Two Indian tribes have united to push the whites out of their territory, and Capt. Stone (Dane Clark) has two days to get the settlers through Thunder Pass and to the safety of Fort Terrahawk.
Haunted by an earlier Indian massacre, he’s an unfeeling, hard-driving sort and he finds himself saddled with two prospectors reluctant to leave their gold mine, a family that includes a fetching young woman determined to tease his troopers, and a wounded stage passenger suspected of being a gunrunner.
Then there’s a pretty young woman named Murdock, who also lost a relative in the aforementioned Indian massacre. Things go from bad to worse when the Indians steal the group’s horses and taint their water supply, forcing them to walk to Thunder Pass.
The wounded man is the biggest point of contention. Most members of the group want to leave him behind, or kill him, so they can reach safety more quickly. Capt. Stone refuses either option because there’s no real proof he’s a gunrunner.
In fact, that person is Bergstrom (John Carradine), who joins the small band so he can help the Indians get their guns back, and is forced to remain with the group by Stone.
Review:
A tedious tale, filled with forced Western dialogue that comes off as downright silly at times, like when Trooper Reeger is joking with Charity Hemp in the middle of the climatic Indian attack.
Then there’s one of the troopers whose tooth starts to hurt every time something good is about to happen. A fellow trooper is constantly checking with him, gauging the group’s fortune by the status of the tooth.
Sure enough, just when the Kiowa pin down the group and the situation looks hopeless, that tooth starts hurting. Just then, the Comanches ride in and round up the Kiowa. rescuing our tiny band, which is still remarkably unscathed by the whole ordeal.
Andy Devine plays a cavalry scout called Injun because he was raised by then; Raymond Burr has an early role as one of the prospectors forced to leave a promising strike behind.0
Directed by:
Frank McDonald
Cast:
Dane Clark … Capt. Dave Stone
Dorothy Patrick … Murdock
Andy Devine … Injun
Raymond Burr … Tulsa
Raymond Hatton … Ancient
John Carradine … Bergstrom
Nestor Paiva … Daniel Slaughter
Mary Ellen Kay … Charity Hemp
Paul McGuire … Charlie Hemp
Elizabeth Harrower … Mrs. Hemp
Tom Hubbard … Barnett
Rick Vallin … Reeger
Tommy Cook … Rogers
Charles Fredericks … McCurdy
Billy Wilkerson … Chief Growling Bear
Runtime: 76 min.
Memorable lines:
Injun: “If you don’t get out of here, your whole future will be tied up in your past.”
Capt. Stone: “These two tribes team up, the whole southwest will be a powderkeg.”
Injun: “Right, with a lit fuse.”
Stone: “Maybe there’s still time, Injun.”
Injun: “For what?”
Stone: “To put out the lit fuse.”
Cavalryman #1: “Tooth hurt, Barney.”
Barney: “No.”
Cavalryman #1, shaking his head: “Well, you’d better strap your hair on.”
Barney’s aching tooth is seen as a sign of good fortune.
Charity’s Mom, after watching the pretty lass flirt with soldiers: “Charity, a lady wouldn’t think what you’re thinking.”
Charity: “A lady wouldn’t know what I’m thinking.”
Capt. Stone: “Those two horses in the corral — which one do you want saddled up?”
Murdock: “Whichever one follows your orders best.”
Injun: “Well, I don’t know where I’m goin’, but I ain’t gonna do it on an empty stomach.”
Injun, watching Charity tear off pieces of her undergarments as bandages for her father, Charlie: “Good thing Charlie ain’t hurt any worse.”
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