JohnHowardReid Stephen McNally (Steve Davis), Alexis Smith (Mary Williams), Howard da Silva (Cavanaugh), Ed Begley (Warden Haynes), Dan Riss (George Armstrong), Roy Roberts (Charles DeHaven), Whit Bissell (Sam Wallace), Armando Silvestre (Indian Joe), James Arness (Russell), Richard Jaeckel (Nate), Frankie Darro (Rufe), Felipe Turich (Pete), Gene Evans (Shep), Richard Egan (Beale), Frank Fenton (Gilson), Emerson Treacy (Ben), Harry Tyler (Pap), Charles Evans (senate committee chairman), Ed Cassidy (sheriff), Jay Barney Zed), Eric Alden, Ralph Brooks (mail clerks), John L. Cason (Red Monte), Wheaton Chambers, Howard M. Mitchell (conductors), Chick Chandler (waiter), John Cliff, John Indrisano, Herbert Naish (guards), Ed East (blacksmith), Roy Engel (ticket seller), Captain Garcia, Jennings Miles (prisoners), Harold Goodwin, Guy Wilkerson (cowboys), Charles McAvoy (spectator), Forrest Matthews (Edmund), Grandon Rhodes (Senator Dowell), Frank Richards (prison contact), Harry Wilson (losing bettor), Frankie Van (referee), Tony Roux (Mexican proprietor), and Forbes Murray, Edward Rickard, Sayre Dearing, Fred Aldrich.Narrated by Gerald Mohr.Director: REGINALD LeBORG. Screenplay: Harry Essex, Leonard Lee. Story: Robert Hardy Andrews. Photography in Color by Technicolor by Russell Metty. Film editor: Edward Curtiss. Music director: Joseph Gershenson. Art directors: Bernard Herzbrun, Hilyard Brown. Set decorators: Russell A. Gausman and John Austin. Costumes designed by Bill Thomas. Make- up: Bud Westmore, assisted by Gene Hibbs. Hair styles: Joan St Oegger, assisted by Helen Turpin. Technicolor color consultant: William Fritzsche. Songs: "Endlessly" (Smith) by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent; "Take Me To Town" (chorus) by Dan Shapiro and Lester Lee. Choreographer: Harold Belfer. Camera operator: Philip H. Lathrop. Still photographs: Max Nippell. Grip: Dean Paup. Continuity girl: Dorothy Hughes. Assistant director: Ronnie Rondell. Production manager: Jack Gertsman. Sound recording: Leslie I. Carey and Frank Moran. Western Electric Sound Recording. Producer: Aubrey Schenck.Copyright 4 October 1950 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. A Universal-International Picture. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 21 October 1950. U.K. release: 20 November 1950. Australian release: 28 December 1950. 87 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Post office trains are threatened by well-organized outlaws.NOTES: Switching from Warner Brothers, this film marked Alexis Smith's first venture under her Universal contract.COMMENT: A top western in all departments. Most entertaining, richly produced, excitingly staged, reasonably suspenseful, handsomely photographed and gorgeously costumed, it also boasts a fascinating cast of interesting players. Even Reginald LeBorg's direction ranks way above his usual level of so-so competence. Naturally, train buffs will be in seventh heaven, but I also enjoyed all the telegraph lore, the awesome natural scenery, the lavish period props and interiors, the well-honed music score, not to mention the peppery dialogue and novel bits of business, plus the action, fights, hard riding and stunts.

dougdoepke Pretty good Western that gets better as it goes along. Railroad agent Steve Davis (McNally) goes undercover to catch an elaborate gang of train robbers. Along the way, he meets lovely songstress Mary Williams (Smith), but much worse, has to go to prison to establish his outlaw cover. The gang, it turns out, has respectable confederates but we can't be sure who they are.There're several good surprises, plus some nice touches from director LeBorg— e. g. a wounded Indian Joe trying to hook on the train, the final scene that hits the right notes, a frantic outlaw (Jaeckle) atop an exploding baggage car. Also, that rock formation of the gang's hideout is impressive as heck, with its spindly ladders to the caves at the top. Then there's a splash or two of great blue sky scenery.The supporting cast is also notable—Begley, DaSilva, Evans and Jaeckle, plus a young, curly-haired James Arness and-- look quickly—Richard Egan as a prison guard. Universal Studio did a number of these Technicolor Westerns at the time, using solid performers and location filming. None that I've seen reach the first rank, but do remain solid entertainment for horse opera fans, including this one.

pkoftino I reviewed this movie and find it very strange, that after all these years this movie is still around. I was visiting my relatives in Sonora California when I was 16 years old and Universal International was filming the movie. Most of the movie crew ate at the El Nido Inn where I stayed. I was introduced to the producers and and directors and they took me into the production as a guest. Every morning I would tale the big limos to the locations. One location was the Sonora city dump transformed into a scene that didn't resemble the original location. I met actress Alexis Smith, although she was a very private person. I was introduced to her because she was from Penticton B.C. Canada only 50 miles from my home town. I recall many moments of the production. It was strange to see it later in the theatre, because most of the scenes became different than what I saw in real life. Memories still linger.

Mozjoukine The satisfactions of the Technicolor western register in this production line co feature, with Russell Metty's camerawork and the studio's wooden cowboy town, train station and saloon interiors always a pleasurable environment. The cast is good too so there's only the routine direction to take issue with and Le Borg has exerted himself a few times here - Smith's anguished walk back to the railworker club, knowing her lover is a government spy, is one.Better work followed but this is enjoyable.