The Plunderers (1948)

Rod Cameron plays John Drum, an undercover Army officer. His mission: Stop a gang of bandits who have been robbing gold shipments. They are led by Whit Lacey (Forrest Tucker).

So Drum stages the killing of a sheriff so that he’s a fellow outlaw likely to be invited into Lacey’s gang. His plan takes an unexpected turn when Lacey befriends him and asks him to “marry” his own lady love; seems she’s being followed by the sheriff’s men and can’t get out of town undetected.

Drum marries Lin Connor (Ilona Massey), but it’s her best friend (Adrian Booth as Julie McCabe) for whom he really falls. Of course, she thinks he’s really on the run from the law, and she’s not eager to fall for an outlaw like her best friend has.

Lacey promises to take Lin to California where they can start a new life, but the robbery that was supposed to finance the trip doesn’t go as planned.

That’s when the real trouble starts. The gang figures out what Drum is up to; Lacey allows him to escape. But he and his gang are soon in the cluches of the law.

Will Drum return the favor? Especially with his new lady love pleading with him to do so? And threatening to leave him if he doesn’t?

Review:

Joseph Kane’s first color film is a bromance before the term was popular. Drum surprisingly finds himself becoming friends with the man he’s supposed to bring to justice.

As for the plot, it keeps the action coming, but is marred by implausibilities, especially when Chief Red Cloud and his braves show up to interrupt a lynching and attack the outpost where all of our stars have gathered for the film’s climax.

The opening shooting of the sheriff is especially well handled. For a good while, Kane and company have you believing that Drum is a good man, somehow forced into life on the wrong side of the law. The scene letting us know that isn’t the case is well handled too.

George Cleveland plays the sheriff who isn’t thrilled to have to play dead; Taylor Holmes is the mine owner eager to bring the bandits to justice and hoping to make Julie Ann McCabe his wife.

Directed by:
Joseph Kane

Cast:
Rod Cameron … John Drum
Forrest Tucker … Whit Lacey
Lorna Gray … Julie Ann McCabe
as Adrian Booth
Ilona Massey … Lin Connor
George Cleveland … Sam Borden
Taylor Holmes … Eben Martin
Paul Fix … Calico
Grant Withers … Deputy Tap Lawrence
Francis Ford … Barnaby
James Flavin … Sergeant Major
Russell Hicks … Cavalry colonel

Runtime: 87 min.

Memorable lines:

John Drum: “Anyone ever tell you you’re a handsome heifer?”
Juie Ann McCabe: “A fella said it once, in just that tone of voice. He died shortly after with a little hole through his gizzard.”
Drum: “I like women who give off sparks.”

John Drum to Julie Ann McCabe: “Too bad I have to get out of here. I have a feeling if someone rubbed up together, we’d both make sparks.”

Julie Ann McCabe: “We just wanted to ask you: Have you ever seen Mr. Corrigan before?”
Barnaby: “Ah, what do you want me to say, Julie?”
Julie Ann: “Whatever you think healthiest.”
Barnaby: “I’ve never seen the man before in my life.”
John Drum (Corrigan): “You’re smart. Smart people don’t wear out so fast.”

John Drum to Deputy Tap Lawrence: “You haven’t got any antlers on your head. You wouldn’t look good mounted over a fireplace.”

Eben Martin, mine boss, making his proposal to Lin: “Lin, marriages aren’t made in heaven.”
Lin Connor: “Maybe not, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were.”

John Drum: “I always figured a man was a fool to get married. Weighs him down. He never walks as wide or tall the minute he’s got a woman hanging on his arm. But I want to marry you. It doesn’t matter from then on if I only walk an inch narrow and a foot tall.”