Rex Reason is Jess Brady and Richard Erdman is Rupe Pardee, two men accused of leading a supply train into an Indian ambush and awaiting a date with a hangman’s noose.
They’re being taunted about that future necktie party when a band of Indians roar into the town of Gunsight, intent on enacting their own revenge on Brady and Pardee.
As the situation grows dire, the commanding officer of the cavalry (Rusty Lane) loads the prisoners into the wagon with Pardee’s Indian wife Keetah (Jana Davi) and a small escort.
They’re heading for the nearest stage station and arrive just behind a stage carrying Indian agent Farley Durand and Marsha Collins (Nancy Gates), his fiance from back East.
The Indians aren’t fooled. They follow, surrounding the station and putting everyone inside in a desperate situation.
If anyone is to survive, the Captain is going to have to rely at least in part on his prisoners to get them out of this jam.
Rex Reason as Jess Brady, locked in a desperate struggle for his life in The Rawhide Trail (1958)
Review:
A catchy theme song and the spirited opening scene featuring the Indian raid are the best things about this low-budget quickie with a runtime of just over an hour.
Once the stage passengers and the Captain’s whittled down band are trapped in the way station, the film bogs down to a very poor man’s version of the John Ford classic Stagecoach (1939).
Fortunately, director Robert Gordon has two very lovely lasses to brighten things up in Jana Davi and Nancy Gates.
Jana doesn’t get to do much except look worried and help her husband help Brady from time to time. Gates, unfortunately, gets to do more and is saddled with a ridiculously melodramatic scene.
In hopes that someone will surive, the band splits into four groups. Marsha Collins is none too pleased to learn that she’ll be separated from her fiance and traveling alone with Jess Brady.
So she conks him over the head with a piece of wood when he isn’t looking and dashes off. He catches her, of course. At which point she resists briefly, then lunges into his arms for a passionate kiss. Oh, my.
The reason for the Indian uprising is a bit muddled. Someone has delayed the delivery of promised beef to the Indians so that they’ll pay top dollar for the rifles that arrive instead? Then, to cover their tracks, they’ve sent the wrong kind of ammunition for the rifles?
Brady and Pardee have been blamed for all the problems, but insist they’re innocent.
Rusty Lane as the Captain, trying to save Keetah after she’s dumped in the street during an Indian raid in The Rawhide Trail (1958)
Directed by:
Robert Gordon
Cast:
Rex Reason … Jess Brady
Nancy Gates .. Marsha Collins
Richard Erdman … Rupe Pardee
Ann Doran … Mrs. Cartwright
Rusty Lane … Captain
Jana Davi … Keetah
Sam Buffington … James Willard
Robert Knapp … Farley Durand
Frank Chase … Corporal
William Murphy … Elbe Rotter
John Dierkes … Hangman
Richard Warren … Collier
Dick Geary … Soldier
Chet Sampson … Telegrapher
Runtime: 67 min.
Title tune:
“The Rawhide Trail” by The Guardsmen
Richard Erdman as Rupe Pardee and Jana Davi as Keetah, ‘borrowing’ a couple of Winchester rifles in The Rawhide Trail (1958)
Memorable lines:
Rupe Pardee, once trapped at the way station: “Brady and me got nothin’ against dyin’ come sun-up. We just wasn’t figurin’ on hangin’ til noon.”
Marsha Collins, when tensions run high at the way station: “Farley hasn’t done anything wrong. How dare you accuse him.”
Captain: “Young lady, it’s your skin I’m concerned with. Not your reputation.”
Farley Durand: “You’ll live to regret this.”
Jess Brady: “Chances are we won’t.”
Jess Brady: “Think we ought to go back to Gunsight and get ourselves hanged?”
Rupe Pardee: “Haven’t you had enough excitement for one day?”
Nancy Gates as Marsha Collins, trying to help Jess Brady make a stand against the Indians in The Rawhide Trail (1958)
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