Dakota is a 1945 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring John Wayne. The supporting cast features Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, and Mike Mazurki. The action is set in 1875. Wayne stars as John Devlin, a professional gambler who has married Sandra (Vera Ralston), daughter of railroad millionaire Marko Poli (Hugo Haas). John and Sandra flee her father's anger and go to Fargo in Dakota Territory, where Sandra thinks they can cash in on a land boom. But on the trip west, they are swindled out of their stake ($20,000 Sandra swiped from her father). In a desperate attempt to get back their money, Devlin enters into a heated range battle against the outlaws.