The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers
NR | 07 December 1951 (USA)
The Bushwhackers Trailers

Confederate veteran Jeff Waring arrives in Independence, Missouri shortly after the Civil War, intending never again to use a gun. He finds that rancher Artemus Taylor and his henchmen are forcing out the settlers in order to claim their land for the incoming railroad.

Reviews
Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
mark.waltz Handsome John Ireland comes out of the civil war with a chip on his shoulder and ends up out west where he finds it doesn't take him far in a corrupt town. Having vowed never to handle a gun ever again, he finds that only brings him more trouble, ending up in jail for shooting a member of a ruthless gang of thugs (lead by veteran tough guy Lawrence Tierney, working for the ruthless land owner Lon Chaney Jr. and his evil daughter, Myrna Dell) which controls everything that goes on in the town. Falling in love with newspaper woman Dorothy Malone, he finds out that the road to righteousness isn't always paved with peace and resistance. This B western has its share of action, but made on a nickel, it shows. Chaney seems to be channeling Walter Huston in "The Furies" in his all-white hair, but for once, he isn't chewing the scenery. This might have had more emotional impact regarding Ireland's character had it dramatized more as to why he decided to leave the South rather than simply rushing him out west after the end of the war, only vaguely commenting on his life there afterwards. It ain't bad, but there's hardly any thing memorable.
kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** Having hist fill of fighting and killing Confederate soldier Jefferson Waring, John Ireland, decides to turn over a new leaf and start a new life in the territory of Missouri as a farmer only to run into a gang of bushwhackers who plan to take over land that's to have a rail line go through it. The gang lead by the blind and crippled Artemis Taylor, Lon Cheney, plans to run out those living on the land by burning them out and killing them if they resist. Waring who takes the settlers side at first is totally against using armed forced against Taylor's toughs but after himself almost being killed by them he suddenly changes his mind. That after earlier he was worked over at a local bar by Sam Tobin, Lawrence Tierney, Taylor's top hit man when he refused a drink he offered him by insisting on him paying for one himself!Back at independence-the future home of Pres. Harry "S" for nothing Truman-Waring gets real friendly with newspaper editor Peter Sharpe, Frank Marlow, and even friendlier with his hot looking and gun toting daughter Cathy, Dorothy Malone,who caught him sleeping in her boudoir-bedroom-after a hard days work at her father's office setting type for the morning bulldog edition. Cathy soon realizes that Waring is an OK guy by him throwing in his lot with the settlers whom her dad is in fully support of.***SPOILERS*** It's Taylor's hot headed daughter Norah, Myrna Dell, who plans to escalate the situation by rustling up some two dozen bushwhackers and drive the settlers off their land in order to claim it and make a killing on it when the railroad is built over it. This has Waring with a number of settlers counter-attack and ambush the bushwhackers having their leader Norah flee the scene. This while her dad Artemis Taylor drops dead of a sudden heart attack due to all of the action and excitement going on in the movie. Norah planning to skip town with some $50,000.00 in cash is confronted by bank president Justin Stone, Charles Trowbridge, who won't let her take the money until the bank opens! That leads to a wild shoot out between the two with both ending up dead.
MartinHafer Considering the film has two of my very favorite film noir heavies, John Ireland and Lawrence Tierney, I sure expected it would be better. I also expected it would not be a western, as both these actors were known for their contemporary performances--not westerns (especially Tierney).The film begins with the Civil War ending. Ireland is sick of the killing and vows never to harm anyone ever again. Frankly, this really telegraphed where the film would eventually go, as you KNEW that sooner or later he'd have to plug someone. And that someone or some people would be the gang run by a real nut-case, Lon Chaney, Jr.. The problem is that Chaney's performance is waaaay over the top--so much so that you terrible performance by Chaney can't help but laugh at him! Really. And there's also the insane lady who loves shooting people and acting, like Chaney, quite histrionic. They really help give the film a nice insane chic look! Overall, however, the film is a very ordinary western that wastes some good actors--mostly because they had no idea what to do in this sort of film. One of the only ones who did seem in his element was Jack Elam--king of menacing cowboys.
FightingWesterner Ex-Confederate John Ireland flees reconstruction and it's test of his vow of non-violence. Heading west, he winds up in a town under the thumb of powerful land baron Lon Chaney and his sadistic enforcer Lawrence Tierney, who are killing stealing land in anticipation of the railroad. Trying to leave, Ireland is only pulled in deeper.Another hard-boiled, low-budget 1950's western noir, The Bushwhackers is vivid and fairly violent entertainment that's definitely worth checking out. Like nearly all good westerns, it does a great job of manipulating the viewer, building up to the moment when all bets are off and the hero straps on his six-gun to take care of business.Here, Ireland and Tierney are fantastic. It's too bad that these two great actors were pretty much relegated to minor films (Tierney especially) due their alleged drunken exploits.The rest of the cast, Wayne Morris, Dorothy Malone (who's beautiful), and Jack Elam, are all great too.