The Younger brothers, Cole (<a href=">Dennis Morgan), Bob (<a href=">Wayne Morris) and Jim (<a href=">Arthur Kennedy), return to Missouri after the Civil War with intent to avenge the misdeeds of William Merrick (<a href=">Victor Jory), a crooked banker who has been buying up warrants on back-taxes and dispossessing the farmers. Henry Younger (<a href=">Russell Simpson), their father, has been killed by a Merrick henchman and, then, Cole is framed on a murder rap. The brothers escape and then begin a series of bank and train robberies, primarily stealing from Merrick and turning the loot over to the farmers. Jim, in love with Mary Hathaway (<a href=">Jane Wyman), is lured into Harrisonville and jailed. Cole and Bob ride to rescue him. Sanitized telling of the Younger brothers tale with poor casting choices in the leads.<br/><br/>Dennis Morgan was an agreeable entertainer and if his role of Cole Younger had been a singing cowboy he would have been fine. However the Youngers were a tough band of outlaws and nothing in Dennis's demeanor indicates anything close to that. The same goes for Wayne Morris cast as brother Bob. He was a fine light comic player and also very believable in war pictures since he was a real life flying ace but all wrong in an 1860's Western setting. The only one of the actors who is remotely believable is Arthur Kennedy as Jim Younger and even he seems a bit callow. <br/><br/>Along for the ride and giving a truly atrocious performance is Alan Baxter as Jesse James. He could not possibly be less animated and his line readings have all the expression of someone reading from the phone book.<br/><br/>As the love interest for Arthur's character there is a very blonde Jane Wyman early in her career. She's pretty and tart but also seems somewhat out of place. Really the only actor that seems entirely at home is Victor Jory in his usual villainous mode. He's squirrelly and slick but at least seems comfortable in his part.<br/><br/>Not a dreadful movie, though hardly the place to look for the true facts of the lives of the Youngers, but really just another programmer churned out to fill the bottom of a double bill using performers on their way up whether they are suitable or not. Don't know exactly why but this is one of my favorite all time westerns. Remember seeing it on TV many years ago but I don't think it has been on TV in a long, long time. Turner Classic Movies has the film in it's vault. Story concerns the Younger brothers returning from the civil war to their small Missouri town only to find out the carpetbaggers have taken over and are running out all the peaceable, old folks, taking over their farms and property with delinquent tax deeds. The people cannot pay their tax bills because confederate money is considered worthless. Victor Jory, one of the best villains ever in the movies, plays a ruthless carpetbagger who shows no signs of pity on the poor, hapless farmers. Throw in the evil, sinister, looking Howard DaSilva as a crooked sheriff and you've got a mean mix of villains. The Younger brothers fight back after the murder of their father by Jory and his cutthroats…..they decide to take justice into their own hands and start robbing banks…in turn they give the loot back to the farmers and downtrodden to pay off their tax bills. Sort of like a Robin Hood of the west. A very young Jane Wyman as a love interest of Arthur Kennedy, one of the Younger brothers. Check out the hapless, bumbling Walter Catlett as a goofy middle man transporting Jory's money to a bank only to have the Younger brothers take it away from him. In the end the Younger brothers are all wounded from gunfights and lay in hospital beds while a movement is started by the Missouri downtrodden to get them pardons from the governor. Pretty good western for it's time…..only problem is the film is fairly short…only about an hour and fifteen minutes long….could have been a little longer for my tastes.
What a collection of movies here. I really appreciate the managers of https://www.catruckcrashhelp.com/ this site so that they have designed this site quite well. Any language people can choose this platform for watching movies from any language. I really appreciate your effort.
Geoftya replied
344 weeks ago