The unstated theme of this film is to dramatize the outlawry of William Quantrill(Brian Donlevy) in Kansas and western Missouri, primarily, and to suggest his influence on the subsequent criminal careers of Jesse and Frank James, the Younger Brothers and the Dalton gang, as an apparently cohesive buddy group within Quantrill's raiders. There is the initial conflict of purpose between Quantrill and Jesse(and the other members of Jesse's gang?). Jesse and friends joined Quantrill's band supposedly to take revenge on the lawless Red Legs(Northern bushwhackers) who victimized the James farm and that of neighbors who favored the South. But, Jesse soon discovered that, as reports claimed, Quantrill's raiders were primarily a brutal outlaw gang, who pillaged, burned and killed in the name of revenge for wrongs committed by the Red Legs and others. Only seldom were the victims of their attacks actual Red Legs. Jesse complains about this discrepancy and Quantrill falsely promises that he will mend his ways. As a result, Jesse threatens to quit, but doesn't see how his small friendship group can be very effective in accomplishing his purpose. Quantrill knows that he could not sustain the support of his group without plunder of 'ordinary folk', the burning and killing functioning as revenge for similar acts by Red Legs. Jesse gradually becomes hardened to Quantrill's ways.
Kate(Marguerite Chapman), Quantrill's moll, has become disillusioned with Quantrill's methods, thus is attracted to Jesse(Audie Murphy)because of his seeming objection to Quantrill's brutal ways. However, gradually, Jesse accepts Quantrill's brutality and choice of victims. He unnecessarily kills Tate: Quantrill's 3rd in command, in a knife fight challenge. Then, he unnecessarily shoots dead the 2nd in command: Bill Anderson, in an altercation, making him now second to Quantrill. Kate periodically tries to convince Jesse to quit Quantrill, to no avail. At the end of the film, after Quantrill has died, when Jesse asks her to go with him, she begs out, foreseeing that Jesse and his gang will not likely quit their outlaw ways after the war is officially over.
Hollywood film writers sometimes couldn't resist putting together icons of the old West or the Civil War in ways that had no or little historical basis. Thus, the team of the James brothers, the Younger brothers and Kit Dalton as a cohesive unit is a gross simplification of history. Even Jesse and Frank James sometimes went their own ways for a while. Another notorious example of this occurs in "Santa Fe Trail", where various future important generals in the Civil War were seen graduating in the same WestPoint class, and being assigned as a group to 'bloody' Kansas. Later, it becomes evident why this fiction was important in conveying the main point of the film(as I see it).
There's plenty of 'action', beginning with the threatened lynching of Jesse's gang as suspected members of Quantrill's raiders(They weren't, yet). All the action involved in several raids on individual homesteads, as well as the massive raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in which the town was largely burned down. There's the knife fight between Jesse and Tate. Jesse gunned down several raiders, and here were several engagements with blue belly patrols.
Most of the troops decide to desert after a series of costly skirmishes, and Quantrill's suggestion that they make a last stand until every man is dead. This is as sensible as his prophesy that the South could still win if Lee's army were transferred to west of the Mississippi. "Let the North win the battles. We'll win the war"(presumably by guerilla activity). Historically, his sizable 'army' did eventually split into several groups. In the film, only Jesse's friendship group remained loyal. In the film, Quantrill says he is heading to western KY to do some raiding. But, he never made it. Union troops surrounded his headquarters, first blinding him, then killing him when he walked out the front door with guns blazing, knowing that his time had come. Historically, he did go to KY, where he was ambushed by Union troops, a bullet in the back paralyzing him, with a lingering death....Various actors have played Quantrill in film. I rate Brian Donlevy as one of the best, aside from the fact that he was twice the age of the real Quantrill. He made a handsome oily villain in many a picture.
"Dark Command" is another film that features Quantrill, including the spectacular attack on Lawrence. It might be interesting to compare the two stagings of this event.
See it in color at YouTube
Kate(Marguerite Chapman), Quantrill's moll, has become disillusioned with Quantrill's methods, thus is attracted to Jesse(Audie Murphy)because of his seeming objection to Quantrill's brutal ways. However, gradually, Jesse accepts Quantrill's brutality and choice of victims. He unnecessarily kills Tate: Quantrill's 3rd in command, in a knife fight challenge. Then, he unnecessarily shoots dead the 2nd in command: Bill Anderson, in an altercation, making him now second to Quantrill. Kate periodically tries to convince Jesse to quit Quantrill, to no avail. At the end of the film, after Quantrill has died, when Jesse asks her to go with him, she begs out, foreseeing that Jesse and his gang will not likely quit their outlaw ways after the war is officially over.
Hollywood film writers sometimes couldn't resist putting together icons of the old West or the Civil War in ways that had no or little historical basis. Thus, the team of the James brothers, the Younger brothers and Kit Dalton as a cohesive unit is a gross simplification of history. Even Jesse and Frank James sometimes went their own ways for a while. Another notorious example of this occurs in "Santa Fe Trail", where various future important generals in the Civil War were seen graduating in the same WestPoint class, and being assigned as a group to 'bloody' Kansas. Later, it becomes evident why this fiction was important in conveying the main point of the film(as I see it).
There's plenty of 'action', beginning with the threatened lynching of Jesse's gang as suspected members of Quantrill's raiders(They weren't, yet). All the action involved in several raids on individual homesteads, as well as the massive raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in which the town was largely burned down. There's the knife fight between Jesse and Tate. Jesse gunned down several raiders, and here were several engagements with blue belly patrols.
Most of the troops decide to desert after a series of costly skirmishes, and Quantrill's suggestion that they make a last stand until every man is dead. This is as sensible as his prophesy that the South could still win if Lee's army were transferred to west of the Mississippi. "Let the North win the battles. We'll win the war"(presumably by guerilla activity). Historically, his sizable 'army' did eventually split into several groups. In the film, only Jesse's friendship group remained loyal. In the film, Quantrill says he is heading to western KY to do some raiding. But, he never made it. Union troops surrounded his headquarters, first blinding him, then killing him when he walked out the front door with guns blazing, knowing that his time had come. Historically, he did go to KY, where he was ambushed by Union troops, a bullet in the back paralyzing him, with a lingering death....Various actors have played Quantrill in film. I rate Brian Donlevy as one of the best, aside from the fact that he was twice the age of the real Quantrill. He made a handsome oily villain in many a picture.
"Dark Command" is another film that features Quantrill, including the spectacular attack on Lawrence. It might be interesting to compare the two stagings of this event.
See it in color at YouTube