The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen - Recap

Jim enters a posh hotel dressed in fine suit and nice hat. Senator Rawls, the man Jim has come to see, approaches and Jim greets him. The senator thanks Jim for coming and Jim nods and then prompts him for the purpose of the visit. The senator tells Jim about... his niece and how her fiancé has broken their engagement. He suggests the matter has led him to something that may threaten the United States. Jim asks how the niece fits in and Rawls admits he’s not sure. Her fiancé Jack Talbot has always been a wild and unstable person, in and out of trouble.

Jim tells Rawls he does not understand how this threatens the United States and Rawls explains that Lola will tell a bizarre tale. The Senator at first hoped Jim could offer her some perspective on life, but he has come to believe the strange tale. Jim agrees to look into it and crosses the lobby to the elevator. Jim and another man enter and the elevator rises to the fourth floor.

The doors open at the fourth floor onto a fight in progress! Jim knocks one man down and two others grab him, hurling him to the floor. The agent and his three attackers wrestle before two of them manage to seize Jim by his arms. The third, a tall man with a bowler and a fancy moustache, draws back a stiletto to plunge it into Jim’s chest! Then a lady screams, distracting Mustache long enough for Jim to kick the knife loose and struggle partly free. The scuffle starts again as Mustache races away. Jim breaks loose and recovers the knife. The other thugs race after Mustache, perhaps unwilling to confront someone able to defend himself.

The woman is Lola Bracer, Senator Rawls’ niece. She invites Jim into her room and shows him a letter from Jack Talbot. Jim reads the letter and she asks if that’s the kind of letter a man breaking an engagement might write. Jim reads passages from the letter that describe a coming overthrow of the government by a group with unusual political ideas. The letter came from Mars, Nevada. Jim says if the postmark is genuine the man ought to be easy to find. Then he asks how Jack Talbot became involved with someone named General Grimm. For her part, Lola is happy someone believes her. Jim dryly points out that three men sought to discourage him, supporting the idea that Jack Talbot is involved in something secret and possibly dangerous. Lola recounts that Jack met General Grimm four months ago. He wouldn’t speak much about it but when he did he became excited – almost feverish. She learned the general was recruiting men with the same ideas and the same purpose from all over the country. Then Talbot disappeared, and except for the letter she has not heard from him since. Jim promises to do what he can. Lola believes Jack Talbot has gone mad or is in the hands of madmen and fears for his safety. Jim allows that if half of what’s in the letter is true, the safety of the United States itself may be at stake.

As the Wanderer pulls to a halt at Mars, Nevada, Jim equips himself from the armory compartment’s various shelves and hidden closets. Outside the train a small sign reads “Mars Nevada” but there is no sign of much settlement. Jim instructs Artie to park on a siding six miles away and says he’ll be in touch. Artie wonders what to do if he doesn’t hear from Jim; Jim lightly suggests Artie do something about his gloomy outlook. Jim suggests his partner read a book if he gets bored. Before Jim leaves, Artie tosses him a bag of “specially blended” tobacco.

Elsewhere, soldiers winch a man out of a water hole. Naked to the waist and soaked, Jack Talbot undergoes torture under the supervision of a tall man in a finer uniform and cap than the other soldiers present – General Grimm. The general asks again who else Jack wrote to; Jack insists he wrote only to his fiancée Lola. The general orders him lowered. A woman stands at the General’s side observing the interrogation dispassionately. The general orders Talbot raised and asks again. Again, Talbot insists he sent only one letter. Grimm threatens to lower Talbot a final time for fifteen minutes, saying that death is the punishment for enemies of the cause! Talbot doesn’t change his answer and Grimm... smiles and orders him released! Grimm believes Talbot only sent one letter and will not kill him. For Talbot’s violation of the Rule of Secrecy, Grimm orders him confined to the hotbox for a week.

Jim rides along a dirt road to the Mars Military Academy. A guard orders him to dismount and state his business; he tells the man he has come to join. He suggests the sentry fetch someone who can make such a decision, angering the man: this community, the sentry emphasizes, is egalitarian – unlike “outside” where some think a man dirt. Jim tries another tack, suggesting that if he’s accepted they will be on the same side. Grudgingly, the sentry instructs Jim to ride straight ahead to the main building and ask for Sgt. Musk. The man warns Jim that any detour will get him shot. Jim leads his horse to the main building; around him men practice with sabers, spears and other weapons. A sinister box sits in the middle of the grounds. Jim secures his horse and enters the building.

Inside Jim meets a beautiful woman – Sgt. Musk! In this organization, women can hold military rank. She tells him knowing Jack Talbot isn’t a point in his favor, for Jack is weak and unreliable. Jim gets off on the wrong foot by speaking to her as he would a civilian woman; she coldly tells him to address her as Sgt Musk and he promises to fight the impulse to look on her as a woman. Then he says Jack Talbot’s a friend and that he wouldn’t describe the man as unreliable. Sgt. Musk takes Jim to a window and shows him a small graveyard. The occupants are men like him who wanted to belong but failed. Then she asks why he wants in and he answers that he prefers strong causes and says there’s no room in the world for weak causes. Musk tells him the weak won’t survive in this organization, and explains that women have full equality. Then she requisitions his horse and takes his gun, telling him to draw equipment from the quartermaster and report to B Barracks. Jim thanks her for accepting him and she corrects him – he’s in, but not accepted yet.

In the barracks Jim finishes donning his new uniform. A man approaches asking if he’s the “new fish.” Before that goes further Sgt. Musk enters the room accompanied by another woman, Jenny. Musk introduces Jim to the others there and explains he’s a friend of Jack Talbot. Jim asks the other men if they know Talbot but all he gets is stony silence. Then he remembers that secrecy is a lynchpin of the grouup; Musk confirms it is the group’s greatest weapon. The man who first approached Jim speaks then, saying that Talbot forgot secrecy, and that he is a weakling, unreliable and yellow scum. Musk explains that Jim has enrolled in a strong fighting outfit. The taunter pipes up again, calling Talbot a lousy, no-good traitor. Before he gets farther Jim interrupts this with a backwards forearm blow to the man’s face that knocks him down! Another man swings a stick but Jim ducks and drops him with a punch to the stomach. By then the first man rises again and Jim drops him with another punch. The second man lunges and Jim sends him hurtling to the back of the room with a judo throw. The first man slowly rises but a final punch to his stomach puts him back down for good. The second man lunges again and Jim ducks under him. He rolls to a stop near the other soldiers and one of them hands him a knife. After a few feints Jim smothers the knife in a pillow, then drops the knife wielder with a right to the jaw. With both men down Jim asks the assembled soldiers if anyone else cares for a try. After complementing Jim Sgt. Musk orders the soldiers to straighten their barracks and reminds them that mess is in ten minutes and Taps is at 2100 – and that anyone outside after Taps will be shot! She and Jenny leave.

Moments later Jim and the others emerge from the barracks with mess kits in hand. Jenny intercepts Jim and explains that Talbot is in the hotbox, indicating the box in the center of the parade ground. He will die if someone doesn’t help him. Jim promises to do what he can.

General Grimm paces his office while another soldier studies a map. There is a knock and the general bids Sgt. Musk enter. She salutes and explains that Jim’s fighting skills impressed her. That pleases the general, but he reveals a more pressing problem: Talbot’s letter reached a Miss Lola Bracer in Room 406 of the Mission Hotel in San Francisco. Grimm knows that Lola’s uncle is Senator Rawls and that Rawls chairs the Senate Military Affairs Committee. He also knows that Lola contacted a Secret Service man through her uncle but does not know the agent’s name. The soldier studying the map turns to face his general then – it is Mustache, the assailant from the Mission Hotel! He assures Grimm that even though he only saw the agent once, he’ll remember the face...

Outside Jim gazes at the hotbox, almost missing Sgt. Musk’s call of “next!” She repeats the call and Jim attempts to assault another soldier from behind; the man throws him judo style. At Musk’s next cry Jim stands and the next soldier in line assaults him from behind, and Jim throws him. Then Jim moves off and tries to make peace with the man, who was the barracks assailant. The man claims he has already forgotten the incident and assures Jim they’re fighting for the same cause. Then Mustache emerges from headquarters, and Jim quickly repositions himself so his back faces Mustache. From that perspective he sees female soldiers training, and his fellow soldier explains how, in the new society, women will be equal – and points out that the female soldiers Jim sees are already equal. They can shoot and fight with the best of the men! Jim says he hopes the takeover happens soon, so “they” wake up one morning not even knowing what happened. The soldier asks why Jim thinks the takeover will happen at night, and Jim opines that this would be the best time tactically. Somewhat indignantly, the soldier tells Jim that the general does all the figuring, and advises Jim to answer “yes, sir” and “no, sir” when he meets the general that evening. Behind Jim, Mustache moves away...

Sgt. Musk dismisses the female unit and Jim calls Jenny over. He explains that if he’s to rescue Talbot she must help, and she immediately offers to do so. Jim explains that there’s a man in camp who might recognize him, and asks her to help get a message to Artie. About then Sgt. Musk walks by and breaks up their chat since both are on duty – but before they part Jenny flatly tells Jim there is no way she can get a message out.

Aboard the Wanderer, a cavalry officer enters the main compartment. He examines a display of two matched pistols. Behind him, Artie’s voice tells him to “Freeze!” Artie demands the man raise his hands slowly and then turn to face him. When the man does, Artie recognizes a friend: Cavalry Captain Sandy O’Brien! O’Brien tells Artie that his post has orders to deliver a patrol whenever the agents request it. Artie tells him the time is not right because he has not heard from Jim, and he believes that a cavalry attack at the wrong time could be very bad for his partner.

Grimm emerges from a concealed door into an octagonal room, and explains that the day is almost at hand. Above him soldiers gathered on a balcony cheer. Jim, shirtless, enters through another door. Grimm says two more scouts will leave at midnight and calls for volunteers. Jim immediately volunteers and Grimm tells him his response is commendable but premature. Then Jenny and another soldier volunteer. Grimm orders them to report to him immediately after the exercise concludes for instructions. Then Grimm addresses his newest recruit: Jim West. Jim, the general explains, has not had the same hard training as other soldiers in this army. It would be military folly for Jim to accompany the army if he is unqualified. Grimm proposes to give Jim the opportunity to prove whether he is fit.

Grimm next addresses the watching soldiers, exhorting them to examine their own skills and ask themselves if they are prepared not only in the standard forms, but to expect the unexpected. Grimm departs from another door and seconds later a net drops over Jim’s head. A man has entered behind him and now attacks the snared agent with a trident! Jim manages to untangle himself while clumsily evading two charges. He turns the tables by snaring the trident man in his own net and pummeling him unconscious.

No sooner has the trident fighter fallen than another man emerges from the door swinging a long saber. Jim snatches up the trident and uses it to parry the saber several times before maneuvering the man against the wall and knocking him cold with a roundhouse blow from the butt of the trident. As the man joins the trident fighter on the floor, a third man enters and adopts a judo posture. Jim discards the trident and both fighters circle briefly before Jim spots an opening, seizes his opponent and tosses him to the ground. The man gets up and the pair circle longer before Jim tries a flying kick that his opponent ducks. Both men circle again until Jim can again flip his opponent – right near the sword. Grabbing it, the man comes up swinging. Jim manages to recover the trident and uses it to parry several cuts before finally pitching it to the floor, pinning the man’s foot between two of the tines. Grimm applauds the fine display of fighting skill and accepts Jim as a new member of his band, and everyone salutes.

Jim emerges from a building as others enter and studies the hotbox from a distance. Then General Grimm appears and explains his tactical doctrine. Grimm believes in individual superiority of soldier versus soldier in close personal combat and disdains strategy and tactics as nonsense. He also suggests that after the takeover he and Jim might spar, an occasion he promises the agent will find instructive.

Jenny appears wearing a dress. The other volunteer appears wearing a cavalry officer’s uniform. Jenny tells Jim the volunteers are to portray a cavalry officer and his wife, transferred to the nearby fort at Goldtown. They will infiltrate the fort and wait for a signal, but Jenny does not know what signal. When they receive the signal they will set off an explosion to destroy the munitions dump. Nobody knows when this plan will unfold except the general.

Jim asks how many have left before her but she does not know, speculating that it might be as many as a hundred. She also does not know where Grimm sent them. Finally, Jim directs her to the railroad siding and Artie, instructing her to share what she knows and assuring her Artie will deal with her partner.

The “trooper” appears and tells Jenny they’ll leave in an hour. Jim promises to get Jack Talbot out of the hot box before Jenny goes to prepare for departure. Sgt. Musk appears and orders Jim into the canteen, explaining that he should be enjoying himself. When he asks if that’s an order she tells him it is. Then Jim spots Mustache approaching and, thinking quickly, kisses Musk passionately! Initially she objects, telling him he’s not behaving in proper military fashion; he reminds her that she ordered him to enjoy himself and then kisses her again. She begins to melt, weakly objecting that Jim is not acting according to the “blue manual.” Mustache walks by, oblivious to Jim’s identity. But his appearance prompts the sergeant to disengage, promising Jim they’ll discuss his punishment later.

Jim opens the hotbox. The half dead occupant, Talbot, asks who he is and Jim explains that he’s a friend of Talbot’s fiancée. Talbot, delirious from heat stroke, mutters that he should not have written her, but he wanted to explain how great the world would be after they took over. Jim asks him about Grimm’s plan and he tells Jim that a soldier has no right asking that question: Grimm leads, and the soldiers follow! Talbot takes Jim’s questions as proof his letter fell into the wrong hands and loudly denounces his would be rescuer as a government spy! The effort makes him collapse, but not before a large contingent of soldiers emerge from the canteen and elsewhere.

Grimm asks for an explanation and Jim says he heard groaning about a spy and a traitor from inside the box. Another soldier reports Talbot is dead! Talbot cannot betray his rescuer, but Jim has failed to keep his promise to Jenny. Grimm orders a burial detail and then orders Jim to henceforth leave things as he finds them. Grimm returns to the porch fronting the canteen. There, Mustache tells the general that Jim is the man he saw outside Lola Bracer’s room! Grimm realizes that this explains a lot, and tells Mustache that he’ll give Jim some room to run, to learn what he knows.

On the Wanderer, Artie examines a work in progress, a sculpture of a rifle in clay. He hears horses and drapes a cloth over the artwork. A knock comes and Artie opens the door to see Jenny the fake cavalry wife and her fake trooper husband. Jenny explains that things are very informal “in the west.” Artie understands and invites the couple in. Jenny introduces Artie to her partner as the general’s head of intelligence, but the trooper draws his gun, saying General Grimm has no head of intelligence – he does all that work himself! He continues, saying the army should have realized Jenny was weak, since she fell in love with “that dirt, Talbot.” He demands Artie’s real identity, and Artie volunteers to provide it. As he steps forward, he treads on a switch and a lever slides out. Moving the lever causes the display of pistols to rotate until they point at the trooper – but he does not see this. Artie draws the trooper’s attention to the guns and then moves them slightly and explains that he can fire them as easily. Then he demands the trooper surrender his gun! Faced with all six bullets from each pistol, the man surrenders and hands Artie his pistol. Artie gives the gun to Jenny and ties the trooper, instructing Jenny to watch him. Jenny explains that a man in camp can identify Jim, and tells Artie that if Grimm learns the truth he’ll toy with the agent awhile before killing him. Artie leaves.

In the canteen, men and women celebrate together. Grimm explains his strategy employs subterfuge to prepare, and superior soldiers to overwhelm the remnants left after his sabotage. Jim defends strategy and tactics but Grimm dismisses his ideas.

A guard accompanied by a strangely uniformed man interrupts the celebration. This sentry explains that the man rode to the front gate and demanded to see the General – it is Artie, in disguise! Artie identifies himself as Colonel Cross, late of the “Patriots”, a group similar to Grimm’s that operated out of the Black Hills until Indians slaughtered all but two of them. “Colonel Cross” explains how he left the other man in Kansas City and found his way south. This afternoon he met a cavalryman and his wife, who questioned him about his uniform and eventually told him he might find a use for his skills at the Mars Academy.

Grimm says he has never heard of Colonel Cross and the colonel offers as explanation the idea that secrecy was his group’s greatest weapon. Grimm asks the creed of the Patriots and Artie recites it: keep the nation pure, see that power always belongs to the right kind of people and obey with courage and without question.

Grimm turns to face Jim, commenting that they were just discussing bravery and bold thinking. He demands “Colonel Cross” give his revolver to Private West and Artie hands Jim the gun. Then he tells Colonel Cross where to find an axe and how to hold it – in front of his face with the blade edge facing away. Private West will fire one shot; if his aim is good and the axe is properly positioned the bullet will hit the blade and split, passing to either side of Cross’ head. Artie finds the axe and holds it as directed. Jim points the revolver at his friend and waits... Grimm gives the command, Jim fires – and holes appear on either side of Artie’s head! Grimm accepts Artie then as brave enough and loyal enough for his group.

“Colonel Cross” retrieves his pistol from Jim. Sgt. Musk says that performance is the bravest thing she has ever seen. Another woman kisses Artie – she’s never kissed a colonel before! Unfortunately, Artie cannot respond to her obvious interest because he must find Jim. He wanders over to “Private West” and collects a beer. Loudly, “Colonel Cross” complements “Private West” on a steady hand. Jim smirks, asking Artie how he came up with “The Patriots” and Artie asks what else he could call them, “The Traitors?” Jim explains that he knows Grimm has infiltrated Army posts and other installations using men with forged papers and explains that they must learn where these infiltrations have occurred and when the overall attack will happen. Jim instructs Artie to wait a moment and leave. Artie sips beer for a moment before following his partner into the night.

In General Grimm’s office the agents open the desk and remove papers. They have discovered copies of the forged papers that explain how Jenny and her partner are to infiltrate the post at Goldtown, along with other tactics of subterfuge, including an arsenal and a remount station. Then light splashes over the intruders! General Grimm has discovered them! Grimm explains how he has known about Jim for some time, and speculates that Artie must be one of the agent’s colleagues; sketching a short bow, Artie introduces himself. Suddenly, Jim tosses a book into the air and yells! Grimm, briefly distracted, misses shooting Artie who through the window. Jim cannot escape but Artie has. Grimm fires into the air and yells for an alarm.

Soldiers led by Sgt. Musk pour into the office. Grimm tells them that Jim West is a spy and orders Musk to send a patrol after Cross. With a few quick hand gestures she passes on this order. Musk expresses her deep disappointment at Jim’s betrayal. Grimm tells Private West that he will die by firing squad at dawn!

The following morning a drummer provides accompaniment as a squad approaches a post set into the ground. Jim marches from the men’s barracks and Grimm emerges from the headquarters building. As soldiers secure Jim to the post Grimm orders Musk to read the charges. These state that Jim is a traitor. Then Grimm orders the firing squad to proceed. Jim asks Sgt. Musk for a last request; she is willing to grant one if it is reasonable and quick. Jim asks for a smoke and she agrees. After she frees his hands he rolls a cigarette and asks for a match. She offers one and Jim lights a fuse sticking from the special bag of tobacco Artie mixed! Then Jim tosses the bag into the front line of soldiers where it explodes with a deafening noise and clouds of smoke! When the smoke clears Jim is nowhere about! Grimm orders the gate secured and troops dispersed through the camp. From atop the Men’s Barracks, Jim watches men fan out...

Jim climbs to the peak and then down the other side to the Women’s Barracks. Then he climbs up and over them until he reaches the other side where he to the ground. Several soldiers spot him but he easily overpowers them. He grabs a horse and rides along side it towards the gate, but drops off when he realizes the entrance has been secured. From there he ducks into the test arena. Inside, dozens of soldiers cover him with rifles...

General Grimm enters the pit and informs Jim that despite a slight delay the execution will continue. Jim asks to speak and the general advises him to be brief. He is: he asks if Grimm’s army knows it has lost its chief weapon, secrecy. To drive the point home, he explains how Artie escaped and gives samples of what his partner knows. Grimm allows that Jim and Artie learned a great deal, but suggests they don’t know when the army plans to strike. Jim tells Grimm they’ll strike the day after tomorrow.

Grimm plays his final card: Jim does not know Grimm’s infiltrators. Jim explains that he does not need to: the cavalry will simply ride in and shut this camp down. This doesn’t bother Grimm at all, for he realizes that the posts supplying the attacking force will leave few men behind, and those few men will be more vulnerable to the infiltrators. The soldiers here will fall to his superior soldiers and those left behind to the spies! In the next three days, power in this part of the country will pass into the hands of right thinking people! Then Grimm will establish a firm, orderly and disciplined government. Grimm believes that when the individual soldier is superior to the enemy’s soldier the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

That’s Jim’s opening. He challenges the General himself! When Grimm at first declines Jim taunts him and backs him into a corner, leaving him little choice but to accept. Grimm begins to circle. As Jim adopts a judo posture, Grimm pulls a stiletto from his riding crop! He feints several times before Jim kicks the needle-like dirk from his hands. A few flips and some wrestling, and then a soldier hands down a spear! Grimm threatens Jim with it before the agent strikes and snaps the pole arm. Another flip and Grimm kicks Jim into a wall; a soldier passes down a trident! Grimm manages to throttle Jim with the handle. When he yells, a knife pokes through a crack between two boards; Grimm uses the trident to maneuver the trapped agent towards fatal impalement. At the last second, Jim twists and reverses, forcing Grimm backwards onto the knife! The general yells once, clearly in great pain, before he slumps dead, hanging from the blade! The observers on the balcony look briefly at Jim before they turn and file out of the room. Sgt. Musk is the last to go.

The Wanderer leaves for Carson City. Inside Jim and Artie finish dressing; Artie remains stiff from forty-seven miles of riding to get the cavalry. At least he got them there before Grimm’s men could scatter. Jim speculates that Grimm might have succeeded, but Artie scoffs. Jim understands that sooner or later Grimm would have been defeated, but suggests that with the opportunity to strike and get established it would have cost a lot of lives to root him out.

Jenny and Sgt. Musk sit in the main compartment. Artie mentions that they’ll be in Carson City soon. Musk is unhappy; this was to be the big day, the culmination of everything they’d worked to achieve. She tells Jim as a man he can’t understand that what she wanted was equality. She’s no longer somebody – now she’s just a woman in an odd uniform. Jenny offers her a dress from the kit Grimm provided for her disguise and Musk brightens considerably. Jenny orders Jim and Artie out of the compartment while she sets about restoring Musk’s womanhood.

In the arsenal, Artie scoffs at the notion of feminine equality, suggesting that Grimm must have been insane, as the Wanderer continues to Carson City.

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