Wagon Train

Pecos businessman Matt Gardner is buying up freighters, or wagon trains of food supplies, at cheap prices through intimidation, and charging high prices by deliberately causing phony food shortages at his trading posts. The only one refusing to sell his supplies is Zack Sibley, who is dead set on maintaining his freighter business as well as tracking down his father's murderer, his ex-business partner. Gardner plans on eliminating any competition Sibley presents by sending his thugs to kill him and raid his wagon train.

Visually, this is quite impressive, the harsh, unforgiving land seems to envelope around the wagon train, lending some grit - there's an effective scene of a Comanche arrow hitting the wood and the scene quickly fades away. Next minute we see Holt riding into the burnt stage station.

A fairly entertaining RKO western that has the appeal of Tim Holt's youthful charm and his chemistry with Martha O Driscoll. There's some gorgeous location photography (It was filmed in Kanab, Utah and in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California) and some good characterisation.

Wagon Train is directed by Edward Killy and written by Norton Grant and Bernard McConville. It stars Tim Holt, Ray Whitley, Emmett Lynn, Martha O'Driscoll, Malcolm 'Bud' McTaggart and Cliff Clark. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by Harry Wild.

"The middle of the last century witnessed small bands of courageous men leading their wagon trains across the wilderness, carrying provisions to the people of the frontier. They died of hunger, thirst, heat and cold. Desert wastes, prairie fires, the attacks of road agents and Indians took their toll. But the freighters still rolled on - - the wheels of their wagons carving from the Trans-Missouri Wilderness a greater and stronger nation."

Out of RKO, this black and white Oater is a breezy paean to the tough characters who led the wagon trains whilst battling the elements and outside human forces. Tim Holt stands straight backed and handsome as our hero leading from the front, whilst O'Driscoll shines pretty as a summers day. There is much joviality to be found in between the pacey action scenes, and there's even time for some songs and a nifty dance sequence that John Ford would have approved of for its portrait of community spirit. Filmed on location in Kanab, Utah, the picture is practically a complete outdoor production, and it's beautifully photographed by Harry Wild (Farewell My Lovely/Station West).

No surprises here but that's just fine, it's an hour of hooray and yeehaw entertainment with thrills, spills, laughs and the requisite heroes and villains. 7/10

First of all there's a rolling Wild West context setting explanation before the picture begins and straight after that one character gives another a lengthy explanation of hero Tim Holt's past and character. After all that you don't need a crystal ball to see which way the picture will go and how it will climax and end, even down to some of the lesser details.

Baddies try to blacken Holt's good name and his food supply business, attempt to kill him and raid his wagon train to corner the market for themselves. It turns out Holt was after one of them anyway… Apart from the clumsy opening reveal it's all routine, competently handled fodder – plus a few nice songs, nice scenery nicely photographed, nice action, but you could seldom fault Holt in any of these oaters. It's an serenely enjoyable hour – if you like b Western films with a bit of atmosphere; if you know you don't and decide to watch it anyway kiss the hour goodbye!

The scenery and the camera-work of the scenery in this film are spectacular. The lost art of outdoor western camera work is remarkably well featured in this b-western and is worth watching. "Majestic" is the only word that can describe some of the scenes.

Tim Holt is stalwart and believable as a wagon train leader, Martha O'Driscoll is incredibly pretty, young and fetching in the role of an eastern girl gone west. All of the cast does a fine job.

Wagons and a stagecoach are expertly handled (another lost art?) in the Utah country, not just on graded back lot roads.

Authentic-looking in many ways, fast paced, this film is a winner.

One of the best B westerns I've ever seen. Original and intelligent script, solid acting, great scenery and production values not normally found in this type of movie. Scene with wagons racing across the valley is spectacular and does not appear to be stock footage (though I could be wrong). Tim Holt westerns, particularly those from the early 40s, usually exceeded the normal standards for series westerns, but Wagon Train is in a class by itself. Truly a great movie of it's type.