Rage at Dawn *** (1955, Randolph Scott, Forrest Tucker, J Carrol Naish, Mala Powers, Edgar Buchanan, Ray Teal, Myron Healey, Denver Pyle) – Classic Movie Review 6599

Director Tim Whelan’s 1955 Western stars Randolph Scott as canny Peterson Detective Agency undercover agent James Barlow, who is taken on by the Chicago cops to hoodwink and round up the rotten real-life Reno Brothers (Forrest Tucker, J Carrol Naish, and Myron Healey) in 1866 Indiana.

Scott joins the gang by pretending to be a train bandit, and plans a train robbery trap. But soon he is in danger when he falls for the Reno Brothers’ sister, Laura Reno (Mala Powers).

With its echoes of other more famous and distinguished Westerns, there are no surprises here in the screenplay by Horace McCoy. But both the hero and the villains are ideally played by practised experts, while director Whelan handles it all with the same sure hand.

Also in the steadfast cast are Edgar Buchanan, Ray Teal, Denver Pyle, Howard Petrie, William Forrest, Trevor Bardette and Kenneth Tobey.

The film RKO film runs 87 minutes, is shot in Technicolor by Ray Rennahan, is produced by Nat Holt and scored by Paul Sawtell.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6599

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