With a bank robber antihero, a traveling songstress and a pompous politician preaching about the hidden humanity of native Americans, this film has enough unique character development to make it an interesting setup. Basically, this has two segments, the preparation of a journey to Laramie and the actual journey which results in a group of people being surrounded by bloodthirsty Cheyenne's. Dale Robertson, Linda Darnell and Ward Bond play the characters I mentioned above, joined by John Lund, Skip Homier and Regis Toomey. There is an amusing series of scenes with Darnell and stagecoach ticket salesman Irving Bacon (best known as the frustrated postman in the "Blondie" series) over her three talking him into getting her a ticket on the full stagecoach by gifting him a brand new perfumed garter. Little does she realize the danger ahead, even though she is there when the wagon train pulls in filled with bodies already victims of the cheyennes awaiting them.
While Darnell is striking in her fiery red dress, it is Ward Bond here whom you will remember, his constant preaching about the humanity inside the natives that he wants to reveal to the white man. His intentions are good, but the script is already against the character, showing the Cheyenne's unfortunately as savages without guilt over slaughtering everyone aboard stagecoach parties. Darnell does add some spark, but the remainder of the cast (other than Bacon's cameo) isn't really memorable, a cliche of every type of character you seen in these type of westerns. However the color photography is catchy and the outdoor scenery is very pretty. I wouldn't call this a bad Western, but it certainly is no "Stagecoach".
While Darnell is striking in her fiery red dress, it is Ward Bond here whom you will remember, his constant preaching about the humanity inside the natives that he wants to reveal to the white man. His intentions are good, but the script is already against the character, showing the Cheyenne's unfortunately as savages without guilt over slaughtering everyone aboard stagecoach parties. Darnell does add some spark, but the remainder of the cast (other than Bacon's cameo) isn't really memorable, a cliche of every type of character you seen in these type of westerns. However the color photography is catchy and the outdoor scenery is very pretty. I wouldn't call this a bad Western, but it certainly is no "Stagecoach".