Dark Command

1940 · 94 MIN · IMDB 6.7 · 3,193 VOTES · DIR. Raoul Walsh

Dark Command poster

Overview

When transplanted Texan Bob Seton arrives in Lawrence, Kansas he finds much to like about the place, especially Mary McCloud, daughter of the local banker. Politics is in the air however. It's just prior to the civil war and there is already a sharp division in the Territory as to whether it will remain slave-free. When he gets the opportunity to run for marshal, Seton finds himself running against the respected local schoolteacher, William Cantrell. Not is what it seems however. While acting as the upstanding citizen in public, Cantrell is dangerously ambitious and is prepared to do anything to make his mark, and his fortune, on the Territory. When he loses the race for marshal, he forms a group of raiders who run guns into the territory and rob and terrorize settlers throughout the territory. Eventually donning Confederate uniforms, it is left to Seton and the good citizens of Lawrence to face Cantrell and his raiders in one final clash.

Dialogue Timeline — 1,185 lines

A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE

00:01:29 A SILVER WATCH AND FIVE DOLLARS IN COIN OF THE REALM...
00:04:31 'CAUSE I AIM TO SEE THEM MOUNTAINS YOU WERE TALKIN' ABOUT.
00:07:45 NOW GIVE ME THAT GUN. WELL, I'M GETTIN' TIRED OF BEING TREATED LIKE A KID.
00:10:28 TWO BITS. OH, TUT, TUT, TUT. I SHALL SETTLE WITH YOU WEEKLY.
00:13:12 - BEEN FOLLOWIN' YOU AROUND ALL MORNIN'. - WHAT FOR?
00:16:14 FRIEND OF MINE HERE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU. [ Squeals ]
00:19:11 OH, I WAS AFRAID OF THAT. I PULLED TEETH IN BOSTON ONCE FOR A YEAR.
00:22:03 LOOK KINDA FUNNY, WON'T IT? ME SITTIN' THERE AMONG ALL THEM KIDS?
00:25:17 YOU WILL OBSERVE THAT I SAY "ABOUT" AND NOT "AGAINST, "
00:28:45 BAH, YOURSELF. YOU CAN'T TELL ME YOU WAS SO MAD.
00:31:52 I'M GOING TO BE SOMEBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, SOMEBODY BIG. STOP IT, WILL! STOP IT!
00:36:51 MM-HMM. I FIGURED ON A GUN RUN ONCE MYSELF.
00:40:12 WHERE'S MY HUSBAND?
00:43:50 OR SHALL WE SAY, THE SO-CALLED FACTS?
00:47:05 WELL, I GUESS YOU CAN TELL 'EM ABOUT THIS NOW, JUDGE.
00:51:47 JUST BECAUSE WE'RE RECRUITING IS NO SIGN FOR YOU TO RUN LOCO.
00:54:51 SAID HIS SISTER'S LEAVIN' KANSAS
01:00:50 YAH!
01:06:34 PLACE YOU'RE HEADIN' FOR IS EIGHT OR NINE MILES DOWN THE ROAD-- HILL COUNTRY.
01:10:45 NO, NO. I'M SERIOUS, WILL.
01:14:16 SETON, OVER THERE. WHERE'S FLETCH?
01:18:46 WHERE'D THOSE SHOTS COME FROM?
01:25:36 IT'S BETTER YOU AIN'T ALONE HERE. OH, MARY
03:00:04 OF THEM, MARSHAL. WELL, GET 'EM.

Cast & Characters

Dialogue Record

Lines indexed1,185
Dialogue density12.6 lines / min
First line00:01:29
Final line03:00:04

Production Record

DirectorRaoul Walsh
LanguageEnglish
IMDb votes3,193