The Bushwhackers (1951) User Reviews

"I don't want any part of any kind of war..., it has a bad smell."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 22 March 2007]

I found it interesting that the film's original working title was "The Rebel", since some of the early footage was also used in the opening sequence of the 1959 Civil War TV series, "The Gray Ghost". I'm pretty sure I've also seen it recycled in other movies with a Civil War theme.

John Ireland stars as tired ex-soldier Jefferson Waring from Virginia, heading West without a gun and a vow to never use one against men again. Of course that's just the set up for the eventual finale when he does just that to take the side of settlers against scheming landowners led by Artemus Taylor (Lon Chaney). Chaney's character is wheelchair bound throughout the story, but that doesn't prevent him from looking about as spooky as he did in any of his horror flicks.

The most complex, actually frustrating character in the story for me was Marshal Harding (Wayne Morris). He's in the pocket of villain Sam Tobin (Lawrence Tierney), but is on the fence most of the time trying to keep a level playing field for Waring and his new friends. Curiously, he never uses his six gun, and actually seems to have an aversion to firing one; he isn't even part of the finale when the settlers stand up for their rights.

Where the film gets really gritty has to do with the treatment of Taylor's daughter Nora, who's every bit as ornery as her father. Following the ambush on Taylor's hired gunmen, she attempts to make a getaway with money from the local bank, and shoots banker Stone (Charles Trowbridge) in the process. Now it's not unusual for a woman in a 'B' Western to get shot, even killed, but here, when Stone recovers, he shoots her IN THE BACK - Wow! That was something I never thought I'd see, in fact, never even thought about it, even though it happened all the time when men were involved.

A couple of things to keep an eye out for - early in the story when Waring first meets Peter Sharpe (Frank Marlowe), they sit down, and Sharpe begins his conversation with "You know Randall...". Ireland's character looks at Sharpe as if to say, 'hey, that's not my name', but the scene continues. Later on, I got a kick out of the funeral service being held in the local saloon for a couple that was killed by Taylor's goons. Right there on top of the bar was a sign stating - 'Bar Closed During Services'!

John Ireland and Lon Chaney

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 17 December 2013]

1951's "The Bushwhackers" is a very tight, tough hour-long Western, featuring a solid cast of capable veterans. The Civil War has just ended, and confederate soldier Jefferson Waring (John Ireland) believes he'll never again have to point a gun at another man. Unfortunately, he soon finds himself in a lawless Western town where the settlers are battling to defend their homes against evil, greedy homesteaders headed by Artemus Taylor (Lon Chaney), a crippled, wheelchair-bound madman whose bitterness is matched by his devoted daughter (Myrna Dell), who may be even more ruthless than he is. Among the many familiar faces, Wayne Morris easily stands out as a marshal clearly working out of Taylor's pocket, yet trying vainly to keep the peace, mainly through jailing the unarmed Waring. Third-billed Lawrence Tierney, never at home in Westerns like his younger brother Scott Brady, is totally wasted as a hired gun, dispatched midway through, while Jack Elam relishes his bad guy role, whether lasciviously eyeing the ladies or simply killing people. Despite playing the lead villain, Lon Chaney has very little screen time (only three scenes), but this elderly, arthritic character led to his being cast as Gary Cooper's elderly, arthritic Marshal in the subsequent "High Noon."

Not A Bad Western

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 30 March 2016]

This is a pretty good western drama. Good cast and fairly interesting story concerning the railroad and bushwhacking gunmen. The film is set in a time right after the civil war ended and many railroads were starting to be built.

Artemus Taylor, his daughter Norah and a couple of roughnecks try to run the rest of the town out of the area by bushwhacking them in order to claim their land for themselves and sell that land to the railroad. Once the town starts piecing together the puzzle they have to find a way to fight back against the bushwhackers. There is one man that might can help save the townspeople, Jefferson Waring. Waring was in in the in civil war but swore to never use a gun again - can he, will he help the townsfolk? Worth watching if you Western films.

7.5/10

Good Men Do Nothing, But The Wicked Keep Busy

[boblipton · 5/10 · 14 June 2021]

With the Civil War over, ex-Rebel John Ireland vws never to kill a man again, and heads west. He gets caught up short in Missouri, where paralyzed Lon Chaney Jr. Is burning out land grant recipients because the railroad is going to come through, and make the land worth a fortune. He's assembled a team of baddies, including Laurence Tierney, Jack Elam, and daughter Myrna Dell; the good people, like newspaper editor Frank Marlowe and his daughter, Dorothy Malone, are scared to oppose him. The only thing standing in his way is a shortage of sociopaths. Some of Chaney's hirelings have scruples.

Rod Amateau's first movie as director has an overtly stated political theme, which is carried out in a heavy-handed fashion by a highly competent crew and interesting cast.. Yet while you can see the roots of ultra-violent spaghetti westerns here, it isn't well carried off.

Promising Cast, Spotty Western

[dougdoepke · 26 October 2016]

A pacifist-minded ex-Confederate gets caught up in a land war as he seeks a new life in post- Civil War Missouri.

Considering the bizarre cast, I guess I was hoping for too much. After all, the compelling Tierney, Elam, Chaney Jr. and Dell are all established movie toughies. Then there's the unpredictable Ireland and Morris, performers comfortable playing with a wobbly moral compass. And finally there's the luscious Malone playing the good citizen, though she could also wobble when necessary, e.g. Written On The Wind (1955). Trouble is Tierney's entirely wasted, disappearing early on. No scary stare or frozen face here. As a result, there's no logical showdown between him and Ireland, as dramatically promising as that would be. Also, Chaney only gets a few minutes of loopy screen time, while Morris seems unsure of what he's supposed to do as the Marshal. And the latter's really too bad since the Marshal's uncertainty could be the story's most interesting character.

The narrative itself is fairly familiar—greedy plotters trying to drive settlers off their land so they can cash in on the railway coming through. Not exactly a ground-breaking premise. On the other hand, shifting alliances among the town folk add character interest, while a restrained Ireland carries the film even though in a clichéd role. Still, I like the fact that the settlers organize themselves without waiting for the hero to save the day. That's a good non- clichéd touch.

All in all, I'm wondering how a budget indie like this was able to assemble such an exotic cast, and whether they had to haul legendary juicers like Tierney and Chaney out of the nearest Hollywood bar. Too bad the screenplay didn't make better use of these colorful characters. That would have made something truly memorable. Instead, we get an unexceptional if occasionally interesting western.

A little different Western with an unusual leading man

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 24 September 2019]

"The Bushwhackers" is one of the rare movies in which John Ireland had the male lead. Ireland was just an okay actor who did well in many of the supporting and smaller roles he got in films. But, he wasn't a top-drawer actor, and without the more handsome looks he was relegated to being a supporting actor and frequent cast member.

Ireland does well in this film. It's a different type of Western. The film opens with some gritty scenes of the Civil War and the war's end. Ireland's Jefferson Waring has had his fill of killing and guns, and he heads for the West to start life anew - without any firearms. When he reaches Independence, Missouri, he finds himself embroiled in a feud in which a land baron is trying to run off settlers. That was a worn-out plot of many Westerns in the 1950s.

The story has some nice twists, with Waring getting the short end of a couple of encounters and winding up in the hoosegow. And, naturally, there's a girl who eventually helps Waring change his mind about moving on.

Other characters include Marshal John Harding, played by Wayne Morris, and Cathy Sharpe, played by Dorothy Malone. A standard bad guy in Westerns is Jack Elam, here playing Cree. The big extra in this film, and reason to see it, is Lon Chaney Jr. He plays Artemus Taylor. I don't think Chaney was ever in another Western.

Pacifist Pontification.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 6 November 2013]

Ah, The Bushwhackers, also known as The Rebel, a Western packed to the rafters with ever watchable actors, but unfurled like an amateur homage to Oaters a decade or so before.

Co-written and directed by Rod Amateau, and starring John Ireland, Dorothy Malone, Lawrence Tierney, Lon Chaney Junior, Myrna Dell, Wayne Morris and Jack Elam, film finds Ireland as Civil War veteran Jefferson Waring, who has vowed to never pick up a gun in anger again. However, upon wandering into the town of Independence, Missouri, he finds a town awash with sinister rumblings as Lon Chaney's Don Vito Corleone figure - backed by Dell's nefarious daughter - is plotting to own all the local land because the Railroad is coming and there's going to be a high premium placed on said land.

Cue Waring being pulled from emotional pillar to emotional post, with Malone batting her eyelids amidst a strong portrayal of feisty sexuality, until he takes up the good fight for the greater good in readiness for the finale that holds no surprises. There's a mean spirited edge to the plot which keeps things interesting and spicy, and although they are under used, having Tierney and Elam as thugs for hire is always a good thing, but it's directed and edited in such a cack - handed way there's little to no flow to the picture. Making it practically impossible to invest in the characterisations.

Unfortunately the DVD print provided by Elstree Hill is a disgrace, not even up to the standard of a VHS copy of a copy! A shame because through the gloom and scrambled fuzz of the transfer, you can see Joseph Biroc's noirish photography trying to break out. The actors make it worth a watch, in that Western fans can tick it off their lists, but nobody should be fooled into thinking there's an exciting picture here, or that it has observational intelligence about a scarred war veteran, because it has neither and Amateau's subsequent "non" career in film after this tells you all you need to know. 5/10

Welcome To Hell USA

[verbusen · 7/10 · 26 January 2013]

Where do I start? This low budget B film is really really mean! This was made in 1951 before the really dirty villain was around in low budget westerns I thought? Maybe this film helped set the trend, the times they were changing. So what do I mean by "dirty" +++Spoilers+++ How about in the first 5 minutes crazy eye Jack Elam torches a settlers house with two pre teen boys still in it? This right after he cracks their Mom's skull with a torch making them both orphans because they had just gunned down their Dad? Now thats dirty! Then you got psychotic Lon Chaney and his really crazy daughter Myrna Dell, you do NOT want to mess around with that family! They put new meaning to the phrase "we don't take kindly to strangers"! In comes poor ol John Ireland who has vowed to never use a gun at the end of the civil war and heads out west? He couldn't gone east I guess because he never got rid of his rebel trousers? And let me tell you the first half of this film is John Ireland getting beat up and shot and then thrown in irons for murder by Wayne Morris in all his Paths Of Glory corruption as the town marshal. Dorothy Malone is the hot good girl daughter of the newspaper editor who also packs a gun, I mean everybody is gun crazy (except John Ireland), and they have quick trigger fingers too! The film poster linked here (actually a DVD cover) is that of Myrna Dell who's the blond in this film and because she's a psycho and she has 20 gun men to back her up. The story may be very clichéd but the out right ruthlessness of the bad guys and utter corruption of the whole town for a 1951 film raise this film up several notches. I'm giving it a 7 out 10, it doesn't deserve higher because it's cheaply made but it's very entertaining. I had this film in a 50 movie pack set for "War" films from Millcreek that I got off of Amazon. The print is pretty bad I see that since it's a public domain film that it's available on archive, youtube and hulu now so try them out, the print is probably better. Don't be getting Bushwhacked now, you hear?!

Gun or no gun, justice will prevail.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 9 August 2016]

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.

I will fight no more forever

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 28 March 2016]

***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.

Wow...even with John Ireland and Lawrence Tierney, this is not a particularly inspired film.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 9 July 2010]

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.

a civil war vet, turned pacifist, becomes involved in a range war

[bux · 9/10 · 8 October 1998]

At times this seems like two separate movies:the first half is a mature study of a disgruntled war vet-the second half degenerates into a routine shoot 'em up. Ireland is great as the brooding war vet, Tierney(as in "Resevoir Dogs")the sullen villain. Chaney is reminiscent of Barrymore as the wheel-chair bound cattle baron. Highlight of the film is Chaney's damning accusation "You lose, soldier. You lose again!" Once the fireworks begin,all is predictable. Morris shows flashes of real talent as the corrupt town sheriff; Dell is good as the vixen. This one almost seems to be a pimer for the Ireland directed "Hannah Lee" that was released the following year. Worth staying up for, or at least setting the VCR.

Needed More Lawrence Tierney

[TheFearmakers · 6/10 · 29 February 2024]

By the time Lawrence Tierney appeared in the b-western THE BUSHWHACKERS, his leading man career was finished.. but he's used importantly here, at least in the rudimentary stages: a hired thug appearing before crippled land baron Lon Chaney Jr and the lethal daughter who hired him to kill off random settlers...

Ironically, Chaney and daughter are correct about the squatters being more interested in big money than settling down... while Tierney continues bullying more underdogs, including passive leading man John Ireland, a Civil War veteran who, during a historic prelude, promised to never use a gun again...

The familiar plot-line seems somewhat original, mainly because the venomous Dell's Noreh Taylor, actually held back by her commanding/demanding father... she would have fared much better as the sole heavy, perhaps with hired-gun Lawrence Tierney being smitten with his blonde boss or... some kind of side-plot that would keep him around longer...

Unfortunately, the third-billed DILLINGER icon is anticlimactically killed halfway through, cutting the overall threat in half, leaving sparse closure between Ireland and the only person worthy of a vengeful showdown (left with henchman's henchman Jack Elam)... but at least he has honest newspaperman's idealist daughter Dorothy Malone (who handles a gun well herself) to retire with: He just needed to work a lot harder to rest with those laurels.

It feels very rushed and very forgettable

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 27 May 2023]

(1951) The Bushwhackers WESTERN

Co-written and directed by Rod Amateau starting the movie with the end of the civil war, and former confederate soldier, Jefferson Waring (John Ireland) vowed never to lift another gun ever again, only then as soon as he resides to a different town, he comes across a land baron, Artemus Taylor (Lon Chaney Jr.) and his hired gunmen/ outlaws of Sam Tobin (Lawrence Tierney) and Cree (Jack Elam) terrorizing against farm owners to build a railway across.

The film feels very rushed making it very forgettable and such little action despite some of the drama moments being well done.

Great B-Western!

[FightingWesterner · 8/10 · 28 May 2010]

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.

An interesting low-budget western.

[louis124 · 10/10 · 23 December 2000]

Using a theme that became quite popular decades later, Amateau scores well on his directorial debut. The original title of this movie was to be "The Rebel" however, producer Broder was unable to keep his hands off anything he was involved in, hence the uninspired title. It is interesting to note that Director Amateau years later in his TV show "Dukes of Hazzard" named the automobile "The Rebel." Ireland is perfectly cast as the emoting Civil War veteran, only seeking peace, but willing to fight and kill to get it. The supporting cast is extremely interesting, featuring the, by then has-been Morris, Tierney, Dell, and Chaney. Considering that Ireland, Chaney, Tierney, and Morris were renown for their drinking bouts, working on this picture must have been a real challenge. The end result is a very good, if dated western, featuring some of the finest acting put on celluloid.

Above average B western

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 2 October 2022]

I totally forgot this western directed by the TV future director Rod Amateau, and whose this is the first film. It is pretty well done, played, with interesting characters, not so usual, if you compare with other movies of this kind and period. I did not expect to find Dotty Malone here, but John Ireland yes. The most unusual for me is to find an evil female character, so early in western history. The only thing that bothers me is the so predictable ending, such a shame. Lon Chaney Jr is awesome here as an evil dude, of course, but he brings something different from what he usually gives us. His performance among his best I have seen from him.