When the Daltons Rode
When the Daltons Rode is a 1940 American Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis and Brian Donlevy. Based on the 1931 book of the same name by Emmett Dalton, a member of the Dalton gang, and Jack Jungmeyer, Sr., the film also includes a fictional family friend who tries to dissuade the Dalton brothers from becoming outlaws. Plot. The Dalton brothers, law-abiding farmers, move to Kansas from Missouri to begin a new life. Bob Dalton meets lawyer Tod Jackson and persuades him to defend his kin Ben Dalton in  a court case against a corrupt land-development company. A melee erupts during the trial and the Daltons shoot their way out of the courtroom. Cronies of the land developers and the press portray the brothers negatively. Ben is shot in the back. Unable to live lawfully, the Daltons rob a stagecoach and their reputation as dangerous outlaws spreads. Tod has fallen in love with Bob Dalton's fiancée Julie. He urges the Daltons to change their ways, but they defy him and pull one more bank job in Kansas. Bob and Grat are killed there, as are two other  members of the gang, but Emmett survives. Production. The film was based on Emmett Dalton's autobiography. Universal announced the project in March 1940 with filming to begin in May. Stuart Anthony and Lester Cole worked on the script.