Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #153896 in VHS
• Released on: 2001-03-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 70 minutes

Customer Reviews

Pacifist John Ireland Fights For Right!
From 1951 "The Bushwhackers" is a Western with quite a cast. From the veteran actors to the up and comers, every scene has a familiar face. John Ireland leads as Jefferson Waring. A Civil War weary Southern soldier who, when the war has ended, vows he will never pick up a gun again. Totally devastated by the destruction done to his beloved Virginia, he hits the road and heads West for a life of peaceful coexistence...or so he thought.

Landing in Independence, Missouri, he sees another kind of war going on. A personal one, of the towns folk. An evil land baron and his gang of no good-nicks is terrorizing the homesteaders, and leaving dead bodies and orphans in his wake. Waring witnesses the evil doings, but has taken a vow of peace and refuses to get involved. When the gang hits closer to home though, Jefferson must pick up a gun once more to provide peace for the town.

Directed by Rodney Amateau, this black and white, gives a good feel for the post war era, Waring's struggle within himself, and is one that Western lovers could get comfy with for a little over an hour. Ireland is very likable and engaging in his good guy role. The cast as mentioned, is a treat in itself. An older Lon Chaney Jr., although certainly not his best work,is the mean but sick old land grubber that can wipe out entire families with one word to his henchman. Young Dorothy Malone is the feisty beautiful romantic interest for our guy. Wayne Morris, Lawrence Tierney,Myrna Dell and Frank Marlowe add their talents, and look for Jack Elam and Robert Wood as the henchmen.

This film is available on Platinum Disc's "Great American Western" DVD series. It is on Vol 12, along with "The Gatling Gun", "The Sundowners"(the 1950 Robert Preston/Robert Sterling) film) and a campy spaghetti Western , "Savage Guns"(not the Richard Basehart film). On the Platinum Disc, "The Bushwhackers" appears dirty and grainy, but viewable(you can hardly go wrong for the price).

By the way, I've seen this film listed as both "The Bushwhackers" and "The Bushwackers"(Without the second H). The opening credits has it as Bushwhackers(just in case this is important to anyone)

So saddle up and head for Independence, with John Ireland and root for the good guys!
Happy Trails....Laurie