Rage at Dawn

Released in 1955 and directed by Tim Whelan, "Rage at Dawn" stars Randolph Scott as a special agent sent to Indiana to infiltrate the notorious Reno Gang, who carried out the first three peacetime train robberies in the USA. The stolen money was largely never recovered. Forrest Tucker plays the top member of the gang, Frank, while Mala Powers plays the honest sister of the brothers, Laura, whom Scott's character decides to romance.

There's only one other movie based on the exploits of the Reno Gang, which was Elvis' debut film "Love Me Tender," released the year after "Rage at Dawn." "Rage" is more faithful to the true story, although the special agent played by Scott is fictitious and Laura, while not part of the gang, wasn't squeaky clean as depicted, plus she was loyal to her brothers. But the movie's accurate in that Clint Reno (Denver Pyle) refused to be part of the gang and was called Honest Clint, not to mention the notorious ending is faithful to history, albeit no one was apprehended for the "crime" (I'm being ambiguous because I don't want to give it away).

Scott is at his charismatic best here as he romances a girl that's clearly younger than half his age. Randolph was 56 during filming whereas cutie Mala was 23 (!), but this is okay once you understand that Scott's character is supposed to be around 35 (even though he looks like he's at least 50). Forrest Tucker is also great as the malevolent Frank Reno.

Unfortunately, the obvious California locations ruin the movie because the story's set in the Ohio River region of Indiana, Missouri and surrounding areas, which look nothing like California. Moreover, the last act isn't very engaging despite the action; it somehow loses the interest attained in the first two acts. Still, "Rage at Dawn" is one of only two movies based on the Reno Gang and it's the more accurate of the two; not to mention the principle actors are great.

The movie runs 87 minutes and was shot in Columbia, Sonora & Chico, California.

GRADE: C+

After burning an undercover agent alive, outlaw brothers Forrest Tucker, J. Carroll Naish, and Myron Healey are infiltrated again, this time by former Confederate super-spy Randolph Scott, sent by the Peterson (Pinkerton?) Detective Agency. He ends up falling in love with the brother's pretty, law-abiding sister.

A slight cut above some of Scott's usual 1950's B-westerns (the ones not directed by Budd Boetticher), this has really good production values, entertaining heavies, as well as a script with some great hard-boiled moments and bits of nasty (for the 50's) violence. Also, you can't go wrong with Edger Buchanan as a crooked judge!

Scott gives one of his typically tough, yet upright performances, while Tucker and Naish work well together and almost steal the show as the meanest of the Reno brothers.

"Rage of Dawn" is one of a series of excellent westerns made by Randolph Scott in the 1950s. This one has Scott posing as a train robber in order to infiltrate the Reno Brothers gang in 1866.

The brothers Frank (Forrest Tucker), Sim (J. Carroll Naish) and John (Myron Healey) among others are ambushed during a holdup attempt in which their youngest brother is killed. They suspect an informer. It turns out to be Peterson Detective Agency man Murphy (Arthur Space) who is quickly eliminated. Back at the Peterson office, Mr. Peterson (William Forrest) assigns Monk Paxton (Kenneth Tobey) to the case along with ex-southern spy James Barlow (Scott). They stage a phony train robbery in order to gain the gang's confidence. They then take refuge at Barlow's "uncle's" (Ralph Moody) ranch and await contact from the gang.

Meanwhile, Barlow has become acquainted with the Reno's sister Laura (Mala Powers) and sparks fly. Good Reno brother Clint (Denver Pyle) pleads with Barlow to take his sister "away from all of this". Barlow gets in with the gang and learns that the local Judge (Edgar Buchanan), prosecutor (Howard Petrie) and sheriff (Ray Teal) are involved with the gang.

Barlow sets them up in a train robbery and the Reno Brothers are arrested. Concerned citizens Fisher (Trevor Bardette) and Dedrick (James Lydon) form a lynch mob and go to the jail, overpower the local sheriff (George Wallace) and.......

This has got to be one of the greatest casts of veteran western performers ever to appear in one film. Western lovers will know what I'm talking about. In addition to those mentioned above you'll spot Mike Ragan (aka Holly Bane), Dennis Moore, Chubby Johnson and William Phipps in other roles.

One of Scott's better westerns of the period.

This was one of the last movies that Randolph Scott made before he joined with Budd Boetticher as director to make his best films. It is still a good one and Tim Whelan did a good job in his last years.

One of the interesting things in the film about catching the predecessors to the James boys, the Daltons and the Youngers, was the references to voting. The ladies were saying that someday they would get the vote and they would have the scum running the town that harbored the Renos. It was interesting watching this on the anniversary of the 1915 vote by the House to keep denying women the right to vote.

Golden Globe nominee Mala Powers was excellent as the Reno sister that had to choose between what was right and her brothers. Of course, she was easy pickings for the smooth talking Scott.

Lots of shooting and western fun for those that like that, but with Scott you always get some great acting.

Pretty standard 50s western fare here...nothing you wouldn't expect.

However, as I grew up in Jackson County, Indiana, it was quite strange to hear the names and the communities from my childhood as the locale of the story.

By the way, whoever wrote the "trivia" for this film has no idea what they're talking about in regards to the "flat plains" of Indiana. The film notes at the beginning this is "Southern Indiana" -- and my home county has some significant hills and very rolling landscape. Central and northern Indiana IS flat. Where this movie takes place is definitely NOT.