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The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949)
By admin | September 30, 2011
Randolph Scott stars in this above-average chronicle of one of the last real-life outlaw gangs of the Southwest, the notorious Doolins. The film begins with the massacre of the Dalton gang in 1892; Scott survives and recruits a new gang, including John Ireland and Noah Beery, Jr., leading successful raids against banks and trains.
But when things get too hot for them, he insists that they lay low for several months. While the gang members get itchy, Scott is befriended by a deacon and marries the deacon’s daughter (Louise Albritton), settling down to a new life as a farmer. But soon the past catches up with him and his old gang tracks him down… Randolph Scott gives a terrific portrayal of a westerner trapped by the coming of the modern age.
As one of his partners says, “Before you know it, it’ll be against the law to carry a gun.” Brisk action, standout cinematography and a well-researched screenplay which provides considerable black humor. With George Macready as the lawman who hunts Scott down.