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List Price: $14.98Amazon.com's Price: $13.49 You Save: $1.49 (10%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780782011197
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 0782011195
Label: Republic Pictures
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Pan & Scan
Publisher: Republic Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: May 16, 2000
Running Time: 94 minutes
Sales Rank: 45111
Studio: Republic Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: April 15, 1940
Editorial Review:
Description: In this pre-civil War saga, Walter Pigeon, as Confederate renegade William Cantrell, along with his raiders, clashes with the new marshal of Kansas City, Bob Seton (John Wayne). Their long-standing rivalry of love and power reaches dangerous proportions when Seton exposes Cantrell and his guerillas, who have been raiding both Union and Confederate lines. Roy Rogers co-stars in one of his earliest film roles.
Amazon.com: Historically dubious but vigorously entertaining, Dark Command is the best of John Wayne's many movies for Republic (not counting Wayne's lovely producing debut Angel and the Badman and those two John Ford films). Set in 'Bleeding Kansas' just before and during the Civil War, it highlights the romantic triangle of amiable but unschooled Texan Wayne, banker's daughter Claire Trevor, and schoolmaster Walter Pidgeon--just long enough for the earnest pedagogue to become embittered, turn into bushwhacker William Quantrill (here Cantrell), and start wreaking havoc in the Border States. This was Republic's first star vehicle for Wayne, following his breakthrough in Stagecoach (away from Republic), and it's an uncharacteristically impressive production: good writers working from a W.R. Burnett novel, Raoul Walsh brought in to direct, music by Victor Young, and strong costars and supporting cast (Marjorie Main, Porter Hall, Raymond Walburn--and Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes!). Wayne himself is delightful. --Richard T. Jameson
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Early Wayne A-Western for Republic with a big budget and production values to match.
After Wayne hit the jackpot in John Ford's groundbreaking Western STAGECOACH (1939) he was quickly reunited with his co-star Claire Trevor in ALLEGHENY UPRISING (1939) and again here in the DARK COMMAND (1940). Directed by Raoul Walsh, the man who incidentally gave young Michael Morrison his first starring role as a very young "John Wayne" in THE BIG TRAIL (1929) but it was a box office failure and Wayne was relegated to mainly B-Westerns until rescued by John Ford.
The fact based story ... Read More
Rating: - "a fella doesn't get any place unless he tries"
This was director Raoul Walsh's second film with Wayne as the male lead. The first, "The Big Trail", was Wayne's first big film role, having just acquired his new stage name. Unfortunately, this very expensive film, as one of the first talkie westerns, was a box office bomb, with Wayne unfairly shouldering most of the blame. The present film is a mixed western-Civil War drama set in bleeding Kansas. Wayne has plenty of support from a cast of well known actors in this well paced drama/comedy.
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Rating: - A lesser known Wayne Classic
This movie solidified Wayne's place as a western star after Stagecoach. It is a rollicking fun western that has plenty of action. A really amazing cast was assembled for this film starting with Claire Trevor (of Stagecoach) and Walter Pidgeon. Gabby Hayes and Roy Rogers round out the stars of this movie. This is just a joy to watch. The pace never falters and it delivers plenty of fights. Find out if the illiterate cowboy from Texas can overcome the learned teacher who becomes the leader of a vast ... Read More
Rating: - Popular Wayne Civil War -Era 'Western' Still Shines!
"Dark Command" is a rip-roaring, entertaining 1940 John Wayne western with plenty of excitement, romance, and comedy, and it offers one of his most engaging pre-WWII performances, as illiterate but straight-shooting Texan 'Bob Seton', wooing Claire Trevor while defending Lawrence, Kansas as the Civil War erupts.
The film is significant in Wayne's career, as it acknowledged his emergence as a major star by the studio (Republic Pictures) who had produced the bulk of his 'quickie' westerns over ... Read More
Rating: - On to Kansas
DARK COMMAND is a good, old-fashioned western. The movie takes places in Kansas on the eve of the Civil War. Not just anywhere in Kansas, either - the movie's set in bloody Lawrence, the hotbed of guerilla activity during that war. Perhaps no guerilla leader was more notorious than Kansas's William Quantrill, the school teacher turned raider who fought against the Union until his death in 1865.
Although DARK COMMAND is a work of fiction, it doesn't try hard to hide its sources. DARK COMMAND ... Read More
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