User Reviews

Though Randolph Scott is the nominal star, Rage At Dawn really isn't about him. It's about the gang he's sent to capture, the infamous Reno brothers who operated out of Indiana right after the Civil War. Scott in fact does not make an appearance until a quarter of the film is over.

After one Reno brother is killed in a failed bank robbery, the three remaining outlaw Renos, Forrest Tucker, J. Carrol Naish, and Myron Healey, are still very much in business. They kill an informant who was working for the Peterson(Pinkerton) Detective Agency and plan future robberies at the home of their sister Laura who is played by Mala Powers.

William Peterson assigns two new men to the job, Kenneth Tobey and a former Confederate spy Randolph Scott. The rest of the story is about their capture and the aftermath.

With a little research I found the story hardly sticks to the facts. Scott for instance is a totally fictional character though the Pinkertons were very much involved in the apprehension. Mala Powers is portrayed as deploring their crimes, but still loyal to her brothers, in fact she was quite the wild child in her day and aided and abetted the male Renos in every way. Only two of the Renos were in fact lynched in the end by a mob, the character of John Reno who Myron Healey plays died in prison.

One thing is true, by intimidation and bribery the Renos did have a safe haven in their home county in Indiana. The three county officials who were on the Reno tab are Edgar Buchanan-judge, Ray Teal-sheriff, and Howard Petrie-county prosecutor. The three of them are the best thing in Rage At Dawn. I don't blame Randolph Scott for saying that he'd rather go after them than the Reno brothers.

Scott is a cynical hero in this one, part of his job in the Civil War as a spy was romancing the wives of high placed union officials, so he's got no problem courting Mala Powers to get the job done. I doubt the real Laura Reno would have fallen for it. Still Scott turns in a good performance.

As does the rest of the cast in this film, though I will say Indiana is not the usual setting for a western. Maybe this one should be called a Midwestern.

Western about one of the most famous outlaws bandits of them all . The year 1866 , the location is southern Indiana , this is the true story about Reno brothers : Frank , Simeón , John , Bill , being exception the good Clint , a respected farmer (Denver Pyle) . It's a retelling of the wild adventures that made the Reno brothers clan legendary among outlaws passing into American folklore . They were the first train robbers in American history and killing and looting . This famous gang rode through the middle border states , setting the model for the future noted bandit bunches as : Doolin , James , Younger, Dalton.. Forrest Tucker and J.Carroll Naish are the leaders of the Southwestern outlaws gangs pursued by lawmen . Reno brothers join forces with town authorities , judge and sheriffs (Edgar Buchanan and Ray Teal) . Film starts with a fateful raid but they have been betrayed and execute a killing , burning to agent Peterson for revenge . Then , a special agent (Randolph Scott) along with a supporter (Kenneth Tobey) are assigned in order to get the bad guys , as they carry out a set-up , simulating the train robbery . Meanwhile , the protagonist falls in love with gang's sister (Mala Powers). The picture is based on facts that had a sad finale . As ten members of the Reno gang were lynched in three separate incidents in 1868 . The first three were taken by vigilantes from a train . Three others were lynched at a later time . They were technically in federal custody when they were lynched. This is believed to be the only time in U.S. history that a federal prisoner had ever been lynched by a mob before a trial.

Good Western in which the Reno gang pull off raid banks , treasure offices , trains , and other robberies in post-civil war , Indiana . Stylish , fast paced , solid , meticulous and a violent look with numerous shootouts . Randolph Scott leaving time ago the secondary roles as when he was still playing supporting characters in top films as ¨Jesse James¨ (Henry King) , ¨Virginia city¨ (Michael Curtiz) and ¨The spoilers¨ (Ray Enright) . Scott also played a famed outlaw in ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ (Gordon Douglas) . The support cast makes equally notable performances . The film is shot in California State parks as it is shown on the colorful cinematography by the nice cameraman Ray Rennahan . Storyline by Horace McCoy and Frank Gruber , two usual and important Western screenwriters . The motion picture was splendidly directed by Tim Whelan (co-author ¨Thief of Bagdag¨) . The flick will appeal to Western lovers and Randolph Scott fans

Set in 1866 in Southern Indiana, "Rage at Dawn" is based on the true story of the Reno Brothers, purportedly America's first band of train robbers. In the opening sequence, the citizens of North Vernon lie in silent wait for the Brothers, tipped off to a bank job they intend to foil. Though one brother is killed and left behind, the Reno's return to exact revenge on the Peterson Detective Agency contact who placed them at the bank with unique precision.

Enter Randolph Scott as Peterson Agent James Barlow; his mission, along with fellow agent Monk Claxton (Kenneth Tobey), is to infiltrate the Reno Gang, gain their confidence, and put an end to the operation. Faking a thirty thousand dollar train holdup, Barlow attracts the Reno's attention, and gradually gets around to whetting their appetite for a hundred thousand dollar payday.

The film boasts a top notch cast of TV and big screen Western veterans, including Forrest Tucker, J. Carroll Naish, and Myron Healey as the Reno Brothers, Denver Pyle as the honest Reno, and Mala Powers as sister Laura providing a romantic interest for Scott's character. Fans will also recognize Ray Teal as a dishonest sheriff in league with the Reno's, and Edgar Buchanan as what else, but a greedily smarmy judge who coordinates Barlow's entry in the Reno circle.

The story itself proceeds rather smoothly for the Peterson agents; for his part, Barlow's plan moves along virtually without a hitch. There are no cliffhanger scrapes for him to get out of, unless you count the relationship with Laura he uses to get close to her brothers. The shootout with the Reno's does leave his partner Claxton dead, chalked up to one of those hazards of the trade. Scott's character gets a chance to exhibit some heroism in the face of a lynch mob, but fails to stop the town of Seymour's citizens from hanging the Reno's.

I would stop short of hailing this film as a great Western as some other posters have noted. It's a passable film, though not as good as some of Randolph Scott's other Westerns, including "Ride the High Country", "The Tall T" or "The Bounty Hunter". Filmed in Technicolor, the print I viewed was rather garish at times, offering orange colored gunshot bursts and blue hued night time scenes. As a chronicle of the actual story of the Reno Brothers I would have to reserve judgment, as I don't know enough of the historical facts to have an opinion.

I quote from the message on the screen at the beginning of the film "This is the true story of the Reno Brothers.....who were the first train robbers in American history". Well, the film then begins with the Reno gang being shot up attempting to rob a bank, with brother Bill killed. I could find no evidence that this gang ever attempted to rob a bank, and no Reno brother was ever shot dead! Sister Laura is presented as a refined young woman who disapproves of her brother's criminal activities, but continues to harbor them out of filial loyalty. Well, the real Laura Reno was a mid-teen wild child at this time, who supported her brother's activities, whatever they might be. But, we couldn't have 57 year old Randolph Scott wooing an under-aged wild girl!

Next thing we know, the Pinkerton(renamed Peterson) Detective Agency selects Scott's character(James Barlow), an ex-Confederate spy and notorious ladies man, to head a bogus train robbery near the Reno's headquarters, to attract their attention. That's right, according to the film, the Peterson(Pinkerton) Agency staged the first train robbery in US history, and the Renos became train robbers only at the urging of Scott's character, after he was accepted as one of their gang! According to the film, the Reno's one attempt to rob a train was a disaster, resulting in the capture of all by Peterson(Pinkerton) agents waiting in the express car and in the surrounding bush.Failed bank robbers and failed train robbers. That is their claim to fame? Actually, they staged two successful train robberies before being thwarted by Pinkerton agents in their 3rd attempt, more or less as dramatized in the film, except that they were not wounded nor captured, as shown in the film!

Two members of the gang, not the whole gang as depicted,did rob the courthouse in Gallatin, MO. John Reno was recognized, arrested and jailed long term as a result of this raid. Other gang members robbed a number of other courthouses in various upper Midwest states.The undramatic truth is that the other Reno brothers were captured by Pinkerton agents while hiding out in Indianapolis or in Canada.Presumably,the title of this film referes to the rage of the citizens in the regions frequented by the gang, provoking them to carry out 3 lynching incidents, not just the one shown in the film.As shown in the film, 3 Reno brothers met their fate in the last of these 3 lynching incidents, although the film got one of the brothers involved wrong. Unlike in the film, no one in these large vigilante groups was ever tried or jailed for these lynchings.

The Reno brothers and their extended gang were much more versatile and successful in their criminal activities than depicted in this film, which portrays them as a poor man's prelude to the James-Younger gang. Why was this gang so reviled, whereas the James-Youngers were often hailed as heroes by locals and much better remembered today? The James Gang only robbed banks and trains, which were mostly owned by Yankee investors, and didn't much directly impact the ordinary people, mostly southern sympathizers, in the regions where the robberies took place. In contrast, the Reno brothers had a much more diverse criminal resume. They robbed various private businesses and a number of post offices and courthouses. In addition, when they used a certain hotel for their headquarters, they fleeced and sometimes murdered the guests, which increased the reputation of this region as a dangerous destination for future would be travelers. Also, they were assumed responsible for a rash of unexplained fires over a period of years, that destroyed homes and businesses. Many of these deeds hurt the locals or local government activities, rather than some far off set of investors.During the Civil War , they sometimes received bonuses for volunteering, or payment for taking the place of draft dodgers, then promptly deserted to repeat the process elsewhere, under an assumed name.The film could have illustrated some of these activities instead of a bogus failed bank robbery! It could have also spent some time exploring their childhoods for reasons for their mass criminal personalities. The Renos were hardly poverty stricken. They had substantial agricultural land holdings, which actually aided them in their criminal careers. The film does emphasize the intimidation and bribery of local law officials, which much extended their criminal careers.

In summary, this oater should not be regarded, as claimed, a decent historical portrait of the Reno gang. Rather, it should be regarded as just another Scott-starring yarn, with an unusually talented set of supporting actors, exploiting the Reno gang notoriety as a reference point.Scott plays his southern gentleman persona to the hilt in dealing with the Renos and others, especially Laura. I down grade the film for claiming to be much more than what it actually delivered. It does nicely dramatize the point that vigilante justice is sometimes the only practical way to rid a community of a chronic criminal element, when the official justice system fails to do so, for various reasons.It also dramatizes the importance of the Pinkerton Agency at a time long before the FBI existed. This film is currently available very cheaply as part of a Scott Western Collection DVD package.

Take a great western yarn and throw in a good dose of romantic interlude and you subtract from, not add to, the storyline. This is the case with Rage At Dawn. What should have been a story concerning strictly the pursuit and capture of the notorious Reno outlaw gang is diluted by the lovey-dovey entanglement of the pursuer (Randolph Scott) and the sister of the outlaws falling A over T for each other. (highly improbable in the real world) . This is especially so after the gang's capture and ultimate hanging by a town lynch mob. By the way, this element alone would make for a very fine movie in its own right, don't you think?

Although this widescreen color production avoids few clichés of the 1950s Western, it's still diverting in its small way. The opening credits proclaim the film's historical accuracy. Actually, it's not that accurate -- not according to the entry on Wikipedia anyway -- but it sticks closely enough to real events. You can tell because an entirely fictional movie would have one climax, usually a shoot out. And there IS a shoot out here, after undercover agent Randolph Scott arranges for the gang to be ambushed during a trait robbery, but it's followed by still another climax, five minutes later, in which the surviving gang members are lynched.

No doubt the Reno brothers were unkempt miscreants. They don't joke, laugh, or have fun. Their faces are sour masks. They murdered and thieved their way through life beginning in adolescence. But the movie gets a bonus point for giving them at least some allegiance to each other that goes beyond the merely functional. They're like the Clanton gang in John Ford's "My Darling Clementine". They're unquestionably bad but they're rather more than incarnate evil.

And they lynching scene gives them some additional dignity. They take it the way Saddam Hussein took it. Scott tries to stop the lynching but fails. In actual fact, there were not three but ten gang members lynched, in three independent groups, at different times. There was a national uproar over the mob violence, as there should have been.

I don't mean to suggest that any of this is handled particularly well by the director. Neat photography and nice location shooting -- nowhere near Indiana -- but director Tim Whelan just rolls everything along on its formulaic track. The shoot out, for instance, is confusingly staged and fecklessly done. The characters shoot without aiming -- sometimes without even LOOKING in the direction they're shooting. Laura Reno, a real figure, falls improbably in love with Scott after the exchange of a few pleasantries. But what originality there is, is in the script, which defines the characters in ways that sometimes, very gently, nudges our conscience. Longfellow was wrong but he had a point when he wrote, "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."

I wish some thought had gone into the title. "Rage At Dawn." I mean, really, couldn't they do any better than that? It's one of those generic titles. One size fits all. "Guns of Darkness," "Another Dawn," "Trapped." They should have let me have a crack at it. I'd have given them something that would SELL. "Agape and Malevolence in the Western Eidos." God, they'd come from hundreds of miles around to see a 1950 movie with a title like that. And they'd crawl all the way if they had to -- through the snow.

RAGE AT DAWN, directed by Tim Whelan, with a screenplay by Horace McCoy, features Randolph Scott and tells the story of a band of bank robbers, the Reno brothers; bringing them before the law needs a trick to be pulled upon them—a secret agent, played with relative detachment and some good—humor by the phlegmatic Scott, the legendary western lead, will become a gang member.

Without being a bad movie, RAGE AT DAWN is representative for the unspectacular, even mediocre outings with which slightly uninspiring though essentially dependable western actors like Scott and Murphy are usually associated. Some notes here would signal to you the rugged, brutish and mean physiognomies of the Reno brothers—fact underlined by them always appearing grouped; some satire aiming at the small—town corruption; the essentially barren, austere, dry landscape. Now daddy Scott was a slightly low—profile actor, rural and average enough to let the movie go as it intends.

First a bit of trivia: In the opening segment as the Reno Boys are riding into the Indiana Territory township for the robbery you can see an American Flag (with 48 stars I imagine) in the background with a California state flag underneath it, with it's bear in the center. The movie was shot in part in California's Columbian Historic Park in 1955..................... Anyway, I thought the movie was excellent and realistic, well told, the writing was excellent and well acted by everyone involved. What a superlative cast: Tucker was excellent, as evil as I ever saw him in any movie, Buchanan, a wonderful actor, was his sly self to perfection, as usual, Mala Powers as beautiful as usual in what I consider an unnecessary part (I wonder if this was a true part of the story), in 1955 you had to have a love interest to sell movie tickets or they supposed it to be. You also had Jimmy Lydon (Henry Aldrich), Arthur Space, Myron Healey, Kenneth Tobey, Denver Pyle, all familiar faces even today, doing what they did best; act, under the fine direction of Tim Whelan, creating what I would think 1866 was like. Also with great music by Paul Sawtell and photographed beautifully by Ray Rennahan. A Fine film that held my interest.

The notorious Reno outlaw gang ride into the town of North Vernon in Indiana in 1866 and try to rob the bank, but the good citizens have prepared a reception for them, and they manage to surprise and kill one of the gang. Forrest Tucker of "Sands of Iwo Jima" heads up the Reno gang as Frank. His brothers include Sim Reno (J. Carrol Naish of "Tiger Shark"), John Reno (Myron Healey of "Combat Squad"), and Bill Reno (Richard Garland of "The Lawless Breed"). Bill dies during the abortive bank robbery, shot dead on the plank walk outside the bank after the gang had climbed out of a high-walled wagon that they had hidden in during the ride into town.

The authorities pursue the gang on horseback to the county line where they have to rein up because the Renos control the law in Jackson County in which they live. Indeed, the Jackson County authorities receive a percentage of the proceeds from each Reno gang robbery so they tolerate the brothers. Anyway, Frank Reno is furious about Bill's death because he suspected that something just wasn't right when they rode into town. Meanwhile, his sister Laura (Mala Powers of "The Storm Rider") isn't overjoyed about it either. She serves as their cook and allows them to live in the house that she inherited from her parents. Laura's relationship with her outlaw brothers ripples with tension. The Renos believe that a spy must have warned the citizens of North Vernon. Initially, Sim accuses their psalm-singing brother Clint (Denver Pyle of "The Dukes of Hazzard") of informing on them, but they discover that the real rat is Murphy (Arthur Space of "Target Earth"), a bartender in town who sends messages to the Chicago-based Peterson Detective Agency. Frank, Sim, and John beat Murphy up, tie his unconscious body to a stall in a horse stable, and torch the place. 'Cremated alive' proclaims the press when word of Murphy's death reaches the Windy City. After word reaches the Peterson Agency, they hire James Barlow (Randolph Scott of "Seven Men from Now") to lead the investigation. The Detective Agency boss tells one of his seasoned hands that he has recalled from Denver, Monk Claxton (Kenneth Tobey of "The Thing from Another World"), that he is to follow all of Barlow's orders "implicitly." According to the Peterson chief, Barlow is worth "an army of men." Western novelist and scriptwriter Frank Gruber of "Northern Pursuit" wrote the story for "Rage at Dawn" and crime novelist Horace McCoy penned the screenplay. This outdoors melodrama is another one of those movies where the hero stages a hold-up to infiltrate a gang, but Barlow plans to have the Reno brothers ask for him to join them than the other way around. Barlow is known to be "irresistible" to the ladies and he helps Laura when he meets her in the store and flashes his cash from the 'supposed' robbery. Meanwhile, Prosecuting Attorney Lattimore (Howard Petrie of "The Tin Star") and the sheriff (Ray Teal of TV's "Bonanza") visit the Reno place and question Frank about the robbery. Repeatedly, Frank assures them that the Renos did not rob the train, but Sim observes that he wished they had waylaid the train and taken the $30-thousand dollars. Frank spits in contempt at the prosecutor, and the sheriff and Lattimore leave as Laurie returns from his grocery shopping. During her shopping in town, she met James Barlow and he helped her carry her goods to her buggy. When two Reno gang henchmen tried to run the unarmed Barlow off, he roughed them up and disarmed them. Barlow is posing as a painter. Not surprisingly, when Lattimore and the sheriff return to town, they have a parley with another member of the local government, the judge (Edgar Buchanan of "Texas"), who is in on the graft and corruption, too. Lattimore is worried because their collusion with the Reno brothers is the worst kept secret in the county. Eventually, the corrupt officials get suspicious about James and Monk and drag them in for questioning. Barlow demands to see the judge and he works out a sweet deal with his honor. The corrupt officials send Barlow along with the Renos in their next hold-up and Barlow shoots the gun out of a clerk's hand during the robbery. The Renos are angry with Barlow because he forced them to flee too early, but Barlow defends his actions. Instead of letting the employees stand up during the robbery, Barlow argues that everybody should have been on the floor. Peterson and Barlow arrange for another robbery for $100-thousand dollars and Barlow informs the judge. Reluctantly, the Renos agree to ride with Barlow and Monk, but Sim threatens to kill Barlow once they've robbed the train..

"Rage at Dawn" gets off to a nimble start. Director Tim Whelan introduces us to the nefarious Reno brothers in the opening 20 minutes. After Whelan and McCoy have established the Renos' villainy and the corruption of the Jackson County officials, Scott makes his entrance. Before Scott shows up, the Peterson Detective Agency president builds him up to Monk and his son as a titan. Previously Whelan had directed Randolph Scott in "Badman's Territory" (1946). Moreover, in 1950, Scott and Tucker co-starred in "The Nevadan." "The Nevadan" had a similar plot with Scott going undercover. Ostensibly, "Rage at Dawn" is just another disposable western shoot'em up. Nevertheless, Scott, Tucker, Naish, and a veteran cast are a pleasure to watch and Whelan paces the action agreeably enough in this solid, if uninspired oater. Most of the DVD versions of this public domain western are full-screen, but you can tell from the pictorial compositions that the screen ratio wasn't 1:33.1, but was probably either 1.66 or 1.78, because characters are cut-off in the frame. Ray Rennahan's color photography gives this oater an epic quality. Beware of the PMC Corporation DVD version; the lips are not synchronized properly with the dialogue.