Dakota Incident

A cracking start to this 1956 western which unfortunately tends to slow up towards the end. I loved watching Dale Robertson as Jim Hardie in Well Fargo on TV with his quick draw left handed gun belt, when I was a kid. I notice one reviewer here says 'No Major Stars' which made me smile a bit, as I imagine the author is from a more recent generation of film and TV fans. Linda Darnell was certainly a major star in the 1940's in films like My Darling Clementine and both Dale Robertson and Ward Bond were major TV western stars in the 1950's/60's in Wells Fargo as mentioned and Wagon Train, in fact their stars grew after this film Dakota Incident was made in 1956. Sadly Linda Darnell died in a house fire in 1965 at the young age of 41. As I said earlier, the film opens with a terrific scene involving three outlaws who fall out which climaxes in a street gunfight, obviously with that famous left handed gun being the winner. All this in the first half hour, after which the story involves a coach being pulled into town with all the occupants dead due to an Indian attack. Several residents want a ride on the coach to Laramie and insist on going so our hero, Robertson takes on the task. There follows more Indian attacks and double crossing until just a handful of characters are left alive, and regrettably the picture ends with a rather predictable toned down ending which is rather disappointing for a film that started out so promising. If only the second half had lived up to the first I would have recommended it more highly.

A story like this would perhaps normally be told from the point of view of John Lund's bank teller, an honest man who is wanted for the robbery committed by fellow stagecoach passenger Dale Robertson. But it's mostly told from Robertson's perspective, a decision that helps prolong the audience's uncertainty about how things will end up. Despite making a few interesting choices like this Dakota Incident only occasionally manages to raise above its Poverty Row roots.

A widely unknown strange little western with mindblowing colours (probably the same material as it was used in "Johnny Guitar", I guess "Trucolor" or something, which makes blood drips look like shining rubies), nearly surrealistic scenes with twisted action and characters. Something different, far from being a masterpiece, but there should be paid more attention to this little gem in western encyclopedias.

At least, from Republic pictures, we don't deal with a cabaret western, a music hall western, as were BELLE LE GRAND or JUBILEE TRAIL or one of those numerous semi - false - westerns that Republic pictures gave us in the forties and fifties. Westerns taking mostly place in burlesque atmosphere, with choregraphy, dancing, intrigue plots, more than Indians, outlaws, posse , sheriff. So, this one, directed by Lewis Foster, is taut, action packed, despite bland Dale Robertson's performance, as usual, about which poor Linda Darnell tries her best to do her best. It was hard for her to co star such a lousy actor; she deserved better. So, if you are a western buff, don't miss this one.

Dakota Incident is a minor western with a pretty decent cast. A stagecoach of very different people is attacked by Indians and have to band together to survive.

The set up is pretty slow as it introduces the main characters but there are some decent scenes before the main event begins, certainly enough to keep you watching. If I'm being honest I found the lead Dale Robertson to be a bit annoying but the supporting cast especially John Lund and Ward Bond are pretty good. The real star though is the beautiful Linda Darnell who is great as the strong but alluring Amy Clarke.

On the downside at times it's a bit too talky for it's own good which does slow the pace too much at times. There is no effort to portray the Indians as anything other than the generic bad guys apart from the character of Senator Blakely who sees them as more than that.

This is a western that ticks most of the boxes tumbleweed, saloons, card games, gunfights, howling coyotes, Indians, stagecoaches, good looking young woman. The lot. So for all it's faults this is still an enjoyable western if by no means a classic.