Fighting Man Of The Plains [DVD]

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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. 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. Another one of those Quantrill raider Westerns that blurs the line between historical fact and Hollywood filmmaking.” 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. 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.

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.

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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. 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. When you have Randolph Scott, you don't need much else, but "Fighting Man of the Plains" has everything.

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.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. 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. Wow, the script writers didn’t worry about a high plausibility factor when they wove this tale of one unlikely coincidence after another. And they didn’t stop weaving until the very end when they present the most well-timed coincidences of all. 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.

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. One mark of a well-written and -directed film is the realism of the interaction of minor characters. Frank Gruber was a darn good writer of often very gritty stories. He wrote more than one story about Jesse James, a character who figures in this movie, too. 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.

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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. It marked the first credited role for Dale Robertson, who plays Jesse James and shows up in two scenes over the course of the film. And it marked the film debut for Joan Taylor, who’d wind up being cast as an Indian maiden in several Westerns to come and closed out her career in the 1960s with a recurring role in The Rifleman.