As the line in the song goes, "Whatever happened to Randolph Scott?" I really admired Scott in his pre-Western days. And, although I (along with the rest of America) grew very tired of Westerns by the end of the 1950s, I always looked to Randolph Scott Westerns as being pretty good for the genre. Here, however, I have to agree with a handful of our other reviewers who find this film a confusing mess! Let's see, some sheriffs are good guys, some are bad guys; some outlaws are good outlaws, others are bad outlaws; and some good sheriffs hang out with outlaws. That about sums this movie up. Oh, and I almost forgot that practically every real outlaw ever mentioned in cowboy movies is in this film...even though there is no historical evidence they were together in the period of lawlessness in what became the Oklahoma panhandle.So, is there any reason to watch this confusing mess? Well, yes. Gabby Hayes, certainly the best cowboy sidekick in the business, is prominent in the film...although not exactly as a sidekick, but rather as one of the orneriest of the bunch who seems to be treading a fine line between the good guys and the bad guys. And, it's still nice to watch Randolph Scott, even if the plot is shaky. And, one of my favorite character actors -- Ray Collins -- is along, although I don't see this as one of his better roles.There are lots better Westerns out there...and lots worse. This film is in that middle ground -- not memorable, but "decent" (at least in terms of keeping your interest). But this is FAR from "Rio Bravo" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence".

Hollywood and History do not, as a rule, go well together.Once again a western movie is damaged by over-saturation of big-name outlaws -- real people but who lived and died very differently from the script's portrayal.Frankly, I watched with trepidation, but was soon more than placated by the very high quality of cast -- and, shucks, the presence of Randolph Scott alone will usually save any movie.Here he is assisted by Gabby Hayes, in an unusual but surprisingly moving characterization, and by an actress of whom I know nothing, Ann Richards, a very lovely woman, but whose allegedly English accent never did sound quite right. Turns out she is from Australia.The bad guys were played by some, not just veterans, but champions, people such as Lawrence Tierney, Tom Tyler, Steve Brodie, and Nestor Paiva.A character named Belle Starr just captivated, just stole each scene she was in, and looking later at the list of players I realize why: She was played by the great Isabel Jewell.Several more wonderful actors did not even get credit, and once more we have to pause and say a little prayer of thanks for IMDb.com. There are John Hamilton, Buddy Roosevelt, Kermit Maynard, Emory Parnell, who even has some lines, and Elmo Lincoln.The great and unheralded Bud Osborne has a pivotal role early in the film, but no credit.Despite the foolishness in using some of the outlaw names, the script has a lot of very good dialog, and it moves, with lots of characters having lots of action."Badman's Territory" is, finally, a very good movie.

Badman's Territory is a unique Randolph Scott film in that it has as its chief villain, a bloodthirsty United States Marshal in the person of Morgan Conway. Other than playing Dick Tracy this might be Mr. Conway's finest moment on screen.Randolph Scott is a local sheriff who's aiding Conway in pursuit of the James gang. When they get away, each blames the other, but Conway shoots Scott's brother James Warren who then is taken by the James gang to the Oklahoma panhandle, better known as the Badman's Territory. It's that because it is unorganized with no established law and therefore a haven for the famous outlaws of the west.They do flock there, everyone, the James gang, the Dalton gang, Belle Starr and Sam Bass. In real life none of these characters ever met, but this is Hollywood. Randy goes into the territory and finds all kinds of adventure and a little romance with Ann Richards.Conway's portrayal anticipates what Kirk Douglas did on screen many years later in his acclaimed western Posse. Conway's a bloodthirsty man who's got big ambitions for that strip of territory. Some of his actions indicate a man on horseback and in the post World War II era that would have struck a resonating tone with the movie going public.Of course it's outlaw Bruce Dern that brings Douglas down in Posse and in 1946 you had to have an honest sheriff in Randolph Scott do the deed. Still with Code restrictions in place, Badman's Territory is a good Randolph Scott western. And I'm sure made a few dollars for RKO back in the day.

Here is a great idea: make a western with all the famous outlaws showing up: Jesse and Frank James, The Dalton brothers, Belle Starr and Sam Bass. It must have been financially rewarding because two years later "Return of the Badmen" came out with many of the same actors. Scott is a sheriff that ends up in a town full of outlaws looking for his brother who had been shot. There he falls in love with Ann Richards, who runs a newspaper. The real bad guy is Morgan Conway, who is supposed to be the one on the side of the law. Gabby Hayes gives a great performance as Coyote, quite different from his usual sidekick roles. Fast paced and entertaining.