Dark Command
“A drama of undying love.”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Dark Command
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-04-27
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Claire Trevor
Miss Mary McCloud
John Wayne
Bob Seton
Walter Pidgeon
William 'Will' Cantrell
Roy Rogers
Fletcher 'Fletch' McCloud
George 'Gabby' Hayes
Andrew 'Doc' Grunch
Porter Hall
Angus McCloud
Marjorie Main
Mrs. Cantrell / Mrs. Adams
Raymond Walburn
Judge Buckner
Joe Sawyer
Bushropp
Helen MacKellar
Mrs. Hale
J. Farrell MacDonald
Dave
Trevor Bardette
Mr. Hale
Ernie Adams
Townsman
Richard Alexander
Phil - Guerrilla Guarding Seton
Earl Askam
Guerrilla
Hank Bell
Townsman
Ray Bennett
Guerrilla
Stanley Blystone
Tough
Release History & Theatrical Window
April 15, 1940
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Raoul Walsh
- Screenplay & Story
- F. Hugh Herbert, Grover Jones, Lionel Houser
- Original Score
- Victor Young
- Original Title
- Dark Command
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Production Studios
- Republic Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Raoul Walsh
F. Hugh Herbert, Grover Jones, Lionel Houser, W.R. Burnett, Jan Fortune
Victor Young
Jack A. Marta
William Morgan
Sol C. Siegel
Department Leadership Roster
Raoul Walsh
Director
Sol C. Siegel
Producer
F. Hugh Herbert
Screenplay
Grover Jones
Screenplay
Lionel Houser
Screenplay
Adele Palmer
Costume Design
Jack A. Marta
Director of Photography
Victor Young
Original Music Composer
William Morgan
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Dark Command.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Dark Command.
Movies
What I've Watched.
War: American Civil War
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Movies
All BluRay Movies EVER
desc
John Wayne Film Collection
A chronological collection of films featuring John Wayne, spanning his early uncredited appearances and B-westerns through his major Hollywood roles and final film, The Shootist. Includes credited and verified uncredited acting appearances, while excluding television appearances, archival-footage documentaries, and films in which Wayne served only as a producer or director.
John Wayne Western Collection
Similar Titles to Dark Command
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.7
7.3
7.4
6.9![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 2 3"%3E%3Crect width="2" height="3" fill="%23161922"/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
6.0House in the Snow-Drifts
9.0
6.9
7.1
6.8
7.9
7.0
6.5
5.9
10.0
7.2
6.2
6.0
6.0
7.5
More Like Dark Command
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Command
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Dark Command about?
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.
Who directed Dark Command?
Dark Command was directed by Raoul Walsh.
Who stars in Dark Command?
The principal cast of Dark Command includes Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Walter Pidgeon, Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes.
When was Dark Command released and how long is it?
Dark Command was released in 1940 with a total runtime of 1h 34m.
Who composed the musical score for Dark Command?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Dark Command was composed by Victor Young.
Is Dark Command based on a book or true story?
Dark Command is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "W.R. Burnett".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Dark Command?
Dark Command holds official age classifications: CA: 18A; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).