Against the background of a turbulent era when Civil War was a flaming cloud on history's horizon . . A TREMENDOUS MOTION PICTURE!
Before the U.S. Civil War rebel leader Luke Darcy sees himself as leader of a new independent Republic of Kansas but the military governor sends an ex-raider to capture Darcy.
The Jayhawkers! (1959) is a action and western film directed by Melvin Frank, released on October 15, 1959 with a runtime of 1h 40m. It stars Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey and Henry Silva. Viewers rate it 6.1 out of 10 across 29 ratings.
Jeff Chandler
as Luke Darcy
Fess Parker
as Cam Bleeker
Nicole Maurey
as Jeanne Dubois
Henry Silva
as Lordan
Herbert Rudley
as Gov. William Clayton
Frank De Kova
as Evans
Don Megowan
as China
Leo Gordon
as Jake Barton
Shari Lee Bernath
as Marthe DuBois
Jimmy Carter
as Paul DuBois
Renata Vanni
as Indian Woman
Berel Firestone
as Jayhawker
Directed by Melvin Frank, written by Melvin Frank, Joseph Petracca and A.I. Bezzerides, produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama.
Average viewer score of 6.1/10 from 29 ratings.
The Backwards Napoleon. The Jayhawkers! is directed by Melvin Frank and Frank shares writing duties with A. I. Bezzerides, Frank Fenton and Joe Petracca. It stars Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey, Henry Silva, Leo Gordon and Frank DeKova. Music is by Jerome Moross and cinematography by Loyal Griggs. Territory of Kansas . . . Shortly before the Civil War. In short order form the plot finds Chandler as a…
Reviewed on March 8, 2017
This could have been so much better had they just made some better casting decisions. Even I might have made a better job of playing "Bleeker" than the dreadfully wooden Fess Parker. At times you can almost hear director Melvin Frank shouting "action" (or possibly even "breathe") at him as his staccato delivery sucks most of the life from this tale. To be fair to him, he isn't exactly out-acted by Jeff Chandler…
Reviewed on May 20, 2026
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The Jayhawkers! (1959) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Jayhawkers! (1959) includes Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey, Henry Silva and Herbert Rudley. The film was directed by Melvin Frank. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Jayhawkers! was released on October 15, 1959 and runs for 1h 40m.
The Jayhawkers! (1959) holds an average rating of 6.1 out of 10 from 29 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy action and western films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
