in the name of entertainment. The script is sharp, the performances equally so (Jory is excellent), and Marin being the good old pro that he was, pushes things along at a good clip. Meanwhile, Charles Lanyard has had a similar idea and has taken steps to deal with Slocum by hiring the James–Younger Gang to rob the bank. The gang arrive as Dancer is being led down the main street to a hanging tree. Tancred realises they have no rope and shouts for one. Jesse James rides forward with his rope. A shootout begins after Yancey recognises James. Slocum, Tancred and Yancey are all shot dead. Best performance in the film however without a doubt is that of Bill Williams of young on the prod gunfighter in Kelley's employ. He proves a bit too much for Kelley to handle.