''Badman's Territory'' is a 1946 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film starring

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

. It was followed by the loose sequels '' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948) and '' Best of the Badmen'' (1951).

Plot

Just north of Texas and west of the Oklahoma border is "Badman's Territory", a region not yet governed by statehood. This is where

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...

and brother Frank head after a train robbery, along with their partner, Coyote. Mark Rowley, a lawman, and his deputy brother Johnny are after the James gang. So is a ruthless U.S. marshal named Hampton, who shoots anybody who gets in his way. He even wings Johnny Rowley just to take the newly captured Coyote away from him. In the town of Quinto, newspaper editor Henryetta Alcott is a crusader for law and order. Mark takes an immediate liking to her. He also helps

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaws. ...

's horse win a big race. Johnny's injuries mend, but the

Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted doub ...

persuades Johnny to go bad and join them. Mark tries to dissuade him. He shoots a man named McGee who stole his horse. Hampton puts up wanted posters on both Rowleys. Henryetta spreads the word that Oklahoma has annexed this territory into the union. Mark is appointed a "regulator" and proposes marriage to Henryetta before he rides to

Coffeyville, Kansas Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state's southeastern region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,826. Coffeyville is the most pop ...

, where the Daltons are about to pull a job with Johnny as part of the gang. When Johnny is shot and killed, Mark and Coyote bury him in the woods where they overhear Hampton and his men planning to ride to Quinto. After evacuating the town, Rowley meets Hampton and his men alone and is taken into custody. Shortly thereafter, Coyote shows up and is shot by Hampton after refusing to testify against Rowley. The story ends with Hampton being exposed and Rowley being found not guilty before riding off in a wagon with Henryetta Alcott.

Cast

as Mark Rowley *

George "Gabby" Hayes George Francis "Gabby" Hayes (May 7, 1885 – February 9, 1969) was an American actor. He began as something of a leading man and a character player, but he was best known for his numerous appearances in B-Western (genre), Western film series as ...

as Coyote *

Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, ...

as Henryetta Alcott * Ray Collins as Colonel Farewell * James Warren as John Rowley *

Morgan Conway Morgan Conway (born Sydney Albert Conway, March 16, 1900 – November 16, 1981)https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/191339427/person/172487150866/facts was an American actor, best known for his portrayals of Dick Tracy. Early l ...

as Marshall Bill Hampton *

Virginia Sale Virginia Sale (May 20, 1899 – August 23, 1992) was an American character actress whose career spanned six decades, during most of which she played older women, even when she was in her twenties. Over the 46 years she was active as an actr ...

as Meg *John Halloran as Hank McGee *

Andrew Tombes Andrew Tombes (29 June 1885 – 17 March 1976) was an American comedian and character actor. Biography The son of a grocer, originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Tombes was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy. Early in his career, he worked as a v ...

as Doc Grant *

Richard Hale Richard Hale (born James Richards Hale; November 16, 1892 – May 18, 1981) was an American opera and concert singer and later a character actor of film, stage and television. Hale's appearance usually landed him roles as either Middle E ...

as Ben Wade *

Harry Holman Harry James Holman (March 15, 1862 – May 3, 1947) was an American actor. He appeared in approximately 130 films from 1923 to 1947. Biography Born in Conway, Missouri, Holman dropped out of school in the ninth grade and began seeking w ...

as Hodge * Chief Thundercloud as Chief Tahlequah *

Lawrence Tierney Lawrence James Tierney (March 15, 1919 – February 26, 2002) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his many screen portrayals of mobsters and "tough guys" in a career that spanned over fifty years. His roles mirrored ...

* Tom Tyler as

Frank James Alexander Franklin James (January 10, 1843 – February 18, 1915) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate American Civil War, soldier and Guerrilla warfare in the American Civil War, guerrilla; in the Reconstruction era, post-Civil War p ...

* Steve Brodie as Bob Dalton *Phil Warren as Grat Dalton *William Moss as Bill Dalton *

Nestor Paiva Nestor Caetano Paiva (June 30, 1905 – September 9, 1966) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor of Portuguese descent. He performed in over 400 motion pictures either as an extra, a bit player, or as a significant supporting ...

as Sam Bass *

Isabel Jewell Isabel Jewell (July 19, 1907 – April 5, 1972) was an American actress, who rose to prominence in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her more famous films were '' Ceiling Zero'', ''Marked Woman'', ''A Tale of Two Cities'', and ''Gone with the Wi ...

* Chet Brandenburg as Townsman (uncredited) *

Budd Buster Budd Leland Buster (June 14, 1891 – December 22, 1965), was an American actor known for B western films. He was sometimes credited as Bud Buster, and as George Selk in his later work. Early life Buster was born either Budd Leland Buster or ...

as Doc's Friend (uncredited) *

George Chesebro George Newell Chesebro (July 29, 1888 – May 28, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 400 films between 1915 and 1954. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died in Los Angeles, California. Partial filmography * ''Mi ...

as Johnny (uncredited) *

Neal Hart Neal Hart (April 7, 1879 – April 2, 1949) was an American actor and film director, director of the silent film era. Biography Hart was born in Staten Island, New York. Before he began working in films, he was a city marshal, cowboy, and ...

as Townsman (uncredited) * Harry Harvey, Sr. as Stationmaster (uncredited) *

Robert Homans Robert Edward Homans (November 8, 1877 – July 28, 1947) was an American actor who entered films in 1923 after a lengthy stage career. Life and career Robert Homans was born November 8, 1877, in Malden, Massachusetts. Although he studied ...

as Judge (uncredited) * Ben Johnson as Deputy Marshall (uncredited) *

Ethan Laidlaw Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, from 1923 to 1962. Laidlaw was born in Bu ...

as Lt. Patton (uncredited) *

Elmo Lincoln Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952, a ...

as Dick Broadwell (uncredited) * Theodore Lorch as Citizen's Committee Member (uncredited) *

Wilbur Mack Wilbur Mack (born George Frear Runyon, July 29, 1873 – March 13, 1964) was an American film actor and early vaudeville performer from the 1920s through the 1960s. His film acting career began during the silent films, silent film era. Bi ...

as Cattle Baron (uncredited) *

Kermit Maynard Kermit Maynard (September 20, 1897 – January 16, 1971) was an American actor and stuntman. He appeared in 280 films between 1927 and 1962. Early years Born in Vevay, Indiana, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Maynard and a lookalike ...

as Carson (uncredited) *

Bud Osborne Leonard Miles "Bud" Osborne (July 20, 1884 – February 2, 1964) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films and television programs between 1912 and 1963. Biography Osborne was born Miles Osborne in Knox County, Texas, ...

as Deputy Dan Mercer (uncredited) *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Parnell was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent eight months in the Arct ...

as Bitter Creek (uncredited) *

'Snub' Pollard Harold Fraser (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962), known professionally as Snub Pollard, was an Australian-born vaudevillian who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s. Career Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 N ...

as Town Barber (uncredited) * Jason Robards, Sr. as Alert Coffeyville Citizen (uncredited) *

Buddy Roosevelt Buddy Roosevelt (born Kenneth Stanhope Sanderson; June 25, 1898 – October 6, 1973) was an American film and television actor and stunt performer from Hollywood's early silent film years through the 1950s. Biography Roosevelt was born as Kenn ...

as Lt. Lake (uncredited) *

Harry Semels Harry Semels (November 20, 1887 – March 2, 1946) was an American film actor. He appeared in over 315 films between 1917 and 1946. Career Semels made his film debut in 1917. He appeared in several Three Stooges shorts for Columbia Picture ...

as Bettor (uncredited) *

Robert J. Wilke Robert Joseph Wilke (May 18, 1914 – March 28, 1989) was an American film and television actor noted primarily for his roles as villains, mostly in Westerns. Early years Wilke was a native of Cincinnati. Before going into acting, he h ...

as Deputy Marshall (uncredited)

Production

Filming started September 1945.

Reception

''Variety'' said it "had plenty to entertain the adult trade." The film made a profit of $557,000.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p211 Producer Nat Holt and Randolph Scott later made a similar Western which also featured real life figures in ''Trail Street''.

References

External links

* * * {{Tim Whelan 1946 films 1946 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Roy Webb Films directed by Tim Whelan RKO Pictures films Revisionist Western (genre) films 1940s American films English-language Western (genre) films