The Bushwhackers (1951)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This is a pretty good western drama. Good cast and fairly interesting story concerning the railroad and bushwhacking gunmen. The film is set in a time right after the civil war ended and many railroads were starting to be built.Artemus Taylor, his daughter Norah and a couple of roughnecks try to run the rest of the town out of the area by bushwhacking them in order to claim their land for themselves and sell that land to the railroad. Once the town starts piecing together the puzzle they have to find a way to fight back against the bushwhackers. There is one man that might can help save the townspeople, Jefferson Waring. Waring was in in the in civil war but swore to never use a gun again - can he, will he help the townsfolk? Worth watching if you Western films.7.5/10

Considering the film has two of my very favorite film noir heavies, John Ireland and Lawrence Tierney, I sure expected it would be better. I also expected it would not be a western, as both these actors were known for their contemporary performances--not westerns (especially Tierney).The film begins with the Civil War ending. Ireland is sick of the killing and vows never to harm anyone ever again. Frankly, this really telegraphed where the film would eventually go, as you KNEW that sooner or later he'd have to plug someone. And that someone or some people would be the gang run by a real nut-case, Lon Chaney, Jr.. The problem is that Chaney's performance is waaaay over the top--so much so that you terrible performance by Chaney can't help but laugh at him! Really. And there's also the insane lady who loves shooting people and acting, like Chaney, quite histrionic. They really help give the film a nice insane chic look! Overall, however, the film is a very ordinary western that wastes some good actors--mostly because they had no idea what to do in this sort of film. One of the only ones who did seem in his element was Jack Elam--king of menacing cowboys.

Ex-Confederate John Ireland flees reconstruction and it's test of his vow of non-violence. Heading west, he winds up in a town under the thumb of powerful land baron Lon Chaney and his sadistic enforcer Lawrence Tierney, who are killing stealing land in anticipation of the railroad. Trying to leave, Ireland is only pulled in deeper.Another hard-boiled, low-budget 1950's western noir, The Bushwhackers is vivid and fairly violent entertainment that's definitely worth checking out. Like nearly all good westerns, it does a great job of manipulating the viewer, building up to the moment when all bets are off and the hero straps on his six-gun to take care of business.Here, Ireland and Tierney are fantastic. It's too bad that these two great actors were pretty much relegated to minor films (Tierney especially) due their alleged drunken exploits.The rest of the cast, Wayne Morris, Dorothy Malone (who's beautiful), and Jack Elam, are all great too.

Some films, like Citizen Kane, still look actual even though it was made in 1941. Others, like The Bushwhackers from 1952, seem older than those talkies of the early thirties. The reason? A very, very low budget and a director that really belonged to TV. The actors are excellent, and it is surprising to see them together in a western were obviously lowering the cost was so crucial. John Ireland is Jefferson Waring a man that after the civil war is over goes west because he does not want to use guns anymore. There he meets Dorothy Malone and her father, who print the newspaper and also Wayne Morris, the marshal. There is also a bad guy, Lon Chaney and his mean daughter Myrna Dell, not counting the notorious always mean Jack Elam. A very similar story made an excellent western some years later, "The Violent Men". I enjoyed "The Bushwhackers" because of the actors and also the amusing primitive, low quality type of film making, something rare in the westerns of the fifties.