Passage West (1951)

John Payne is Pete Black, a convict who breaks out of a prison in Salt Lake with five fellow inmates.

With the law and a pack of dogs on their heels, the convicts stumble upon a wagon train headed to California.

What better place to hide, they figure.

From that point on, they take command of a wagon train previously led by Pastor Jacob Karns (Dennis O’Keefe).

Well, Black takes command, to be more accurate. He sets a blistering pace on the way West, leaving behind one man who wants to properly bury his son and forcing the women to throw out most of their belongings to lighten the load on the livestock.

During the course of the trip, he spars with and eventually falls for a pretty young woman named Rose Billings (Arleen Whelan), a pastor’s daughter who plans to marry Jacob, but just might change her mind about that.

Meanwhile, the occupants of the wagon train finally get their fill of Pete Black. Jacob beats him senseless, earning his respect in the process.

So when two of the escapees steal the money the settlers planned to use to get a fresh start in California, Black tracks them down, though he’s badly wounded in the process.

Black and his remaining colleagues figure to break from the wagon train once they reach California. Then they realize news of the prison break has followed them West. And Black decides the best option is to continue the ruse a while longer.

John Payne as Pete Black, the prison escapee who takes over a wagon train and sets a brutal pace to outrun the law in Passage West (1951)

Arleen Whelan as Rose Billings, professing her love for Pete Black in spite of his wicked past in Passage West (1951)

Review:

John Payne starred in some very good Westerns. This slow-moving tale isn’t among the best.

The film gets off to a promising start, with the desperate escapees pouncing upon the wagon train, interrupting a funeral and caring very little about who might be dead and who might be mourning.

But after that, the plot twists range from predictable to fanciful, with Rose’s pursuit of Pete and the ending falling into the latter category.

Among the familiar faces in the cast ae Arthur Hunnicutt was one of the settlers and Dooley Wilson — of “Casablanca” fame — as one of the escapees in his final film role. He’s the actor who plays “As Time Goes By” in Casablanca.

And Mary Beth Hughes plays an actress heading West with the wagon train who’s forced to discard all her stage attire. She’s best known to Western fans for her brief role as Rose Mapen in “The Ox-Bow Incident.”

Dennis O’Keefe as Pastor Jacob Karns, leader of the wagon train the prisoners hijack in Passage West (1951)

Dooley WIlson as Rainbow, a former slave who escape prison with Pete Black in Passage West (1951)

Directed by:
Lewis R. Foster

Cast:
John Payne … Pete Black
Dennis O’Keefe … Jacob Karns
Arleen Whelan … Rose Billings
Frank Faylen … Curly
Mary Anderson … Myra Johnson
Richard Travis … Ben Johnson
Peter Hanson … Michael Karns
Dooley Wilson … Rainbow
Griff Barnett … Papa Emil Ludwig
Ilka Gruning … Mama Ludwig
Arthur Hunnicutt … Pop Brennan
Lillian Bronson … Mom Brennan
Mary Beth Hughes … Nellie McBride
Mary Field … Miss Swingate

Runtime: 80 min.

Richard Travis as Ben Johnson, objecting to leaving his young son half buried. Also pictured (from left) Griff Barnett as Papa Ludwig, Ilka Gruning as Mama Ludwig, Arthur Hunnicutt as Pop Brennan and Mary Anderson as Myra Johnson in Passage West (1951)

Ilka Gruining as Mama Ludwig, Mary Field as Miss Swingate, Lillian Bronson as Mom Brennan and Griff Barnett as Papa Ludwig watching a fight break out in Passage West (1951)

Memorable lines:

Rainbow, struggling to stay on his feet during a prison break: “Please, Lord, hear my prayer. Save us. Save us, Lord. Save us.
Pete Black: “You’re wasting your breath. Ain’t nothing listening. Just lizards and snakes and buzzards. Waiting for you, Rainbow. Better get up.”

Pete Black, after Rose tries to take a bullwhip to him: “I had a feeling there was a heap of fire under that black dress.”

Rose Billings: “Is this the reward of the righteous? When we left home, father, Jacob and the elders all said this journey was the Lord’s will. They said he would lead us by the cloud by day and by a pillar of fire at night. Where are the clouds and the pillars, Michael? Do you see them? No, neither do I. Nothing but dirt and heat and filth. And those convicts holding us as slaves.”

Frank Faylen as Curly, the prison escapee forever at odds with Pete Black in Passage West (1951)

Paul Fiero as Ramon, one of the prison escapees, during a fight in a mine in Passage West (1951)

Pop Brennan, after Preacher Jacob has beaten Pete Black and kicked him into a creek: “That’s one way of baptizing him, Jacob.”

Jacob Karns: “You leaving?”
Pete Black: “There’s a saying that one bad apple spoils a barrel full. You wouldn’t stand much of a chance with five.”

Escaped convict about Rainbow: “Knife him and he’ll squeal like a stuck pig.”
Rainbow: “I sure will.”
Second escapee: “Maybe I’ll just ring his neck, like a chicken.”
Rainbow: “I’ll holler. I’ll raise a fuss and people will come running.”

Peter Hansen as Michael Karns, the pastor’s brother, watching a fight break out among the escapees in Passage West (1951)

Estelle Carr as Minna Karns with husband Michael (Peter Hansen), realizing their infant son isn’t going to survive in Passage West (1951)

Arleen Whelan as Rose Billings and Mary Beth Hughes as Nellie McBride, as a fight breaks out in Passage West (1951)

John Payne as Pete Black, showing up uninvited to the wagon train as Rose Billings (Arleen Whelan) looks on in Passage West (1951)