The Bushwhackers (1952)

John Ireland is Jefferson Waring, a Confederate soldier tired of war. So when the war ends, he vows to never again pick up a gun, then heads West, lands in Independence, Missouri, and makes friends with newspaperman Peter Sharpe (Frank Marlowe).

In fact, after some momentary confusion with Sharpe’s gun-toting daughter Cathy (Dorothy Malone) that lands him in jail momentarily, Waring goes to work for Peter. But not all is well with this newspaper or with Independence.

A rich rancher named Artemus Taylor (Lon Chaney) is having homesteaders killed and burned out of their homes. He’s wheelchair bound, but he has a gang of henchmen and a rather cold-blooded daughter (Myrna Dell) to carry out his wishes.

Meanwhile, the newspaper is in debt and beholden to the powers that be in Independence, which prevents Sharpe from printing the truth, if he wants to stay alive and stay in business.

The marshal? He’s been put in office by Taylor. So while he won’t engage in the ousting of the homesteaders, he’s not rushing to their defense either.

Finally, Sharpe decides to print the truth, the homesteaders decide to band together and even Waring decides this fight might be worth picking up a gun for.

Because the truth is out: The railroad is coming. That’s why Taylor has been fighting so desperately to hold onto all of the land around Independence.

John Ireland as Jefferson Waring, a Civil War vet looking to avoid violence only to stumble into a war over homesteaders in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Dorothy Malone as Cathy Sharpe, a journalist’s daughter urging someone to stand up to Artemus Taylor in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Review:

OK, if an ex-Confederate never wants to pick up a gun again, the West — especially the movie West — wouldn’t seem the smartest direction in which to head.

That plot flaw aside, this is mildly entertaining. The film is salvaged in part because both of the female leads play tougher-than-normal gals who aren’t afraid to grab a gun and do their share of the shooting.

That’s especially true of Taylor’s blonde daughter Norah. And Cathy Sharpe’s spirited first “meeting” with Jefferson Waring makes for one of the film’s highlights.

As for familiar faces, Jack Elam has a small role — one of his first credited outings — as one of Taylor’s henchmen. And director Rodney Amateau puts his ugly mug to good use, having him come right at the viewer for tight fear-inducing close-ups on two occasions, once when he’s about to burn down a homestead, once when he’s threatening poor Cathy.

Lon Chaney Jr. as Artemus Taylor, a man with a secret reason for wanting homesteads off land he considers his own in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Myrna Dell as Norah Taylor, the domineering daughter of cattle king Artemus Taylor in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Directed by:
Rodney Amateau

Cast:
John Ireland … Jefferson Waring
Wayne Morris … Marshal Harding
Lawrence Tierney … Sam Tobin
Dorothy Malone … Cathy Sharpe
Lon Chaney Jr. … Artemus Taylor
Myrna Dell … Norah Taylor
Frank Marlowe … Peter Sharpe
William Holmes … Ding Bell
Jack Elam … Cree
Charles Trowbridge … Justin Stone
Norman Leavitt … Deputy Yale
Stuart Randall … Slocum
George Lynn … Guthrie
Gordon Wynn … John Quigley

Runtime: 70 min.

Frank Marlowe as Peter Sharpe, a newspaper editor unsure whether it’s safe to speak out against Artemus Taylor in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Wayne Morris as Marshal Harding, the man elevated to that position by Artemus Taylor and expected to follow his wishes in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Memorable lines:

Artemus Taylor: “I made you marshal. You’ll do what I say.”
Marshal Harding, flipping his badge into Taylor’s lap: “Make yourself another marshal.”

Marshal to Waring: “Mr. Waring, you came here with a lot of noble ideas. And what did it get you? Waiting for the hangman’s noose.”

Barber, reading the newspaper: “Peter Sharpe has lost his mind. Or else he just naturally wants to die.”
Customer: “He ain’t gonna die natural. Not after Taylor reads this.”

Waring: “I can’t feel a thing for you, Taylor. You’re a beaten old man, and I’m not sorry. You’ve ruined so many lives, yours isn’t even a down payment.”

Lawrence Tierney as Sam Tobin, the man leading Taylor’s efforts to chase off the homesteaders in The Bushwhackers (1952)

William Holmes as Ding Bell, one of Artemus Taylor’s most loyal hands in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Charles Trowbridge as Justin Stone, reviewing the debt he’s owed by the owner of the newspaper in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Norman Leavitt as Deputy Yale, trying to place blame for Taylor’s dirty deeds elsewhere in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Jack Elam as Cree, one of Artemus Taylor’s lead henchmen in The Bushwhackers (1952)

George Lynn as Guthrie, the man trying to rally the homesteaders to stand up to Artemus Taylor in The Bushwhackers (1952)

Dorothy Malone as Cathy Sharpe, ready to shoot the intruder she found in her bedroom if necessary in The Bushwhackers (1952)

John Ireland as Jefferson Waring, recovering from a wound and sharing Taylor’s secret with the homesteaders in The Bushwhackers (1952)