a5c7b9f00b The Younger brothers, Cole (<a href=">Dennis Morgan), Bob (<a href=">Wayne Morris) and Jim (<a href=">Arthur Kennedy), return to Missouri after the Civil War with intent to avenge the misdeeds of William Merrick (<a href=">Victor Jory), a crooked banker who has been buying up warrants on back-taxes and dispossessing the farmers. Henry Younger (<a href=">Russell Simpson), their father, has been killed by a Merrick henchman and, then, Cole is framed on a murder rap. The brothers escape and then begin a series of bank and train robberies, primarily stealing from Merrick and turning the loot over to the farmers. Jim, in love with Mary Hathaway (<a href=">Jane Wyman), is lured into Harrisonville and jailed. Cole and Bob ride to rescue him. Sanitized telling of the Younger brothers tale with poor casting choices in the leads.<br/><br/>Dennis Morgan was an agreeable entertainer and if his role of Cole Younger had been a singing cowboy he would have been fine. However the Youngers were a tough band of outlaws and nothing in Dennis's demeanor indicates anything close to that. The same goes for Wayne Morris cast as brother Bob. He was a fine light comic player and also very believable in war pictures since he was a real life flying ace but all wrong in an 1860's Western setting. The only one of the actors who is remotely believable is Arthur Kennedy as Jim Younger and even he seems a bit callow. <br/><br/>Along for the ride and giving a truly atrocious performance is Alan Baxter as Jesse James. He could not possibly be less animated and his line readings have all the expression of someone reading from the phone book.<br/><br/>As the love interest for Arthur's character there is a very blonde Jane Wyman early in her career. She's pretty and tart but also seems somewhat out of place. Really the only actor that seems entirely at home is Victor Jory in his usual villainous mode. He's squirrelly and slick but at least seems comfortable in his part.<br/><br/>Not a dreadful movie, though hardly the place to look for the true facts of the lives of the Youngers, but really just another programmer churned out to fill the bottom of a double bill using performers on their way up whether they are suitable or not. Ray Enright was a good director for westerns , they all have a special quality. Enright went back to the same theme again (Jesse James and the Youngers) in 1950 with "Kansas Raiders". "Bad Men" is an entertaining film with a trio of excellent actors: Dennis Morgan, Wayne Morris and Arthur Kennedy. It also has Jane Wyman. The story is about the Younger brothers and how after the war their land was taken away, and they became outlaws, Robin Hood style. They eventually join up with Jesse James. This film does not seem to have been made such long ago as 1941, it looks surprisingly modern.
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