It's certainly believable that crooked law enforcement and carpetbaggers utilize the end of the civil War and the loss in the south to exploit the poor whose Confederate money was now worthless. The carpetbagger is Victor Jory, always excellent and villain roles and joined by another veteran villain, Howard Da Silva as the crooked sheriff. When the father of the Younger Brothers is brutally killed by Da Silva after he refuses to give up his property, the brothers become the Robin Hood of the old west, stealing from the wealthy Jory's tax collections to give back to the poor so they can pay their taxes and remain in their homes.
That's what makes them outlaws, and they join up with Jesse James, played here by Alan Baxter who has obvious different motives for robbing trains. The brothers are played by Dennis Morgan, Wayne Morris and Arthur Kennedy, with Kennedy getting the girl, a very feisty and blonde Jane Wyman who gives Jory a nice big slap in the first reel. She is their accessory, aided by Sam McDaniel (Hattie's brother), while Jory hires the services of the bumbling Walter Catlett to collect some money and take it to a safe place, always robbed before he gets there.
This is a fast moving and exciting little western, certainly no reflection on the real life gangsters of the old west, and there's also a reference to one of the Dalton's, only a child here. The use of real history does make this a bit more authentic, and it's fun to watch the buildup to see Jory and Da Silva get theirs while Catlett, a complete buffoon, gets a comic finale. I wouldn't call this a western masterpiece or even a good history lesson, but it satisfactory entertainment that provides plenty of thrills and one that I can see watching over again.
That's what makes them outlaws, and they join up with Jesse James, played here by Alan Baxter who has obvious different motives for robbing trains. The brothers are played by Dennis Morgan, Wayne Morris and Arthur Kennedy, with Kennedy getting the girl, a very feisty and blonde Jane Wyman who gives Jory a nice big slap in the first reel. She is their accessory, aided by Sam McDaniel (Hattie's brother), while Jory hires the services of the bumbling Walter Catlett to collect some money and take it to a safe place, always robbed before he gets there.
This is a fast moving and exciting little western, certainly no reflection on the real life gangsters of the old west, and there's also a reference to one of the Dalton's, only a child here. The use of real history does make this a bit more authentic, and it's fun to watch the buildup to see Jory and Da Silva get theirs while Catlett, a complete buffoon, gets a comic finale. I wouldn't call this a western masterpiece or even a good history lesson, but it satisfactory entertainment that provides plenty of thrills and one that I can see watching over again.