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I would have liked to have given Kansas Raiders a slightly higher rating but for the corny script. At no time could I imagine Jesse James, as played by the legendary Audie Murphy, as having a conscience. As I understand it, James was a cold blooded individual, where here, Murphy keeps having twinges of sympathy and romantic notions. Hollywood at it's most watered down. On the up side, it's beautifully shot with some rousing and quite brutal raids on the North by Quantrill's ragbag of followers from the South, during the American Civil War. There's a nice performance by Brian Donlevy as Quantrill and on looking at the cast as the movie starts, was quite taken by seeing Tony Curtis listed as the fifth name, here playing Kit Dalton, one of Murphy's pals. Other character actors of some fame are featured include Richard Long and James Best, and two actors who went on to have some measure of fame as leading men, Scott Brady and Richard Egan. Marguerite Chapman is the leading lady, although I've never heard of her before, and average for the period. I can always watch Murphy, who always underplays with an air of authority, and I think a better actor than some gave him credit for.

Kansas Raiders is directed by Ray Enright and written by Robert Richards. It stars Audie Murphy, Brian Donlevy, Marguerite Chapman, James Best, Scott Brady and Tony Curtis. A Technicolor production, music is by Milton Rosen and cinematography by Irving Glassberg. Plot has it that the James and Younger Brothers along with Kit Dalton, join Quantrill's Raiders after witnessing at first hand some Redleg atrocities. However, after believing they would be fighting soldiers for the war effort, the men find themselves participating in equally worse war crimes - something that deeply affects the young Jesse James.

OK, it's very fanciful in the telling of a bitter and sad period of American history. Facts of the period and the characters are jettisoned in favour of making an exciting 1950s Oater. Any hope of a depth strewn historical take on William Quantrill's Raiders will only lead to disappointment - something that is all too evident with many of the venomous reviews of the film out in internet world. Yet judged on its own unfussy entertainment terms, then the film scores high for the casual Western fan as shoot-outs, knife fights and stand-offs ensure things always stay perky.

The ominous black flag of Quantrill.

On narrative terms pic provides enough of an edge to make its point, for we are left in no doubt about the "atrocity exhibition" dealt out by Quantrill's Raiders, there's also a neat thread within about the corruption of youth. Yes, for sure this be a picture low on accuracy, but crucially it doesn't soft soap the subject to hand. This is a 1950s production after all and the makers at least manage to leave us in no doubt about the nature of the crimes committed by certain factions in the Civil War. In fact, a couple of scenes really leave indelible images, and from an action viewpoint the "sacking of Lawrence" is excellent in construction and the impact that it garners.

Production wise there's good value on show, Glassberg's Technicolor photography is gorgeous, and not just for the Garner Valley and Kanab locations, but also for bringing out the quality of the set decoration (Russell A. Gausman/Ruby R. Levitt) and Bill Thomas' costuming. Cast are fine without pulling up any trees, where Donlevy is clearly the class act on show, but here as Quantrill he gets by on presence alone, the absence of outright character nastiness is sorely felt. The latter of which, however, is provided by the solid Brady as Bill Anderson. Murphy as young Jesse James has youthful exuberance and bravado down pat, while Curtis as Kit Dalton is enjoyable in amongst the five group dynamic.

Marguerite Chapman (Coroner Creek) as Kate Clarke (Quantrill's girl) has the tough task of playing the sole female in the film, and although she's well older than the character in real life (and coming off as a right cradle snatcher due to the writer's artistic licence), she does do a nice line as a sexy and wise older woman for the scenes she shares with Murphy's baby faced Jesse James. All told, historical fudging aside, this is a fine Oater that began the decade on a high for Audie's rewarding assault on the Western genre. 7/10

"Kansas Raiders" was another of those fast moving little 80 minute westerns turned out by Universal. As was their custom, they liked to cast many of their up and coming young actors in various roles. This one is no exception.

The story takes place during the Civil War where five young riders, Jesse James (Audie Murphy), Frank James (Richard Long), Kit Dalton (Tony Curtis), Cole Younger (James Best) and James Younger (Dewey Martin), are looking to join up with Quantrill's Raiders.

They ride into Quanrill's camp and enlist in his service. Quantrill (Brian Donlevy) takes a shine to young Jesse, who in turn has an eye for Quantrill's woman, Kate Clarke (Margeurite Chapman). After Jesse kills Tate (David Wolfe), one of Quantrill's lieutenants in a knife fight, he is elevated to Tate's position. Jesse learns that Quantrill's other lieutenant, the brutal "Bloody Bill" Anderson (Scott Brady) kills without provocation.

The boys go on raids with the Raiders and Jesse sees the senseless brutality and killing of innocent people. He begins to have second thoughts. After the pillaging of Lawrence Kansas, the gang is pursued relentlessly and they decide to desert Quantrill. However Jesse and the boys remain loyal until.........................................

Murphy, Curtis, Brady, Long, Best and Martin all went on to varying degrees of success in the coming years. Donlevy had a long and successful career playing classy villains. Chapman here, looks too old for the boyish looking Murphy. This was Murphy's second film and he carries most of the picture. Richard Arlen and a young Richard Egan also appear as Union cavalry officers.

Director Ray Enright keeps the story moving and the raid sequences are particularly well done. The "glorious" Technicolor photography is equally stunning.

Audie Murphy, the most decorated US soldier in WWII, would make a career out of these fast paced little oaters over the next 15 years.

What are you going to do when you are a national hero; the most decorated combat soldier of WWII? Among his 33 awards was the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive. In addition, he was also decorated for bravery by the governments of France and Belgium, and was credited with killing over 240 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many more.

Well, I guess you go kill out in the Ole West, and that is JustWhat Audie Murphy did. This is one of his early efforts and it really is not a bad one. He plays Jesse James who, along with his brother Frank, the Younger brothers and Kit Dalton join Quantrille's Raiders until they realize just what he was and become sick of the whole thing.

Tony Curtis is here - I think it may have been the second film he did.

A good shoot 'em up about a sordid chapter of our history.

A handsome vehicle for up-and-coming young Audie Murphy as Jesse James with an interesting cast supporting him both old (Richard Arlen), new ('Tony' Curtis, as he was now billed, now fifth billed and finally getting close-ups) and shortly to be blacklisted (David Bauer under his Hollywood alias 'David Wolfe'). Although shot in pristine Technicolor, parts of it look positively gothic and it's even rather gory in places, the blood showing up bright red.

Most westerns set in the final days of the Civil War mention Quantrill's raiders only in passing, but here he for once takes centre stage in the imposing form of Brian Donlevy, almost twice the age Quantrell was himself, who died aged 27 far less heroically than depicted here.

Marguerite Chapman as the Colonel's robust, immaculately coifed Girl Friday (aptly described as a woman rather than a girl) in glossy red lips and amazing eyebrows is obviously in her thirties and makes baby-faced Audie Murphy looks even younger than he already does; and her interest in him throughout seems more maternal than romantic).

Frank and Jesse James, along with the Younger brothers and their pal Kit Dalton join Colonel Quantrill's guerrillas in order to fight the Union, but soon realize they've joined an army of bloodthirsty murderers.

This colorful studio B-picture is a decent enough showcase for war-hero Audie Murphy playing a teen-aged Jesse, as well as up-and-comers Tony Curtis and James Best, who aren't given enough to do.

As William Quantrill, Brian Donlevey gives the film's most interesting performance, portraying the rebel leader as cold, calculated, and quite mundane, all at the same time! Murphy's strange attraction to and utter revulsion for him make up most of the film's conflict.

One thing that disappoints though, is the throwaway nature of Scott Brady's character. Brady was always a pretty good character actor and a pretty mean heavy. Here, he leaves the picture way too early, long before the dramatic possibilities of his character are exhausted.

Finally, during the sacking of Lawrence, Kansas, the manager of the bank being robbed by the James gang rushes at Murphy exclaiming, "You little sh...!" before being interrupted. Was he going to say what I thought he was going to say? Did the actor's ad-libbing almost go too far?

Kansas Raiders was an opportunity for Universal-International to display some of its young contract players of the time to see who might have some career potential. In terms of career longevity all of them had varying degrees of success.

With Audie Murphy as young Jesse James and Richard Long as brother Frank with Tony Curtis as Kit Dalton and James Best and Dewey Martin as the Younger Brothers we see them all as young guns during the Civil War from Missouri all joining up with William Quantrill to raid, plunder, and pillage the west.

Quantrill has never really gotten a revisionist view from either history or Hollywood. He's a murdering skunk who's using the Civil War as cover for what he would be doing in civilian life anyway. But he's probably seen in the best Hollywood light possible in this film.

Brian Donlevy in this very confused story is as bad as they come, but he does take a kind of fatherly interest in all these young men who've come to join up with him. That's the problem with Kansas Raiders, Quantrill's character is so badly written you can't understand why all those young potential outlaws see in him.

Definitely for fans of the above named players only.

Kansas Raiders is a neat little film, with, one suspects, a higher budget than most Audie Murphy westerns. An interesting cast (I didn't realise Kit Dalton was from Da Bronx) and an ambitious and ambiguous premise make this a worthwhile way of passing the time.

Interesting and colorful film dealing with the bloody Bushwackers , including the Lawrence massacre . Concerning Jesse , Frank James brothers : Audie Murphy , Richard Long , Younger brothers, Cole and James : James Best , Dewey Martin and Dalton: Tony Curtis . They are young men who from Missouri go Kansas to join the Bushwackers militia commanded by William Clarke Quantrill, Brian Donlevy , and Bill Anderson , Scott Brady .They carry out a violent raid on the pro-Union town of Lawrence , Kansas. But Jesse is disillusionated with Quantrill guerrilla executing violent looting and slaughters against innocent civilians. The historic Lawrence Kansas raid ...aflame again in all its fury !

Good Western packs thrills , action , fights and spectacular raids . Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our protagonist joins the rough band of Bushwackers , but things go wrong when Quantrill and Anderson execute their razzias at whatever means by killing and rampaging , carrying out war crimes . Features impressive as well as moving attack scenes punctuated by great action scenes and thrilling go riding . Audie Murphy gives an acceptable acting as the brave historical figure Jesse James who seeks both , justice and vengeance against Union soldiers who encroached his ranch and killed family . Murphy won more than 10 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including Congressional Medal of Honor and he was prized by 5 decorative medals by France and Belgium , post-WWII. Murphy starred a great number of Westerns as The kid from Texas , Cimarron kid , Gun point , Night passage , The gunrunners , Posse from hell , Gunfight at Comanche , Rifles Apaches , The unforgiven, Legend of Sam Ward , Whispering Smith , 40 guns at Apache pass , Texas Kid . Here Rebel Murphy falls under the spell of the Southern Major Quantrill very good played by veteran Brian Donlevy , later on , being developed a love triangle among Audie Murphy , Marguerite Chapman and Brian Donlevy .Along with an awesome support cast such as : Scott Brady as Bill Anderson, Tony Curtis as Dalton, Richard Long , Dewey Martin, James Best , Kellogg , George Chandler , Richard Arlen and a minor role by Richard Egan as First Lieutenant, among others.

It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography by Irving Glassberg , in Universal International Pictures style . As well as evocative and stirring musical score by Milton Rosen . The motion picture was well directed by Ray Enright . He was a western expert , as he directed a lot of Westerns , the first film he made was Trackers by the police , starring Rin Tin Tin , he subsequently directed Bad Men of Missouri, Men of Texas , The spoilers , Sin town, Alburquerque, Montana , Return of the bad Men , South of St Louis , Flaming Father , among others. Rating 7 out 10 western, better than average . Well worth seeing.

The flick based on real deeds , these are the following ones : The Lawrence Massacre, was a rebel guerrilla attack during the U.S. Civil War by Quantrill's Raiders, led by William Clarke Quantrill, on the pro-Union town of Lawrence, Kansas. The attack on August 21, 1863, targeted Lawrence due to the town's long support of abolition and its reputation as a center for Jayhawkers and Redlegs, which were free-state militia and vigilante groups known for attacking and destroying farms and plantations in Missouri's pro-slavery western counties .By 1863, Kansas had long been the center of strife and warfare over the admission of slave versus free states. In the summer of 1856, the first sacking of Lawrence sparked a guerrilla war in Kansas that lasted for months. John Brown might be the best known participant, but numerous groups fought for each side in Bleeding Kansas.By the beginning of the American Civil War, Lawrence, Kansas, was already a target for pro-slavery ire, having been seen as the anti-slavery stronghold in the state and more importantly, a staging area for Union and Jayhawker incursions into Missouri. Initially the town and surrounding area were extremely vigilant and reacted strongly to any rumors that enemy forces might be advancing on the town. However by the summer of 1863, as none of the threats had materialized, citizen fears had declined and defense preparations were relaxed.Quantrill himself said his motivation for the attack was, "To plunder, and destroy the town in retaliation for Osceola. That was a reference to the Union's attack on Osceola, Missouri in September 1861, led by Senator James H. Lane.The attack was the product of careful planning. Quantrill had been able to gain the confidence of many of the leaders of independent Bushwhacker groups, and chose the day and time of the attack well in advance. The different groups of Missouri riders approached Lawrence from the east in several independent columns, and converged with well-timed precision in the final miles before Lawrence during the pre-dawn hours of the chosen day. Many of the men had been riding for over 24 hours to make the rendezvous and had lashed themselves to their saddles to keep riding if they fell asleep. Almost all were armed with multiple six-shot revolvers.Lawrence in ruins as illustrated in Harper's WeeklyBetween three and four hundred riders arrived at the summit of Mount Oread, then descended on Lawrence in a fury. Over four hours, the raiders pillaged and set fire to the town and killed most of its male population. Quantrill's men burned to the ground a quarter of the buildings in Lawrence, including all but two businesses. They looted most of the banks and stores and killed between 185 and 200 men and boys .

I'll always wonder why Hollywood could waste talent when given opportunities so golden. The raw talents of much of the cast here was completely undercut by an abbreviated, romanticized script only faintly resembling historical events. Audie Murphy, so young in this case, significantly outperforms the cheesy part he's given, sometimes acting profoundly with just his eyes and body language. His trademark speech patterns, recognizable in much of his other work in my opinion ranks equal with Gregory Peck in terms of depth and sincerity. Other young actors rise to meet his level acting above the quality of the thin and barely cohesive plot.

Secondly, the director of photography deserves praise for skill and editing, but the studio gets raspberries for location. I've been to Kansas enough times to know the erratic boulder, pine, and fir strewn mountain ridges seen in this "kansas" are nowhere in reality. California is diverse enough to provide ample locations and, I know politics and money rule, but why the heck couldn't the Central Valley be considered? With the obvious well-endowed budget this film got it just appears the studio assumes its audience was too stupid to know better at the time. I hope not.

As commented by others, it's regrettable that the writers forfeited an opportunity to correctly document a basic record of the Quantrill gang and its opportunistic co-opting of the Civil War for its own gain. Inventing the early conversion of an idealistic and noble Jesse James and gang and making a fictional romance the focus of the story seems consistent with how Hollywood made money then and to a larges extent, now.

By comparison, it's a tightly edited, almost too-well edited movie. I wished some things were better developed. But, it's not dopey like so many from the period. And, the photography, as un-Kansan as it is, is beautiful.

Honestly, I didn't get past the opening scene of the movie. Jessie and Frank James, the Younger Brothers and one of the Daltons are on a mountain side surrounded by tall pine trees looking down in the valley at the town of Lawrence, Kansas. Evidently whoever made this movie has never been to Kansas. Can you spell F-L-A-T? Oh, there are some nice little hills covered with deciduous trees, but not mountains and tall pines. After that scene, the movie lost all its credibility so far as I was concerned. I can't stomach movies based on the lives of real people that stray so far from the facts. The "heroes" of this film were in reality murdering outlaw bank robbers that would today be called "sociopaths." They were not "heroes" in any sense of the word.

A friend of mine claims to love movies, but once, when watching a King Kong remake, as the giant gorilla crushed a ship with a giant, hairy paw, he exclaimed "A gorilla can't do that!" It seems to me that most of us do not go to films for an actual history lesson, much less for accuracy, but for a well-make story enacted with enthusiasm by a well-chosen cast, for a good soundtrack and often, brilliant color and startling scenery. I was highly entertained by Kansas Raiders, accepting it was a Hollywood western, full of well-made action sequences, nicely drawn characters and some semblance of conflict. There are so many interpretations of Jesse and Frank James in films, and so many theories about what kind of men they really were that I have stopped worrying about which one interpretation might be correct; I'll go to scholarly works of history for that, should it be necessary. This said, Kansas Raiders is an action-packed film with Audie Murphy, certainly watching in this early effort, and a magnetic performance by Brian Donlevy as Quantrill, dictator of a brutal army (I must admit I felt sorry for Donlevy the actor, as all through the film, indoors and out, riding a horse in the blazing sun on dusty trails, he wears what appears to be a heavy wool confederate uniform with gold braid and a high collar). It's fun to see Tony Curtis in his sixth Hollywood film, in a good part of his scenes, playing plaintive folk songs on a harmonica). And there's Richard Arlen, a star in his own right twenty years earlier. as a Union officer. So there's all kinds of reasons to enjoy this Western, should you wish to. If your looking for real-life in a Western movie, you can likely skip about 70 percent of the Hollywood product from the 40's and 50's. Otherwise, there's a gold mine to be discovered!

The tag lines suggest some sort of historical authenticity with this story. You don't get it, but what you do get is an entertaining western, with plenty of action and a slightly left of centre, quite unexpectedly, interesting version of Jesse James.

The storyline involves a "Young Guns" version of the James Gang, joining up with Quantrill's Raiders, where we witness, the young and by inference still semi-innocent Jesse, come under the influence of a conniving, but also charming William Quantrill and as some sort of counterpoint, Quantrill's fictional girl friend, Kate.

The boyishly young-looking Audie Murphy is really well cast as Jesse James, whilst Brian Donlevy, though far older than Quantrill in real life, does his usual, very competent, smooth -talking villain. Other casting interest sees both Tony Curtis and Richard Long in early pre-fame roles, as members of the James- Younger gang, but playing fairly marginal roles. Indeed Long plays Frank James, Jesse's faithfully loyal older brother, but the two characters have little one on one time with each other.

The interest for me is seeing James here portrayed as a flawed hero. We never really understand why he lets himself believe the very obvious spin of Quantrill. But ultimately at story's end he emerges as very much a vacillating character, who we feel should have acted more heroically, than we see him occasionally do in the film.

The print I saw was obviously restored and I have no hesitation in saying looked glorious in technicolour.

I'm still waiting for a definitive 21st century movie on Quantrill's Raiders, as I feel there is an obvious classic western tale to be filmed around the subject.

If you're a fan of Audie Murphy's many other western films you'll like this one too. There's not really any surprises here, it's just a well done boilerplate 1950s western film. Murphy is good as always. It's faster paced than a lot of westerns of this era too, with plenty of gun-fighting action to go around.

All I know about Director Ray Enright is that he was born in the 19th Century and put out mainly B pictures... but KANSAS RAIDERS is not bad. Not that its historically inaccurate script is overly gripping, or its cinematography memorable for longer than a few days.

That said, the quality of the acting by Audie Murphy as a young Jesse James looking to find and follow the infamous Confederate black flag leader William Clarke Quantrill, masterfully and duplicitly played by Brian Donlevy, keeps the film ticking at a pace fast enough to keep the spectator watching with some interest.

Marguerite Chapman provides the female angle - and what a lovely bird she is! 7/10.

I caught this movie on AMC's Saturday Morning Western. AMC usually shows decent movies, but this one was awful. Definitely not one of Audie Murphy's best. I understand that Audie was not originally an actor, but his acting was wooden and virtually emotionless. You would think that after 5 movies under his belt Audie would have been better.

The movie centers around Jesse James and his gang traveling to Kansas to join Quantrill and his raiders. Jesse wants to join the raiders, in part, in order to get revenge on the Yankee soldiers that destroyed his home, maimed his mother and hung his father. While on their way to find Quantrill the James/Younger gang are almost hanged as spies by the Red Legs, Union guerrillas. Once the gang finds Quantrill, they request to join.

First, Jesse James is very naive. In fact he passes over naive and into very, very stupid. The gang arrives just in time for Quantrill to pass judgment on some prisoners. Quantrill has Union POWs shot as spies. Next Quantrill's henchmen shoot and kill a man whose wife and baby were gunned down in one of Quantrill's raids. Innocent people being shot? Why doesn't this bother Jesse James? The James/Youngers join the Raiders and go on their first raid. The Raiders proceed to butcher all the people in the town. Jesse is dismayed, but not too much as soon goes on another raid. On the second raid, Jesse only agrees to go when Quantrill promises that only soldiers would be attacked. What happened next? The Raiders kill more civilians. When will Jesse get at clue? The Raiders are chased off by the Union Army. Eventually, Quantrill is blinded in a gunfight and the gang escapes with Quantrill in tow. The gang eventually hides out in a burned out farmhouse. The gang pities Quantill now that he blind. But why? The man was a thief, scoundrel and killer in uniform. It was very hard for me to find any sympathy for Quantrill. But the idiots of the gang followed him to the end.

Eventually the Union Army shows up at the farmhouse at night. There is a $10,000 reward for the kill or capture of Quantrill. The Union Army gives the gang until dawn to surrender Quantrill. Why? I would have just burned the farmhouse down. But the Union officer even says that he doesn't want the gang, only Quantrill. Jesse comes up with the idea for the gang to sneak out the back of the farmhouse. Why wasn't the farmhouse surrounded? When only Quantrill and Jesse remain, Quantrill orders Jesse to leave. But Jesse refuses to leave without Quantrill. Quantrill tricks Jesse and shoves him out the back door. Quantrill then stumbles his way out the front door into the waiting arms of the Union Army. Quantrill is shot down like the dog he is. Jesse and the gang get away and become legends.

What bothers me is the ending narration that states the gang became great because of the association with Quantrill. How utterly stupid. Quantrill was an evil person and the gang continued to follow blindly. I was very happy when this trash was finally over.

The men are really posing for other men in this film, and right at the beginning of the film in glorious 50's colour a group of pretty boys are chewing the proverbial cud, and I could not help but think there was a glint in some of their eyes hoping for some other kind of action. Tony Curtis is there and for a heterosexual man he seemed to be just waiting for that camp role in ' Some Like It Hot. ' Jesse James is played by Audie Murphy who does not quite convince as the very young Jesse James but he acts reasonably well. There is also a very cute scene where he has his hair washed by his brother Frank James, and among the cast only Brian Donlevy as Quantrill the butcher raider brings the film into a more heteronormative atmosphere. Too old for the role ( Quantrill was in his twenties at the time ) a glimpse of Richard Egan on the sidelines shows he could have been a better choice. This is a boy's film to the hilt, and there is a sufficient amount of brutal killing to satisfy the most ardent frustrated male in the audience. These Westerns of the 1950's with their male glamour and unlikely clean and colourful clothing often ( perhaps knowing it ) show a certain ' Queer ' perspective of men, and the women that are there are often ignored, or just there to add to the scenery the audience expected. Marguerite Chapman in this film gives a bit of sullen romance to Audie Murphy, but nothing that makes the earth move. I almost forgot that the very sexy Scott Brady is Quantrill's sidekick, and he also adds to the ambiguity of this genre of cinema. A brief few years in cinematic history a large number of these ' fun ' male fantasies were alive and well before they fell into the dull pattern of trying to be serious. Well directed this film is well worth watching.

AMC channel used to have a pretty good array of old movies. Apparently for what they regard as revenue purposes, ratings, etc., during daytime or prime-time hours, you're more apt to see the likes of "Jaws," "Conan...," or mediocre flicks (some from a "classic" year like 2004) - listed for the umpteenth time.

For some reason, recently they seem to fill Saturday mornings with a lot of Audie Murphy oaters.

Audie was a good-looking young man, and well-known as our most-decorated soldier from WW II. Regardless, Audie had the acting talents of, say, the average second- or third-lead in a 7th-grade parents' night play.

I had never watched one of these Saturday flicks, but noticed this one when I turned-on the t.v. today, with Audie on-screen in Western attire, Tony Curtis with his Bronx accent, and identified, respectively as Jesse James and one of the Dalton boys.

They escaped the clutches of some civilians about to lynch them, freed by a Union officer - soon to join Brian Donlevy, the notorious Quantrill, the "raider."

I remembered something of Quantrill from a long ago school paper on the Civil War - but was curious to refresh my memory, and relate the facts to this film.

This proved more entertaining than the film.

At the time of the flick, Audie was 27 - in the story Jesse James would have been 16.

Donlevy, in real life, was 49 - in the film, Quantrill would have been 24 or 25 (he DIED, after moving-on later, AT 27).

The actress playing Quantrill's wife, Kate, was 33 at filming. In real life, at the time of the flick, she would have been 15 or 16 (Quantrill married her when she was 14 - she was a ripe old 17 when he died). There is no record of her having been at-odds with her husband's activity - or that she was romantic with Jesse (although as teens, they might have played a game of tag, or could have innocently played some "spin the bottle").

The film also contains two segments. among its most entertaining. When Donlevy "swears-in" Audie and Tony, plus their three young cohorts, to his band - it's not unlike Errol Flynn as "Robin Hood," explaining the mission to some recruits as he adds them to his group of "merry men." And later in the film, Donlevy's brief lecture to Audie about leadership and its demands is akin to George Scott's ("Patton") conversing about the same with Karl Malden (Omar Bradley) in the A-level Oscar film. Donlevy also points-out that Kate, as a "woman," cannot understand this. This is especially humorous, again realizing the real-life men would have been in their mid-20's and late teens, respectively, and Kate 15 or 16.

You need some facts to view in contrast to the film to enjoy it even minimally -- although there is always at least a small measure of amusement in seeing these corny old Westerns which were often made during the 30's to 50's period.

1950 brings us another Audie Murphy Western, this time he plays probably the greatest historical villain known to most, Jesse James. Coming at the end of the Civil War, James, his brother Frank & others find themselves avoiding the red legs by falling under Colonel Quantrill's (a Southern military leader known for his thieving than his efforts to continue the fight against the Union army) command. Believing this person is the one to bring the war effort to a focus, James is constantly demoralized by the reality of Quantrill's goals which comes to a head when the enemy closes in. Being especially busy for the short running time, this film ultimately becomes the red headed stepchild to better James & company efforts (The Long Riders, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid & The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) cramming a lot of incident into the narrative making it feel like the story needed to reach the finish line no matter what which is a shame since Brian Donlevy does a good job in his role.