The Silver Whip (1953)

Robert Wagner is Jess Harker, a young man who has dreamed of becoming a stagecoach driver.

He finds himself driving a stage alright, between Red Rock and a small neighboring village. His passengers are usually livestock; his freight a little mail.

He yearns for more excitement and thinks about leaving town. That when his girlfriend Kathy turns to Race Crim (Dale Robertson) for help.

Race, a father figure to Jess, gets him a job driving the mainline stage from Red Rock to Silver City. And his first run will carry $27,000 from a local mine.

The stage comes under attack. And Jess refuses to drive off when ordered to do so, deciding instead to help Race fight off the bandits.

The result: Both passengers die. So does one stagecoach guard. And the bandits make off with the gold.

Race spends the rest of the film looking for revenge. After all, one of those passengers was Waco, his lady love.

Jess spends the rest of the film looking for redemption. Because he’s fired from the stage line.

He’ll get a second chance thanks to Sheriff Tom Davison (Rory Calhoun). And he’ll be tested again — this time with Race on the other side.

strong>Robert Wagner as Jess Harper, frustrated over life in a small town and eager to spread his wings in The Silver Whip (1953)

Dale Robertson as Race Crim, on the vengeance trail after a stage holdup in The Silver Whip (1953)

Review:

Interesting coming-of-age yarn, with a solid performance by Wagner as the bull-headed young man who has to learn the meaning of responsibility.

This was only his fifth credited role and the first time he played the lead, though top billing went to veterans Dale Robertson and Rory Calhoun.

Their presence makes for a deeper cast than you’ll find in most B Westerns, and Robertson turns in one of his more bearable performances, meaning he’s not at his pompous worst.

Oh, the silver whip of the title is a whip Race buys Jess for his first trip driving the main-line stage.

Rory Calhoun as Tom Davison, sheriff and leader of the posse trying to track down the outlaws in The Silver Whip (1953)

Kathleen Crowley as Kathy Riley, stitching up the pants of boyfriend Jess Harper in The Silver Whip (1953)

Directed by:
Harmon Jones

Cast:
Robert Wagner … Jess Harper
Dale Robertson … Race Crim
Rory Calhoun … Tom Davison
James Millican … Luke Bowen
Kathleen Crowley … Kathy Riley
Lola Albright … Waco
John Kellogg … Slater
Ian MacDonald … Hank
J.M. Kerrigan … Riley

Runtime: 73 min.

Lola Albright as Waco, the lady friend of Race Crim (Dale Robertson) in The Silver Whip (1953)

James Millican as Luke Bowen, the stage superintendent who takes a chance on Jess Harper in The Silver Whip (1953)

Memorable lines:

Sheriff Tom Davison: “Race is the best friend I ever had. But he still thinks he has the law in his holster. He has to learn different.”

J.M. Kerrigan as Riley, Kathy’s dad: “Everything changes, this is nature’s plan; he went to sleep a boy, and awoke a man.”

Race Crim, recovering from gunshot wound, delivered by youngster Jess Harper: “Guess I’m lucky you can drive a stagecoach straighter than you can shoot.”
Jess Harper: “You didn’t teach me shootin’.”

John Kellogg as Slater, watching one of his gang members take aim during a stage holdup in The Silver Whip (1953)

Robert Wagner as Jess Harper, thrilled to learn he’ll be driving the stage as Uncle Ben (Burt Mustin) looks on in The Silver Whip (1953)

Dale Robertson as Race Crim, trying to beat the truth out of a captured gang member in The Silver Whip (1953)

Kathleen Crowley as Kathy Riley and Robert Wagner as Jess Harper mulling an unfortunate turn of events in The Silver Whip (1953)