Badlands of Dakota

With such folks as General George A. Custer, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok in the background, Badlands Of Dakota is the story of two brothers Broderick Crawford and Robert Stack and the girl they both love Ann Rutherford.

Sadly this is based on a rather silly premise. Stack is the wastrel brother of Crawford who keeps having to pull him out of some bad scrapes. But he gives Stack the job of bringing Rutherford to Deadwood where he owns the great saloon and gambling parlor the Bella Union. But Stack and Rutherford fall in love and Crawford goes over to the group of outlaws who've been robbing stagecoaches headed by Lon Chaney, Jr. as Jack McCall.

Richard Dix plays Hickok and Addison Richard is Custer and they are strictly in supporting roles. Frances Farmer plays Calamity Jane who has had it bad for both Dix and Crawford, but neither can see her.

The real Calamity Jane was not a beauty to put it mildly. But Frances Farmer sure was. What was wrong with both of these guys?

Some great familiar character players are in this one and there's a slam bang raid on Deadwood by the Sioux as a climax.

But the silly plot premise keeps Badlands Of Dakota from joining the ranks of really great westerns.