The Younger Brothers

An outlaw gang's hopes of a pardon are threatened when they're framed for crimes they didn't commit.

Promised their freedom if they keep out of trouble; paroled bank robbers Cole (Morris); Jim (Bruce Bennett) and Bob Younger (James Brown) join kid brother Johnny (Hutton) in Cedar Creek; Minnesota; unaware that their troubles have already begun. Set up by Daniel Ryckman (Fred Clark); an ex-Pinkerton cop who claims they cost him his job; Johnny is falsely accused of murder; while sultry bandit Kate Shepherd (Paige) robs a bank and makes Cole her fall guy.

The Younger Brothers travels a well worn trail in the "outlaw" western genre - and here the brothers are trying to keep on the straight and narrow, but this being a western with a modicum of chases and gunsmoke, for them that's going to be hard to achieve- especially with a vengeful ex-Pinkerton man and Janis Paige - a lady bandit - trying to scupper their chances to change. These two are the most interesting characters and what drives this rather routine yet efficiently made film. However, it's fuse doesn't always burns bright, it lacks a little punch, the colour tone is too dark, but it's entertaining with some good acting and a sufficiently constructed plot.