A wagon train headed West is plagued by one wagon that keeps breaking down — the wagon that carries 100 of Jason Clay’s handmade Kentucky rifles.
The wagon train must move on, but Clay insists on trying to fix the wagon with the help of wagon scout Tobias Taylor (Chill Wills), a preacher, a coward named Lon Setter and a man whose wife is about to give birth.
Even though they are in Indian country, the pregnant Cordy Hay (Jeanne Cagney) and pretty young blonde Amy Connors (Cathy Downs) insist on staying behind as well.
And if Amy is staying in the vicinity of handsome young Jason, her fiance (Jess Barker at Daniel Foster) isn’t going ahead without her.
Sure enough, the Comanche arrive. Foster wants to buy safe passage by trading the rifles to the Indians.
Clay and Taylor are certain that isn’t the answer and that as soon as the Indians have the rifle, they’ll attack the wagon.
But Clay’s willing to consider it; after all, Foster is supposed to be Amy’s man, and Clay will do anything to make Amy happy.
Chill Wills as Tobias Taylor, trying to win a game of markmanship with the rifle he’s named Betsy in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Lance Fuller as Jason Clay, the man trying to get 100 Kentucky rifles through Comanche territory in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Review:
Wow, what a mess. For starters, why in the world would the women stay behind? And how many people is a wagon prone to breaking down because of a heavy load of rifles supposed to carry? Nine people stay behind with this one.
Chill Wills turns in a horrible performance, spending most of the film singing the praise of Sweet Betsy and the Kentucky Rifle that’s going to tame the West. Jeanne Cagney, sister of James, isn’t much better.
In one scene, almost too silly to believe, Wills’ character is challenged to a shooting match by an Indian armed with a bow and arrow. The Indian hits the mark. Poor Tobias moves back so far to shoot, he can’t see the target. But he glances skyward, says a prayer and wins the match.
This marked the first starring role for Lance Fuller. Hittleman directed just four films; two of the others were Westerns — “Buckskin Lady” and “Gun Battle at Monterey.” He also produced and helped write the screenplay for this embarrassment.
Jeanne Cagney as Cordie Hay before comforted by Amy Connors on a bumpy wagon ride in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Jess Barker as Daniel Foster, the man who thinks Amy Connors is his woman, with wagon master Jed Williams (I. Stanford Jolley) in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Directed by:
Carl K. Hittleman
Cast:
Chill Wills … Tobias Taylor
Lance Fuller … Jason Clay
Cathy Downs … Amy Connors
Jess Barker … Daniel Foster
Jeanne Cagney … Cordie Hay
John Pickard … Ruben Hay
Sterling Holloway … Lon Setter
Henry Hull … Preacher Benchley
John Alvin … Luke Thomas
I. Stanford Jolley … Jed Williams
Rory Mallinson … Indian chief
George Keymas … Interpreter
Clyde Houck … Clyde Thomas
Alice Ralph … Mrs. Thomas
Runtime: 84 min.
Sterling Holloway as Lon Setter, being recruited to stay behind with Jason Clay’s wagon by Tobias Taylor (Chill Wills) in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Henry Hull as Preacher Bentley, saying prayers over a fallen friend in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Memorable lines:
Daniel Foster: “Amy, you’re coming with me. You’re my woman!”
Tobias Taylor to Jason Clay: “Just one thing, Jason — rifles and women don’t mix.”
Lon Setter: “Water? What I really need is a little mountain dew to wash it down.”
Tobias Taylor, looking skyward: “I ain’t ever asked you for much, but I’m sure askin’ you now. Not for myself, but for the folks that are on this wagon with me. You gotta help me knock that arrow off Luke’s grave so I can show these Comanches the power of this Kentucky Rifle and maybe we can go through this land in peace without any bloodshed. Amen.”
Jason Clay to Daniel Foster: “I ain’t ever seen soft words stop Comanches arrows yet.”
Tobias Taylor about Daniel Foster: “Any man figures he can buy his way through life — ain’t nothing but a Comanche arrow going to teach him any better.”
Jeanne Cagney as Cordie Hay, a pregnant woman refusing to leave husband Ruben (John Pickard) behind in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
John Alvin as Luke Thomas, a family man recruited to stay behind with a broken wagon in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Roby Mallinson (right) as the Comanche chief with his interpretor (George Keymas) in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
Cathy Downs as Amy Connors and Chill Wills as Tobias Taylor, arguing against giving any rifles to the Comanche in Kentucky Rifle (1956)
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