Pony Express (1953)

Buffalo Bill Cody (Charlton Heston) and Wild Bill Hickok (Forrest Tucker) are determined to link California to the United States with a new venture called the Pony Express.

But some folks — including Rance Hastings and his lovely sister Evelyn (Rhonda Fleming) — think they’d benefit if California proclaimed its independence.

And they find themselves in cahoots with Joe Cooper, who has the government mail contract and doesn’t want to lose it to this new venture.

The bad guys aren’t above supplying guns to the Indians to help stir up hostilities and keep Cody and Hickok from forming their chain of relay stations all the way to the West Coast. Or to help those Indians destroy the ones they’ve already created.

So in addition to setting up the new business, Cody also finds himself having to deal with gun-runners and an Indian chief named Yellow Hand with a grudge to settle.

Review:

Full of action, to be sure, but not one of Heston’s better Westerns. The over-the-top performances by Heston and Tucker as plainsmen supreme quickly become tiresome and, even at 100 minutes, the film seems too long.

And then, of course, there’s the fact that no one should use this as a history lesson about the Pony Express, which certainly wasn’t the idea of the two Western heroes.

And the name dropping continues when Jim Bridger shows up later in the film. One wonders why Jan Sterling’s very Calamity-Jane-like character didn’t wind up with that name.

Speaking of which, the film is saved by the performances of Fleming and Sterling in the female leads.

Fleming, as Evelyn Hastings, is the refined lady who comes to appreciate Cody; Sterling, as Denny, is the tomboy who’s always loved him and is extremely jealous of any attention he gives to Evelyn. The scene in which Cody jokingly introduces Evelyn as his wife, promptly Denny to sling mud in her face, is one of the film’s best moments.

Directed by:
Jerry Hopper

Cast:
Charlton Heston … Buffalo Bill Cody
Rhonda Fleming … Evelyn Hastings
Jan Sterling … Denny
Forrest Tucker … Wild Bill Hickok
Michael Moore … Rance Hastings
Porter Hall … Jim Bridger
Richard Shannon … Barrett
Henry Brandon … Joe Cooper
Stuart Randall … Pemberton
Pat Hogan … Chief Yellow Hand
Lewis Martin … Sgt. Russell

Runtime: 101 min.

Memorable lines:

Evelyn Hastings, after Cody has run off four pretend Union soldiers intent on arresting her and her brother: “I can never thank you enough.”
Cody: “Sure you can, if you want to.”
Evelyn: “How?”
Cody: “Well, I could let you kiss me.”
Evelyn: “You could let me what?”
Cody: “It was just a thought.”
Evelyn: “Well, the least I could do …”
Cody: “Now, I wouldn’t say the least, ma’am.”
Evelyn: “Well, get it over yet.”

Evelyn, as Wild Bill and Cody fire bullets close to one another’s feet: “You mean they do this just for fun?”
Denny: “Fancier than shaking hands.”

Wild Bill to Cody, after he’s insulted Yellow Hand: “If he ever catches up with you, I hope you aren’t around.”

Denny, when Cody seems unimpressed by her in a dress: “See, I told you he wouldn’t go for a girl who wore this kind of get-up.”
Wild Bill: “It’s not the get-up, Denny, it’s just that you can’t make a race horse out of a jackass.”

Forrest Tucker as Wild Bill Hickok and Charlton Heston as Buffalo Bill, laying out plans for the Pony Express in Pony Express (1953)

Richard Shannon as Red Barrett, Denny’s dad and the man who finances the Pony Express in Pony Express (1953)

Pat Hogran as Yellow Hand, an Indian chief with a score to settle against Buffalo Bill Cody in Pony Express (1953)

Rhonda Fleming as Evelyn Hastings, reacting to the mud pie she finds herself wearing in Pony Express (1953)

Jan Sterling as Denny, reacting to a request that she spy on Evelyn Hastings in Pony Express (1953)

Rhonda Fleming as Evelyn Hastings and Forrest Tucker as Wild Bill Hickok, watching a final showdown in Pony Express (1953)