dougdoepke A pacifist-minded ex-Confederate gets caught up in a land war as he seeks a new life in post- Civil War Missouri.Considering the bizarre cast, I guess I was hoping for too much. After all, the compelling Tierney, Elam, Chaney Jr. and Dell are all established movie toughies. Then there's the unpredictable Ireland and Morris, performers comfortable playing with a wobbly moral compass. And finally there's the luscious Malone playing the good citizen, though she could also wobble when necessary, e.g. Written On The Wind (1955). Trouble is Tierney's entirely wasted, disappearing early on. No scary stare or frozen face here. As a result, there's no logical showdown between him and Ireland, as dramatically promising as that would be. Also, Chaney only gets a few minutes of loopy screen time, while Morris seems unsure of what he's supposed to do as the Marshal. And the latter's really too bad since the Marshal's uncertainty could be the story's most interesting character. The narrative itself is fairly familiar—greedy plotters trying to drive settlers off their land so they can cash in on the railway coming through. Not exactly a ground-breaking premise. On the other hand, shifting alliances among the town folk add character interest, while a restrained Ireland carries the film even though in a clichéd role. Still, I like the fact that the settlers organize themselves without waiting for the hero to save the day. That's a good non- clichéd touch.All in all, I'm wondering how a budget indie like this was able to assemble such an exotic cast, and whether they had to haul legendary juicers like Tierney and Chaney out of the nearest Hollywood bar. Too bad the screenplay didn't make better use of these colorful characters. That would have made something truly memorable. Instead, we get an unexceptional if occasionally interesting western.

Spikeopath Ah, The Bushwhackers, also known as The Rebel, a Western packed to the rafters with ever watchable actors, but unfurled like an amateur homage to Oaters a decade or so before.Co-written and directed by Rod Amateau, and starring John Ireland, Dorothy Malone, Lawrence Tierney, Lon Chaney Junior, Myrna Dell, Wayne Morris and Jack Elam, film finds Ireland as Civil War veteran Jefferson Waring, who has vowed to never pick up a gun in anger again. However, upon wandering into the town of Independence, Missouri, he finds a town awash with sinister rumblings as Lon Chaney's Don Vito Corleone figure - backed by Dell's nefarious daughter - is plotting to own all the local land because the Railroad is coming and there's going to be a high premium placed on said land.Cue Waring being pulled from emotional pillar to emotional post, with Malone batting her eyelids amidst a strong portrayal of feisty sexuality, until he takes up the good fight for the greater good in readiness for the finale that holds no surprises. There's a mean spirited edge to the plot which keeps things interesting and spicy, and although they are under used, having Tierney and Elam as thugs for hire is always a good thing, but it's directed and edited in such a cack - handed way there's little to no flow to the picture. Making it practically impossible to invest in the characterisations.Unfortunately the DVD print provided by Elstree Hill is a disgrace, not even up to the standard of a VHS copy of a copy! A shame because through the gloom and scrambled fuzz of the transfer, you can see Joseph Biroc's noirish photography trying to break out. The actors make it worth a watch, in that Western fans can tick it off their lists, but nobody should be fooled into thinking there's an exciting picture here, or that it has observational intelligence about a scarred war veteran, because it has neither and Amateau's subsequent "non" career in film after this tells you all you need to know. 5/10

MartinHafer Considering the film has two of my very favorite film noir heavies, John Ireland and Lawrence Tierney, I sure expected it would be better. I also expected it would not be a western, as both these actors were known for their contemporary performances--not westerns (especially Tierney).The film begins with the Civil War ending. Ireland is sick of the killing and vows never to harm anyone ever again. Frankly, this really telegraphed where the film would eventually go, as you KNEW that sooner or later he'd have to plug someone. And that someone or some people would be the gang run by a real nut-case, Lon Chaney, Jr.. The problem is that Chaney's performance is waaaay over the top--so much so that you terrible performance by Chaney can't help but laugh at him! Really. And there's also the insane lady who loves shooting people and acting, like Chaney, quite histrionic. They really help give the film a nice insane chic look! Overall, however, the film is a very ordinary western that wastes some good actors--mostly because they had no idea what to do in this sort of film. One of the only ones who did seem in his element was Jack Elam--king of menacing cowboys.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Some films, like Citizen Kane, still look actual even though it was made in 1941. Others, like The Bushwhackers from 1952, seem older than those talkies of the early thirties. The reason? A very, very low budget and a director that really belonged to TV. The actors are excellent, and it is surprising to see them together in a western were obviously lowering the cost was so crucial. John Ireland is Jefferson Waring a man that after the civil war is over goes west because he does not want to use guns anymore. There he meets Dorothy Malone and her father, who print the newspaper and also Wayne Morris, the marshal. There is also a bad guy, Lon Chaney and his mean daughter Myrna Dell, not counting the notorious always mean Jack Elam. A very similar story made an excellent western some years later, "The Violent Men". I enjoyed "The Bushwhackers" because of the actors and also the amusing primitive, low quality type of film making, something rare in the westerns of the fifties.