Fighting Man Of The Plains [DVD]

Product Information

When you have Randolph Scott, you don't need much else, but "Fighting Man of the Plains" has everything. Most of his Westerns were, if not exactly identical, cut from the same mold so the comparison of one to any of the others must depend on fine judgments about details. Is the film in glorious color? This one is not. Is the location interesting and evocative? Not this one, which looks like the San Fernando Valley used to look before the last inch of it was paved over. Better than usual support? No. Is Scott given any help from the script? An oddity of character? A quirk? An occasional wry turn of phrase? Not here. The result is a typical and not unrewarding Randolph Scott Western that doesn't distinguish itself from the many others he made in these years.

I had high hopes for this movie, but became gradually disappointed, especially towards the implausible ending.Aided by his psychotic associate Johnny Tancred (Williams), Slocum sets about trying to monopolise the town and its surrounding territory including the railroad run by Charles Lanyard (Harry Cheshire), the town's founder. Slocum is suspicious of the Marshal and summons Cliff Bailey (Berry Kroeger), a Chicago detective who knew Cummings, to identify him. Bailey is an old friend of Dave Oldham who tells him the full story and, realising that Slocum is crooked, Bailey confirms that the Marshal is George Cummings. 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.

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. Lanyard, Kansas is a railroad boom town. There is the inevitable crooked town boss. Such bosses are nearly always saloon owners and nearly always Victor Jory, so when we see saloon owner Jory being decent, and nice to Cummings (the new Cummings) too, we are confused.Another mark of a great movie is the number of speaking and participating characters, even with relatively small parts. Dancer's cover is blown, however, when he is recognised by an outlaw called Yancey (Fix) who is a former Quantrill man. Dancer is obliged to resign and Tancred takes over as Marshal, releasing Yancey and his friends from jail. They kill Oldham and other leading citizens. Dancer is arrested and Tancred, encouraged by Slocum, stages a kangaroo court trial which ends with Dancer being "sentenced" to hang for the murder of Slocum's brother. Tancred and Yancey tell Slocum they are going to rob his bank and leave the town, so Slocum will be bankrupt. Fighting Man of the Plains was the first film where Dale Robertson got noticed and Dale plays real life Quantrill veteran Jesse James. You could tell that Dale was going to have a substantial career. The actual crooked town boss appears to be Slocum (Barry Kelley), the real assassin of Randy’s brother. Coincidence, huh? There are other amazing coincidences and stretches to credibility, such as when Joan Taylor as Evelyn, the daughter of the man Dancer shot in Lawrence, happens to live in Lanyard and doesn’t recognize him. In fact she falls for him. But then stretches of credibility are part of the joy in Westerns, n’est-ce pas?

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. 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. As a result … well, let’s just say this isn’t one of Scott’s more memorable Westerns. It is notable for a couple of debuts, however. Too bad indie producer Nat Holt apparently spent everything on casting since it left him little for filming outside of studio sets. This results in a basically 'indoor' western with some action in the streets. Maybe that's the result of adapting Gruber's novel to the screen and leaving little out. So you may need a scorecard to keep up with all the characters and plot developments. 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.Another one of those Quantrill raider Westerns that blurs the line between historical fact and Hollywood filmmaking.” 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. The whole story has a pleasant Zane Grey feeling about it--although it's an original one written for the screen. BILL WILLIAMS is cast against type as a villain and JANE NIGH is the romantic interest as Jory's business partner. There is a rough realism in his stories, and that has translated beautifully in this film, thanks in part to Gruber's also writing the screenplay, and thanks to excellent directing by Edwin L. Marin, and thanks especially to a superlative cast.

Scott is arrested by James Millican, a detective for the Pleasonton Agency. The two have nothing personal against each other. When the detective is accidentally killed, someone has to cut off his hand to free Scott from the handcuffs. Scott takes the detective's place and, a bit later, is made sheriff of Lanyard, Kansas. He makes friends. He makes enemies. There are unscrupulous businessmen. Scott cleans the whole place up and gets the girl. James invites Dancer to join his gang but Dancer declines. James tells him they are equal now after Dancer once saved his life and the gang ride away. Dancer has realised that Florence loves him and the finale shows them hurrying towards each other. 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. Randolph Scott plays Jim Dancer, a member of Quantrill’s raiders (spelled Quantrell in the opening credits) who finds himself a wanted man after the end of the Civil War. He’s eventually caught by a detective named Cummings. But when Cummings dies in a river crossing, Dancer sees an opportunity for a fresh start. He tells the passers-by who find him that the dead man is Dancer and that he’s Cummings.

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 ] As for the rest of the cast, Bill Williams plays a trigger-happy deputy named Johnny Trancred who had his eyes on the marshal’s badge before Dancer/Cummins came along; and Victor Jory plays a sympathetic character for once. There's a lot going on in Lanyard, with various underhand plottings and a few vengeful motivations. While of course there's some simmering passion waiting to explode. The many key characterisations are richly born out, the action healthy, and there's even a couple of surprises along the way to keep the plotting interesting.