Truly Dreadful Film

good back-story, and good acting

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

This is routine stuff for the most part. A knowledgeable, amiable, faithful scout (Craig) leads a wagon train with a steam locomotive thru rugged hostile Indian territory. Of course we also have the wagonmaster (Jagger) who wants to prevent the building of the railway, hence he goes all out to sabotage the trip. There seems to be a lot of stock footage here, and a lot of shooting with backscreens on soundstages which only hampers the story. Craig and Jagger also appeared in the superior VALLEY OF THE SUN this same year. The cast is rounded out by Harry (M*A*S*H) Morgan, Chill Wills, Morris Ankrum, and a bevy of notables from Hollywood's Poverty Row. Worth a watch, but you won't miss anything if you cook up a pizza with one eye and view the flick with the other.