The West~Bound Limited

Too much attention is focused on the melodramatic plot which was obviously made up on the run. What we actually see on the screen is quite different from the synopsis published in the press book, which focused on the engineer's wife (Claire McDowell) rather than on the president's daughter (rather inadequately portrayed by Ella Hall). Nonetheless, the plot, old-hat though it is, does provide an opportunity for that wonderfully seedy villain, David Dirby, to do his dirty work and more importantly, to tie all the thrillingly on-the-spot railroad footage together. Railroad buffs will enjoy all the atmospheric detail director Johnson has obtained by filming in real freight yards and inside and alongside real steam engines and rolling stock. Film editing is occasionally a bit rough, but by the humble standards of the usual F.B.O. release, the movie is competently made and has good production values. Incidentally, the actual title of the film, according to the press book, is "The West-Bound Limited".