"Dark Command" (1940)

Above, from left, Roy Rogers, Claire Trevor, Walter Pidgeon and John Wayne. Republic Pictures photo.

Last night, I watched for the first time in probably 40 years Dark Command (1940), starring Claire Trevor, Marion Morrison, Walter Pidgeon, Gabby Hayes, Marjorie Main and Leonard Slye. The DVD arrived in the mail yesterday.

Marion Morrison was John Wayne, of course and Leonard Slye was Roy Rogers. This was the only movie Wayne and Rogers appeared together.

According to Wikipedia:

Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor) marries a seemingly peaceful Kansas schoolteacher William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon), before finding out that he harbors a dark secret. He is actually an outlaw leader who attacks both sides in the Civil War for his own profit. After capturing a wagon loaded with Confederate uniforms, he decides to pass himself off as a Confederate officer. Her naive, idealistic brother Fletcher (Roy Rogers) joins what he believes is a Rebel guerrilla force. Meanwhile, Cantrell's stern, but loving mother (Marjorie Main) refuses to accept any of her son's ill-gotten loot. 

A former suitor of Mary's, Union supporter Bob Seton (John Wayne), is captured by Cantrell and scheduled for execution. After being rescued by a disillusioned Fletcher McCloud, Seton and Mary Cantrell race to the town of Lawrence (site of an actual infamous Quantrill-led massacre) to warn the residents of an impending attack by Cantrell's gang.

It was an entertaining movie loosely based on actual people and events. Pidgeon played a good, slimy villain and it was a treat to see the future Ma Kettle (Marjorie Main). Roy Rogers was pretty young in this movie and he was quite good in this picture. There was none of the "King of the Cowboys" persona evident here. Naturally, Gabby Hayes was good as usual for some comic relief.