FightingWesterner 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.

lastliberal 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.

classicsoncall 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.

lorenellroy It is more than twenty minutes into the movie before its star Randolph Scott makes his appearance and his lean craggy presence gives a decided lift to proceedings .He plays an undercover agent sent to pose as a train robber and infiltrate the Reno brothers gang who -aided by corrupt local officials -are wreaking havoc in Indiana .He then persuades the gang to embark on a train robbery with a view to entrapping them . The script is by the cult pulp crime novelist Horace McCoy and is based on a story by another feted pulpster ,Frank Gruber, and it is slick and efficient with solid performance from a sturdy supporting cast which includes dependable performers like Forrest Tucker ,and J Carroll Naish as two of the Reno brothers Handsome photography and the brisk direction of Tim Whelan are distinct assets and the historically accurate finale ends proceedings on a gritty and powerful note as frontier justice takes over from the rule of law .A good little movie which Western devotees will like