RAGE AT DAWN

US, 1955, 87 minutes, Colour.
Randolph Scott, Forrest Tucker, Mala Powers, J. Carroll Naish, Edgar Buchanan, Denver Pyle.
Directed by Tim Whelan.

Rage at Dawn is one of many Randolph Scott westerns of the 1950s. It focuses on the outlaw brothers, the Renos, their bank and train robberies in 1866 in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. The brothers are led by Forrest Tucker.

Randolph Scott portrays an agent sent to break up the Reno gang. His method is to pose as a train robber and get the gang to join him. Despite suspicions, this is what they do and they are finally arrested – and in a somewhat shock ending, indicated by the title, they are lynched by an angry mob.

Mala Powers appears as the sister of the Renos who, of course, falls in love with Randolph Scott.

The films made by Scott in the 1950s tend to be very straightforward and, while showing their age a little, are not stuck in a time warp and are still interesting and enjoyable.

1.The popularity of Randolph Scott as a western hero?

2.The locations, the atmosphere of Indiana and the border states in the mid-1860s? The towns, the ranches, the railroads? The musical score?

3.The title, the focus on the lynching at the end, the Reno brothers and their crimes, the vindictive mob? Law and order?

4.The information about the Civil War, the border states, the gangs and the outlaws, their robbing violence? The forerunners of the other famous gangs of the 19th century? The role of the law in bringing them to justice?

5.The picture of the gang, in action with the robberies, suspicions, Frank as the leader, Simm and his gruff tone? The ambush and the death of Bill? Clint, by way of contrast, the good-natured farmer? Their being in cahoots with the judge and his associates? The dividing of the money? Their domination of Laura? Their hiding out, getting the plans, the robberies? The suspicions of Barlow, attitudes towards him? Especially concerning Laura? Their interest in him, his deals, the robberies, the plan for the big robbery and his setting it up, their going in, the shoot-out, their escape, the arrest and the lynching?

6.Randolph Scott as Barlow, his Civil War espionage record? The marshal sending him in? The local spy contacts and the means of communications? His set-up with Claxton, going to his uncle? His flirtatious nature, meeting Laura in the shop, the continued meetings, his gallantry? The attack on the Reno henchmen? The visits to the farm, the confrontations with Frank Reno? His leaving clues that he was the robber, the people in the store? The judge, the sheriff and the prosecutor? The arrest, the interrogation? Barlow shrewdly doing the deals with the judge, the division of the money? The set-up for the big robbery, his leading the Renos in, the arrest? The shoot-out, Claxton’s death? News of the lynching, his trying to save them? His return to Laura?

7.The corrupt judge, the prosecutor, the sheriff? Their being in on the deals with the Renos? Their greed? Interrogating Barlow? Their arrest?

8.People in the town, the exasperation at the Renos, their taking the law into their own hands, the lynching?

9.Popular themes of 1950s westerns, American history, the west, law and order, the outlaws?