Product Details

• Actors: Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys, George `Gabby' Hayes
• Directors: Ray Enright
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: RKO RADIO
• DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002EZ5BCG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,424 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Return of the Bad Men" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The Oklahoma Land Rush means free land -- and a cadre of outlaws amassed to prey on the newly prosperous territory. Perhaps the vilest of these lurking bad men is the shoot-first Sundance Kid (Robert Ryan). Vance knows there's no room in the wide-open spaces for cold-blooded killers like the Kid, and he'll shoot holes in any contrary notion. He'll bring peace and justice to the prairie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Scott Western, March 4, 2005

By 

Glenn Hawkins "[e-mail]" (Downey, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return of the Badmen [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Billy the Kid, Bill Doolin, the Younger Brothers, and The Sundance Kid team up to rob Gabby Hayes' bank. They're seated in his office when the picture opens and Gabby doesn't recognize any of them. Randolph Scott does and is he mad when he finds out they've been to his ranch and murdered his foreman! Sundance (Robert Ryan) is the vicious dude who did the deed. He's ready to cut down everybody, including Billy.Tom Tyler and Robert Armstrong are supporting players, but its hard to take your eyes off Ryan, he's that terrific in this western. Where were the Oscars when he was around? Come to think of it, why were B-pictures snubbed by the Oscars? They were the studios' big money-makers.

5.0 out of 5 stars As Good As Westerns Get., January 22, 2012

By 

Brian - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Return of the Bad Men (DVD)

Lawman Vance Cordell(Randolph Scott)is about to settle down with pretty widow, Madga Allen(Jacqueline White)Madgas father in banker(George Gabby Hayes).
Word comes that the West most notorious outlaws are getting together for a crime spree.The worst of them all is Sundance(Robert Ryan)
After a raid,Cheyanne(Ann Jeffereys)the only female in the gang is wounded.She makes her way to Cordells home where The Lawman takes her in and fixes her up with plans to later take her in.After telling her jail is no place for a pretty young lady and trying to get her straight Cheyanne changes her mind about outlaws and crime.Vance has his share of problems with the outlaws and their raids,Cheyanne and Madga not liking each other,and the brutal Sundance.Great Western.Dont Miss.

2.0 out of 5 stars B western, June 15, 2011

By 

Dr. James Gardner (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return of the Bad Men (DVD)

B westerns were all the rage from the late 40s through 1960, and no one symbolized them more than Randolph Scott. He averaged 3 per year from 1946 through 1957, making as many as 5 in 1951. His friend Joel McCrea averaged slightly less, with a peak of 4 in 1957. The A list actors were also busy. Jimmy Stewart and Anthony Mann produced more than half a dozen films in the 50s, most of them B westerns ("Winchester 73", "The Naked Spur") and Stewart managed a few without Mann ("Broken Arrow", "Carbine Williams", "Night Passage"). The Duke was busy too, although his westerns were usually considered A films ("Rio Grande", "The Searchers", and "Rio Bravo").

"Return of the Bad Men" is the quintessential B western. It was spawned by the success of 1946's "Badman's Territory", also starring Randolph Scott and Gabby Hayes and also involving a plethora of famous gunslingers.

Handsome and rugged Randolph Scott is the Marshal. Randolph Scott (1898-1987) started in silent films and his early career involved playing a variety of characters in a variety of films - "My Favorite Wife" (1940), "To the Shores of Tripoli" (1941), "Captain Kidd" (1945), "Home Sweet Homicide" (1946) - but by the 50s he was appearing exclusively in B westerns - "Sugarfoot" (1951), "Carson City" (1952), "The Bounty Hunter" (1954), "7th Calvary" (1956), "Westbound" (1958) - most of which were directed by Budd Boetticher (7 films) or Andre de Toth (6 films).

George "Gabby" Hayes" (1885-1969) plays a Bank President. Hayes was John Wayne's sidekick in dozens of films from 1933 ("Riders of Destiny") to 1935 ("Rainbow Valley") when Hayes moved on to partner with Hopalong Cassidy and later with Roy Rogers and then Gene Autry. Hayes made nearly 200 films between 1929 and 1950. This was one of his last films because he started his own TV show which ran from 1950 to 1954.

Robert Ryan is The Sundance Kid. Ryan (1909-1973) made nearly 100 films between 1940 and 1973. In his early years he often played a villain especially in film noir dramas ("Crossfire", "Act of Violence") then transitioned into the tough guy with a good heart role ("On Dangerous Ground"). My personal favorite Ryan role is Deke Thornton in "The Wild Bunch" (1969).

Anne Jeffreys (1923) plays Scott's love interest and the niece of one of the outlaws. She's best known from her TV series with husband Robert Sterling as the couple who are haunted by "Topper" (1953-5). She was nominated for a Golden Globe for "The Delphi Bureau" (1972) and played David Hasselhoff's mom on "Baywatch".

Robert Armstrong (1890-1973) will always be best known for his role as hunter Carl Denham in "King Kong" (1933), as well as "Mighty Joe Young" (1949) even though he performed in 160 films including "Palooka" (1934), "G Men" (1935). "Man of Conquest" (1939) and "Blood on the Sun" (1945). Armstrong plays Wild Bill Doolin (think of the Eagle's song "Doolin Dalton").

Steve Brodie (1919-92) is Cole Younger. He made more than 100 films between 1944 and 1988. In "Badman's Territory" (1946) he played Bob Dalton.

"Sexy Lexy" Lex Barker (1919-73) plays Emmett Dalton. He's best known for his 5 Tarzan films (1949 - 53) which he got on the basis of this film.

Ray Enright (1896-1965) directs. He made more than 70 films between 1921 and 1956, mostly for Warners, and mostly westerns.

This film came out in 1948, a year in which Bogart and Huston teamed up to make the #4 top grossing film of the year and went on to win two Oscars (Director, Supporting Actor). Other top 10 grossing films were "The Red Shoes", "The Three Musketeers", "Red River", "Easter Parade", "Johnny Belinda", "The Snake Pit" and "Joan of Arc". "Key Largo" came in at #12 and also won an Oscar for Claire Trevor.

1948 westerns included John Ford's "Fort Apache", Glenn Ford in "The Man from Colorado", Howard Hawks' "Red River, John Huston's "Treasure of the Sierra Madre", and Gregory Peck's "Yellow Sky". There was even a western comedy from Abbott & Costello- "The Noose Hangs High'.

"Return of the Bad Men" did so well that RKO put out a 3rd film, "Best of the Bad men" (1951) which starred Robert Ryan, Claire Trevor, and Jack Buetel with an all star supporting cast including Robert Preston, Walter Brennan, Bruce Cabot, Lawrence Tierney, and Barton MacLane.

If you're a fan of B westerns, this one is for you. But there really isn't anything special about it.