Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Randolph Scott plays Jim Dancer, a man in search of revenge for the murder of his brother. He rides with the Quantrell gang and after killing Evelyn Slocom's ( Joan Taylor ) father, believing he was the killer of his brother, Dancer now finds himself a wanted man. Years pass and he is now the Marshall of a Kansas town where he defeats another violent gang with the help of a young Jesse James ( Dale Robertson ). Randolph Scott and director Edwin L. Marin bring about an exceptional gripping atmospheric western. With a balanced amount of storyline complexity, a surprisingly powerful violent opening scene for the time and plenty of excellent elements of surprise, leaving the viewer wondering how it will all come to a climax. Also, the dark cinematography gives towering Randolph Scott an imposing quality, perfect for his character. Fighting Man of the Plains may very well be one of his best westerns to close out the 1940s. With a superb line up of excellent character actors along with the young Dale Robertson, this western hold ups extremely well. A full synopsis would only give away too much watching enjoyment for the reader. If you are a fan of Randolph Scott and western genre, I highly recommend giving " Fighting Man of the Plains " a look.

One of the nice things about FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS is seeing VICTOR JORY in a role where he's playing the hero's friend rather than a villain. It's an above average RANDOLPH SCOTT western that was apparently filmed originally in Cinecolor but the TCM print is in B&W.Scott is a man running from his past who is mistaken for the lawman who captured him but got killed along the way to bringing Scott to justice. We learn later that Scott was justified in killing a man in self-defense and did not deserve a reputation as a lawless outlaw.He proves such a good shot when attacked by a town bully, that the townspeople appoint him sheriff of a small Kansas town, post-Civil War 1870s. He's able to keep that disguise for most of the story, until some of the crooked elements in town find out his true identity and make trouble for him before he can explain what happened.The whole story has a pleasant Zane Grey feeling about it--although it's an original one written for the screen. BILL WILLIAMS is cast against type as a villain and JANE NIGH is the romantic interest as Jory's business partner.Plenty of action and a colorful story combine to make a good Randolph Scott western worth catching. DALE ROBERTSON is introduced as Jesse James, a man who comes to Scott's rescue when the going gets tough.

I was just 6 years old when I saw "Fighting Man of the Plains"...my parents took me and my sisters to a drive-in movie in Indianapolis, Indiana. We used to go to the drive-in about once a month, because it was the best way for a young family to get a night out. What I remember most about the film is that rather early-on Randolph Scott is under arrest, and he and the lawman are taking a small raft-like ferry across some water, when a horse rears-up and its hoof smashes the lawman in the face. The movie was in color, and the close-up of the bloody face was mesmerizing. Randolph Scott then assumed the lawman's identity and went on to bring law and order to a lawless Kansas town. I grew-up to become a successful television news anchor/reporter and video producer...but I would love to see "Fighting Man of the Plains" again. It was a seminal moment in my childhood, and forever marked Randolph Scott...and westerns...as some of my favorite movie fare.

Although I only saw this film once (when it was released 50 years ago), it is one of my favorite Randolph Scott westerns. The combination of a turbulent setting (Quantrill's murderous raid on Lawrenceville, Kansas, and post Civil War Kansas ) and the main character's efforts to atone for his wartime actions by keeping the peace in a violence prone Kansas cow town rank it even with or better than Scott's later films directed by the acclaimed director, Budd Boetticher.