The movie summary suggested that the movie depicted the life of William Quantrill, the Civil War guerrilla. However, the William Cantrell in this movie has only a passing resemblance, historically, to Quantrill. So, so much for this being an historical drama.The story itself is pretty boring. It takes forever to get going (and the total movie is only 95 minutes, so it doesn't leave much time for any action). Plus, the thing that took up all the time, the attempt at character-sketching, is token, at best. This is John Wayne, remember - he doesn't do character-drama, just action! Disappointing, and boring.

Although the American Civil War officially broke out in 1861, armed hostilities between supporters and opponents of slavery had been going on for several years prior to that in some parts of the USA, especially in Missouri and Kansas, which became known as "bleeding Kansas". "Dark Command" is a film which explores this period of American history. The main character is a young man named Bob Seton who arrives in the town of Lawrence, Kansas some time in the late 1850s. The first part of the film is dull and slow-moving, dealing with Seton's unsuccessful courtship of Mary McCloud, the pretty daughter of the town's Scottish- born banker, and his attempt to start a political career by running for Marshal. He also makes the acquaintance of the local schoolmaster William Cantrell who is his rival in both love and politics. Things start to get more exciting when Seton wins the election; John Wayne was always more convincing as an action hero than as a screen lover and as Marshal Seton has plenty of work on his plate. Disappointed by the failure of his hopes for a career in law enforcement, Cantrell decides to take up a career in law breaking and forms his own gang of outlaws to terrorise the district. He is careful, however, to ensure that his identity is never discovered so remains a mild-mannered teacher by day, an audacious bandit chief by night. (Cantrell, as his name might suggest, is based on a real historical figure, William Quantrill).The area is sharply divided between pro-Northern and pro-Southern factions, and matters come to a head when Mary's hot-headed pro-slavery brother Fletcher shoots a man dead in an argument about politics. Mary offers to marry Seton if he will grant her brother bail, but he has too much integrity to agree, knowing that Fletcher will abscond if given the chance. In desperation Mary turns to Cantrell who manages to secure Fletcher's acquittal, partly through his eloquence but mostly through the simpler expedient of intimidating the jurymen. Most films from this period with a Civil War theme tended to sit on the fence politically in order to avoid alienating either Northern or Southern audiences; an exception is "Belle Starr" from the following year which is quite disgracefully pro-Southern. "Dark Command" is never quite as biased, but even so the film-makers tend to distort history to make their film more acceptable south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The real Quantrill was a Rebel guerrilla whose activities were initially sanctioned by the Confederate high command. (They eventually disowned him because of his brutal methods). Here Cantrell is simply an opportunist robber with no connection to the Confederate forces but who dresses his men in stolen Confederate uniforms as a disguise. The murderous Fletcher McCloud, who for a time joins Cantrell's gang, is allowed to redeem himself by joining the good guys. (A rare example, during the Production Code era, of a murderer getting away with his crime unpunished and a rare example of the normally clean-cut Roy Rogers playing a criminal). The hero Seton himself turns out to be from Texas, although Wayne does not attempt a Texan accent. (Rogers does give Fletcher a Southern accent, but his efforts are undermined by the fact that Claire Trevor as his supposed sister sounds Northern and Porter Hall as their father Angus is definitely Scottish). This was the only film which Wayne and Rogers, both major Western icons, made together. It was also the only film Wayne made with director Raoul Walsh apart from "The Big Trail", Wayne's first leading role, from ten years earlier. It has its moments such as the scene near the end when Cantrell's gang attack the town of Lawrence, recreating an actual attack by Quantrill's Raiders. Too much time, however, is taken up with the romantic subplot, especially as Mary never seems a very sympathetic character. Seton may be prepared to overlook her obvious flaws such as her blatant attempts to pervert the course of justice to save her worthless brother or the lack of judgement which leads her to accept Cantrell as a husband. Audiences may be less charitable. In my view this will never really count as a major entry in Wayne's filmography. 5/10

Wandering Texas cowpoke Bob Seton (John Wayne) and a bewhiskered dentist, Dr. Grunch (George 'Gabby' Hayes), have a neat racket going for them when they ride into Lawrence, Kansas. You see, Bob baits people into brawls, usually about politics, slugs them, and they wind up going to see Dr. Grunch to have their damaged teeth pulled. When they ride into Lawrence, Bob has been assuring Grunch that he wants to see mountains. No sooner has Bob made himself clear about his destination than he lays his eyes on pretty Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor of "Stagecoach") as she is trying to cross the street. As it turns out, Bob and Dr. Grunch are blocking her way because they have paused at the local school house. Bob loves the sound of children warbling a patriotic song. The local school teacher William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon) leaves his class room to see Mary. Suddenly, Bob's itchy-footed desire to go west is vanquished by Mary's beauty. She is the daughter of the local banker, Angus McCloud (Porter Hall), and she and Cantrell are sweethearts. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in Lawrence between the anti-slavery fraction and the pro-slavery fraction. This contentiousness prompts the town to seek a sheriff. The literate Cantrell runs for office and Mary believes that he will triumph over the opposition, Bob Seton, who is illiterate. Initially, Bob goes to Cantrell to get him to teach him. During the political campaign, Cantrell boasts about Bob's honesty and courage, but Bob knows that he is just trying to make himself look like a more appealing candidate. Bob tells the populace that Cantrell has paid him a left-handed compliment, and explains that Cantrell is referring to his illiteracy. Bob turns the tables on Cantrell and uses simple, homespun humor to win the election. An embittered Cantrell decides to hit the outlaw trail rather than remain honest. Eventually, when he isn't freeing slaves and having his henchmen resell the over the border, Cantrell goes into the gun-running business. At one point, Cantrell's men confiscate uniforms for the Fifth Confederate Army, and they wear the outfits when they mount their marauding campaign of terrorism against the locals. Mary's brother Fletch (Roy Rogers) shoots a man during a fight, and Cantrell defends him at trial. Before the jury has a chance to bring in a verdict, Cantrell has scoured the countryside and threatened everything with death and violence if they don't bring in the correct verdict to free him. Late, in this 94 minute Raoul Walsh directed western, Cantrell and Bob shoot it out in his home after his mother has died. Nevertheless, Lawrence, Kansas, goes up in flames. This historical opus qualifies as an above-average sagebrusher. Walsh also directed Wayne in his first starring role in "The Big Trail" back in 1930.

"Dark Command", is a film I can recommend as a good example of the Western genre, and stars some of film Western's icons plus Walter Pidgeon, a solid professional actor, but not one usually associated with Westerns...As others have commented on the strengths/weaknesses/history, I'd like to confine my comments to some of the actors and their portrayals.In order of Billing: Claire Trevor as Miss Mary McCloud. Ms. Trevor was a fine actress and a beautiful lady, and here, Ms. Trevor gives a solid and respectable effort as a haughty lady brought down by the circumstances of her seeing the folly of her rejection of the suit of principled, Bob Seton (John Wayne), for the superficially charming, but fatally ambitious and unprincipled William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon). Ms. Trevor speaks with her normal New York accent. John Wayne as Bob Seton. Mr. Wayne has the role of hayseed drifter/hero here. Mr. Wayne does as well as he can with this role. By nature, Heroes are almost always more bland and limited than are Villains. Here, Mr. Wayne projects solidness, forthrightness, honesty, social clumsiness, and an intellectual awkwardness, that is countered by a native shrewdness. What color he adds to his portrayal, much like Jimmy Stewart's in "Destry Rides Again", are the homespun anecdotes he tells of life in Texas. Wayne uses his normal manner of speaking with a touch of western drawl.Walter Pidgeon as William Cantrell. Mr. Pidgeon was on loan from MGM for this film. Pidgeon is the villain of the piece, beginning as merely a romantic rival, and escalating to full-blown vindictive monster. Pidgeon textures his role by starting as a charming, decent, even good natured, fellow with dreams of improving his station in life. He even offers to educate Wayne's Seton, to level the field for their suit for Ms. McCloud's hand. But with his defeat in the election for Sheriff, to that same uneducated "cowboy", his shattered dreams turn bitter and vindictive, as he starts down the road to his destruction, although it is his plan to take as many as he can along that same road. IMO, Pidgeon is pitch perfect in his characterization. He speaks with his normal, rich, voice.Spoiler Warning! Roy Rogers as Fletcher "Fletch" McCloud. Mr. Rogers plays Mary McCloud's good natured (almost goofy) cowboy wannabe brother. After the truly out of character gunning down of a man with differing political outlook, the Fletch McCloud character forces a crisis of conscience for John Wayne's Bob Seton, as Trevor's Mary McCloud pleads with Wayne to abandon his principles and allow the clearly guilty Fletch McCloud to escape punishment. Later, as second in command of Cantrell's raiders, Fletch has an unexplained change of heart about the "low-down bushwhacker's" he has fallen in with. Basically, I felt that this character and his motivations were too arbitrary and underdeveloped...basically Roger's McCloud was a Deus ex Machina when the screenwriters had no clear path to continue the narrative. In the role, Mr. Rogers seems "lightweight" when compared to the other leads. Ultimately, unsatisfyingly (and I don't know how this got by the Board of Film Review), McCloud, never has to pay for his crimes. (note: this is not to always agree with the heavy handed Review Board, just a comment that it was unusual for a period film to allow a character to "get away with murder"...however, I was so annoyed by Rogers in this performance, having him self-sacrifice to allow Bob/Mary's escape would not have been unwelcome.) Throughout this film Rogers speaks with a "Hey Howdy!" affected Texas accent...Incongruent with his sister's Northern accent or his father's Scot's accent.George "Gabby" Hayes as "Doc" Gunch, practitioner of Arts both Dental and Medical. Plays his archetype as an irascible, shrewd, slightly clumsy, comic-relief sidekick. He has the sidekick camaraderie thing down with Wayne, as they had played friends and sidekicks from long before George became "Gabby". For instance, see the Lone Star film, "Blue Steel", to see Hayes playing a role as sidekick "pre-Gabby", others have mentioned Tall in the Saddle for classic Wayne/Gabby. Here Hayes is a little more grounded as a reasonable, intelligent Gabby type. Hayes routinely was a scenery chewer, but, here he is second place to...Another SPOILER WARNING! Porter Hall as Angus McCloud, banker, and father to the hero's love interest. I can see where Alan Young and the Disney Cartoon studio got the idea for "Scrooge McDuck". Hall's grasping banker with a tremendous Scot's accent was completely over the top...including a death scene that Burton or Olivier would have a hard time outdoing. Hall demands attention when he is on screen, and this, IMO, to the movie's detriment. I mentioned before my observations on the accents that the actors chose to use, perhaps it is just me, but the scenes with the three McCloud family members together are marred by Hall's and Roger's battling accents next to Trevor's completely unmatching manner of speech.LAST SPOILER WARNING! Marjorie Main as Mrs. Adams, William Cantrell's Housekeeper. Others have noted that this character plays William Cantrell's missing conscience, as his mother that he presents as his Housekeeper for reasons of pride and vanity that are only briefly touched upon early in the film. Main plays it somber and sober as a disappointed mother, who sees her last child, who she had hopes would rise above unnamed sibling's disappointments, choose his ultimately destructive path. Main is the also screenwriter's answer to the final climax with an unexpected solution to the final Cliffhanger where the now completely evil and unbalanced Cantrell has the drop on Seton and Mary McCloud Cantrell, with no apparent way to escape. Dark and brooding, Main makes the most of her small, vital, part.In summary ,a film that is worth viewing, yet, does contain some flaws in plot and characterization.