Rousing, action packed tale of the taking of California from the Mexican Government. While historically inaccurate, the cast and direction move things along in a pleasant manner, with lotsa Indians and gunfire. It's a good thing that Andrews wears a moustache since he and Hall are almost twins.
14 Reviews
Just a good 'ol western... as a young boy I had constant nightmares with dozens of Indians chasing me on horseback
Ed-Shullivan11 March 2018
Well they just don't make them like this anymore. I for one would enjoy new releases of this calibre of the western genre. The original western cowboy and the officer and a gentleman vying for the heart of the classy lady who is travelling across the prairies heading for California to re-unite with her wealthy cattle rancher father. The only problem is there are hundreds of Indians behind the tall hills who do not want the Americans settling on the land that they already are sharing with the Mexicans who also have aspirations of taking the beautiful state of California land as their own.
The rugged frontiersman is a real life cowboy named Kit Carson (played by Jon Hall) who has teamed up with two of his best friends and loyal followers whose names appropriately are Ape (Ward Bond), and Lopez (Harold Huber). These three amigos agree to be the lead scouts for the wagon train that the unmarried damsel named Dolores Murphy (Lynn Bari) has secured their services for a wheel barrel full of cash. The wagon train also has a flank of American soldiers at their side led by Captain John C. Fremont (Dana Andrews).
What is different about this western/romance is that the two alpha males who are vying for Ms. Murphy's affections act more like the courteous animated chipmunks Chip and Dale then two adversaries. Both are true gentlemen and only want Ms. Murphy to be happy with her choice for her future husband.
This film is filled with action, light humor, cowboys and Indians, chivalry, romance and a pretty darn good ending for a black and white film released 78 years ago. I liked it a lot and I give it a sound 7 out of 10 rating.
The rugged frontiersman is a real life cowboy named Kit Carson (played by Jon Hall) who has teamed up with two of his best friends and loyal followers whose names appropriately are Ape (Ward Bond), and Lopez (Harold Huber). These three amigos agree to be the lead scouts for the wagon train that the unmarried damsel named Dolores Murphy (Lynn Bari) has secured their services for a wheel barrel full of cash. The wagon train also has a flank of American soldiers at their side led by Captain John C. Fremont (Dana Andrews).
What is different about this western/romance is that the two alpha males who are vying for Ms. Murphy's affections act more like the courteous animated chipmunks Chip and Dale then two adversaries. Both are true gentlemen and only want Ms. Murphy to be happy with her choice for her future husband.
This film is filled with action, light humor, cowboys and Indians, chivalry, romance and a pretty darn good ending for a black and white film released 78 years ago. I liked it a lot and I give it a sound 7 out of 10 rating.
On the level of a B western
bkoganbing9 March 2013
The western film Kit Carson, an independent release from United Artists in 1940 presents a rousing action filled portrayal of one of the greatest of American frontier characters. But the real Kit Carson was so much more interesting that it's almost a shame that this one is his screen epitaph.
Jon Hall plays Carson in proper frontier style with Mesquiteer like mountain men companions Ward Bond and Harold Huber. Dana Andrews is John C. Fremont noted explorer and surveyor of the west who eventually became the first Republican party presidential candidate. One thing I should dispel right away, they never quarreled over any woman, even one as beautiful as Lynn Bari. Fremont was already married to Jessie Benton, daughter of US Senator Thomas Hart Benton and Carson after living among the Indians and fathering two illegitimate children married the daughter of the governor of New Mexico when it was still in old Mexico. He even took instructions in the Roman Catholic faith to make such a marriage.
The action of about two years is compressed into approximately a few months with Fremont's expedition being the catspaw of the US government to check out California to see if it was ripe for the taking. Fremont never took a wagon train to California or anywhere else, especially since he was mapping and surveying the territory that Carson and other mountain knew about before. He had enough trouble getting him and his men over the Rockies and Sierras without women and kids along.
Both Hall and Andrews certainly do right by their characterizations of both men and I wish I could rate the film higher. Sad to say though its accuracy is so bad that it's almost on the level of a B western where they use some real life western figure and build a fictitious plot around them. Plenty of action though with Indian fights and then fights with the Mexican army in California. Kit Carson must have done well with the Saturday matinée crowd back in the day.
Jon Hall plays Carson in proper frontier style with Mesquiteer like mountain men companions Ward Bond and Harold Huber. Dana Andrews is John C. Fremont noted explorer and surveyor of the west who eventually became the first Republican party presidential candidate. One thing I should dispel right away, they never quarreled over any woman, even one as beautiful as Lynn Bari. Fremont was already married to Jessie Benton, daughter of US Senator Thomas Hart Benton and Carson after living among the Indians and fathering two illegitimate children married the daughter of the governor of New Mexico when it was still in old Mexico. He even took instructions in the Roman Catholic faith to make such a marriage.
The action of about two years is compressed into approximately a few months with Fremont's expedition being the catspaw of the US government to check out California to see if it was ripe for the taking. Fremont never took a wagon train to California or anywhere else, especially since he was mapping and surveying the territory that Carson and other mountain knew about before. He had enough trouble getting him and his men over the Rockies and Sierras without women and kids along.
Both Hall and Andrews certainly do right by their characterizations of both men and I wish I could rate the film higher. Sad to say though its accuracy is so bad that it's almost on the level of a B western where they use some real life western figure and build a fictitious plot around them. Plenty of action though with Indian fights and then fights with the Mexican army in California. Kit Carson must have done well with the Saturday matinée crowd back in the day.
Kit Carson Takeaways
malvernp16 August 2020
1. On a personal level, this movie is special to me because it is the only one I have ever seen when it first came out that was the entertainment provided for a kid's birthday party! In 1940, l was invited to a cousin's birthday celebration that featured the matinee showing of Kit Carson at a neighborhood movie theater. This was something rather unique and made all the more enjoyable because the audience primarily consisted of a bunch of pre-adolescent boys (and no girls!). Such matinee movie parties were much more common then than they are now.
2. I recently saw the Kit Carson film again. The experience confirmed my earlier impression of the movie. It is a pleasant narrative in the classic Western tradition that does not pretend to be representing the absolute truth. In that sense, seeing the movie is somewhat like the way many feel after eating an enjoyable Chinese restaurant meal--quite satisfied at the time but soon needing something more.
3. Perhaps the best feature of this movie is its great location photography. It may be favorably compared to the work of John Ford in his classic Stagecoach lensed just a year earlier. Monument Valley certainly was spectacular in both films!
4. This movie contains one of the very few leading man action-type roles that Jon Hall performed without resort to a "sarong" or similar exotic native-type garb. His naturalistic understated acting style was quite appealing. Too bad that he was afforded so few future opportunities to attempt similar acting challenges.
5. Hall's male co-star was a very young and inexperienced Dana Andrews. He appears as real life character John C. Fremont, with an unflattering mustache and a tight-fitting Army uniform. He labored in undistinguished movies for four more years until his breakthrough performance as the portrait-obsessed cop in the classic thriller Laura in 1944. Andrews ended up greatly surpassing Hall in popularity, and became a major leading man film actor for many years.
2. I recently saw the Kit Carson film again. The experience confirmed my earlier impression of the movie. It is a pleasant narrative in the classic Western tradition that does not pretend to be representing the absolute truth. In that sense, seeing the movie is somewhat like the way many feel after eating an enjoyable Chinese restaurant meal--quite satisfied at the time but soon needing something more.
3. Perhaps the best feature of this movie is its great location photography. It may be favorably compared to the work of John Ford in his classic Stagecoach lensed just a year earlier. Monument Valley certainly was spectacular in both films!
4. This movie contains one of the very few leading man action-type roles that Jon Hall performed without resort to a "sarong" or similar exotic native-type garb. His naturalistic understated acting style was quite appealing. Too bad that he was afforded so few future opportunities to attempt similar acting challenges.
5. Hall's male co-star was a very young and inexperienced Dana Andrews. He appears as real life character John C. Fremont, with an unflattering mustache and a tight-fitting Army uniform. He labored in undistinguished movies for four more years until his breakthrough performance as the portrait-obsessed cop in the classic thriller Laura in 1944. Andrews ended up greatly surpassing Hall in popularity, and became a major leading man film actor for many years.
Good yarn about how Carson and Fremont helped conquer California
weezeralfalfa24 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is a semi-historical western adventure film, featuring the historic Kit Carson(Jon Hall) and J.C. Fremont(Dana Andrews) as the leaders of the American expedition to establish a wagon trail from Ft. Bridger, in SW Wyoming, to central California, across much barren land and the Sierras. Carson refused Fremont's request that he serve as his scout. However, he was convinced to act as wagon master for the wagon train that became attached to Fremont's cavalry unit. This split command offered more opportunities for disagreements on routes, policies, and romance.
They are pursued relentlessly by Shoshone all along their route, until they have crossed the Sierras.(Historically, the Shoshone were probably more important in attacking wagons and settlements along the Oregon Trail, although they did range from western Wyoming through Utah and Nevada, as indicated in this film.
Once over the Sierras, their enemy became General Castro's Mexican forces. He had supplied the Shoshone with rifles, in their attacks on the Americans.(General Castro is an appropriate historical name). Castro doesn't cause trouble on the trip to Monterrey, on the coast. A celebration is held at the Murphy hacienda. Murphy is a rich man by California standards. His daughter, Dolores(Lynn Bari) was a member of the wagon train(why?). She developed some romantic attachment to both Carson and Fremont during their long trip. She prefers Carson at this point, but he mysteriously leaves for the plains and some beaver traps. Dolores assumes she will never see him again. However, Kit's plans change when he learns of Castro's plan to destroy the Murphy Hacienda. Kit returns to the hacienda to lead it's defense, and take an important part in the movement by the small American community to wrest California from the Mexicans.
Throughout, until near the end, Kit has 2 partners in Ape(Ward Bond) and Lopez(Harold Huber). The 3 were the only survivors of a sizable party of trappers who were attacked by Shoshone in the Ft. Bridger area, losing all their beaver pelts....Raymond Hatton plays Bridger, whom we meet at his fort, where the principle characters first meet....It's nice to see Lynn Bari in a leading role. Usually, she was relegated to a supporting role, often 'the other woman'.
Much of this was shot in Monument Valley, as was often clear in the background. This was just a year after John Ford discovered this spectacular area for "Stagecoach" and several subsequent films. Unfortunately, neither film was shot in color.
As a rather muddled historical adventure, the film isn't bad. Lots of action, and cursory romance between. See it in B&W at YouTube.
They are pursued relentlessly by Shoshone all along their route, until they have crossed the Sierras.(Historically, the Shoshone were probably more important in attacking wagons and settlements along the Oregon Trail, although they did range from western Wyoming through Utah and Nevada, as indicated in this film.
Once over the Sierras, their enemy became General Castro's Mexican forces. He had supplied the Shoshone with rifles, in their attacks on the Americans.(General Castro is an appropriate historical name). Castro doesn't cause trouble on the trip to Monterrey, on the coast. A celebration is held at the Murphy hacienda. Murphy is a rich man by California standards. His daughter, Dolores(Lynn Bari) was a member of the wagon train(why?). She developed some romantic attachment to both Carson and Fremont during their long trip. She prefers Carson at this point, but he mysteriously leaves for the plains and some beaver traps. Dolores assumes she will never see him again. However, Kit's plans change when he learns of Castro's plan to destroy the Murphy Hacienda. Kit returns to the hacienda to lead it's defense, and take an important part in the movement by the small American community to wrest California from the Mexicans.
Throughout, until near the end, Kit has 2 partners in Ape(Ward Bond) and Lopez(Harold Huber). The 3 were the only survivors of a sizable party of trappers who were attacked by Shoshone in the Ft. Bridger area, losing all their beaver pelts....Raymond Hatton plays Bridger, whom we meet at his fort, where the principle characters first meet....It's nice to see Lynn Bari in a leading role. Usually, she was relegated to a supporting role, often 'the other woman'.
Much of this was shot in Monument Valley, as was often clear in the background. This was just a year after John Ford discovered this spectacular area for "Stagecoach" and several subsequent films. Unfortunately, neither film was shot in color.
As a rather muddled historical adventure, the film isn't bad. Lots of action, and cursory romance between. See it in B&W at YouTube.
******* Great 'B'
GManfred17 May 2018
It's really rewarding when you can find a gem where you weren't expecting to. I watched "Kit Carson" because it was raining and golf was cancelled, and I wanted to kill some time. What a surprise to see Jon Hall, of all people, in an action-packed story better than many with higher ratings. I figure it must have been the second feature paired with a more expensive picture, but this one held its own. It moves along at a good clip with some good second unit work on several fight scenes between the settlers and the Cavalry troop, led by Capt. Dana Andrews, chief scout Jon Hall and sidekick Ward Bond. One of the settlers wagons is driven by Clayton Moore - you can close your eyes when he talks and he becomes the Lone Ranger. Close your eyes again, and Jon Hall sounds like Randolph Scott, soft drawl and all.
See it when it's on again if you like surprises and action westerns, and overlook the plot holes. It's one of those pictures that is better the younger you are. I found it was nice to be young again.
Star rating is in the heading. The website no longer prints mine.
See it when it's on again if you like surprises and action westerns, and overlook the plot holes. It's one of those pictures that is better the younger you are. I found it was nice to be young again.
Star rating is in the heading. The website no longer prints mine.
Fact or fiction? You must research on your own to decide!
mark.waltz6 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Something tells me that there are a lot of facts missing from this story of Kit Carson, the Indian Scout who helped the army protect a wagon train across the wild west. With the tribe in cahoots with the Mexican government to prevent the wagon train to make it through (lead by evil Mexican general C. Henry Gordon), my eyebrows raised when the Indian leaders revealed that Kit was guilty of various crimes against native Americans, yet the film makes him out to be a hero. Of course, there is the obligatory romantic between Kit (Jon Hall), the beautiful Lynn Bari and Army officer Dana Andrews which dominates most of the movie when there aren't battle scenes with the Indians. In spite of the motivation of the Native Americans to attack the wagon trains, they are presented rather one dimensionally, manipulated by the stereotypical Mexicans who are mearly using them for their own agenda against the whites (to keep control of California), which made me ask, what made the settlers think they had the right to take over it anyway?
In spite of those misgivings concerning this film, I still found it entertaining, and extremely well photographed with a depth of perception of the outdoor scenes usually flat in dimension in most westerns. I must add that I saw a computer colorized version of this film which was actually fine for the outdoor settings but not for the facial features of the actors who look like they are suffering from jaundice.
In spite of those misgivings concerning this film, I still found it entertaining, and extremely well photographed with a depth of perception of the outdoor scenes usually flat in dimension in most westerns. I must add that I saw a computer colorized version of this film which was actually fine for the outdoor settings but not for the facial features of the actors who look like they are suffering from jaundice.
Very fictional account but otherwise very well done
morrisonhimself7 November 2020
Action-filled story peopled with many great characters, beautifully played by some excellent actors, all make this a very watchable movie.
It had been years since I saw Jon Hall and I understand why he was as popular as he was but don't understand why he's relatively unknown now.
Hall played the title character and Dana Andrews was an excellent John C. Fremont, both real historical people.
Ward Bond again showed why he was and is still popular: Great actor and very personable.
Harold Huber was another superb character actor, one of those Hollywood standbys without whom movies just couldn't be made. Here he puts on a quite good Spanish accent, and his character is a strong and necessary partner to the Carson character.
Lynn Bari was, as usual, lovely, but she too played a strong character.
There were just too many excellent players to name them all. For now, just know it will be worth your time to see this "Kit Carson," wherever you can find a copy. I found mine at Kanopy, a service of many public libraries.
It had been years since I saw Jon Hall and I understand why he was as popular as he was but don't understand why he's relatively unknown now.
Hall played the title character and Dana Andrews was an excellent John C. Fremont, both real historical people.
Ward Bond again showed why he was and is still popular: Great actor and very personable.
Harold Huber was another superb character actor, one of those Hollywood standbys without whom movies just couldn't be made. Here he puts on a quite good Spanish accent, and his character is a strong and necessary partner to the Carson character.
Lynn Bari was, as usual, lovely, but she too played a strong character.
There were just too many excellent players to name them all. For now, just know it will be worth your time to see this "Kit Carson," wherever you can find a copy. I found mine at Kanopy, a service of many public libraries.
Not bad not good....in fact, pretty ordinary.
planktonrules2 February 2014
Aside from the novelty of seeing Jon Hall and Harold Huber in a western (as neither were the type to usually do westerns), there isn't a whole lot distinctive about this western. It's one of a billion (give or take 5) that are completely fictional stories about real life westerners. In this case, it's Kit Carson--an interesting guy but also someone where about 98% of what you read and see in movies about his is complete fiction. In this case, it's pretty much more of the same.
Kit (Jon Hall) and his friends (Harold Huber and Ward Bond) have just finished an adventure which includes the hilarious pastime of killing Indians and scalping them. So, when the cavalry officer (Dana Andrews) asks them to guide a wagon train west to California, Kit is not interested. However, when Kit gets a gander at a feisty lady, he completely changes his mind and leads the settlers. The problem is that an evil Spanish megalomaniac is planning on turning California into is own little fiefdom and plans on wiping out the settlers. Can Kit and the cavalry stop this nut-job and make America safe for more white folks wanting Indian scalps? Bad history but somewhat entertaining. Not a great film but a decent one if you adore the genre. Not much more I want to say about this rather forgettable film.
Kit (Jon Hall) and his friends (Harold Huber and Ward Bond) have just finished an adventure which includes the hilarious pastime of killing Indians and scalping them. So, when the cavalry officer (Dana Andrews) asks them to guide a wagon train west to California, Kit is not interested. However, when Kit gets a gander at a feisty lady, he completely changes his mind and leads the settlers. The problem is that an evil Spanish megalomaniac is planning on turning California into is own little fiefdom and plans on wiping out the settlers. Can Kit and the cavalry stop this nut-job and make America safe for more white folks wanting Indian scalps? Bad history but somewhat entertaining. Not a great film but a decent one if you adore the genre. Not much more I want to say about this rather forgettable film.
Little more than passable entertainment!
JohnHowardReid30 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 6 September 1940 by Edward Small Productions, Inc. Released through United Artists. Presented by Edward Small. New York release at Loew's State: 14 November 1940. U.S. release: 30 August 1940. Australian release: 29 May 1941. Sydney release at the Plaza: 23 May 1941. U.S. length: 11 reels. 8,676 feet. 96 minutes. Australian length: 8,714 feet. 97 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809-1868) leads a wagon train through hostile Indian territory, encountering all the usual obstacles along the way.
COMMENT: I don't know where Fenin and Everson get the idea that the Indians are sympathetically treated in this film. Certainly it's shown they are put up to their attacks by the Mexicans, but otherwise there's not a single hint that Indians are anything but savages.
However, Fenin and Everson are right about the terrific Indian-attack action sequence in the middle of the film and the obvious running-out-of-money in the final reel where the action is truncated just as it begins to get under way. Fortunately, there's a nice bit of action at the beginning of the film and 2nd unit director Arthur Rosson has contrived some striking compositions of the wagon train moving slowly across the floor of Monument Valley.
When it comes to the efforts of the main unit, the film is much less interesting. The soundtrack is over-cluttered with banal dialogue and director Seitz indulges the actors from static camera positions while they ham away mightily. This fault is aggravated not only by the extremely mundane and clichéd nature of all the talk, but by the uninteresting players who are doing all the gum-washing. Hall just rattles off his lines like a mechanical automaton, Miss Bari is likewise a talking doll, and the third member of the triangle, Dana Andrews is as customarily stiff as a post (even though this was but his third outing before the cameras).
Bond, Huber and Hatton overact in their usual ripe fashion, while other character actors like Stanley Andrews and particularly Edwin Maxwell (who is seen merely in the background though he is portraying the famous Sutter of Sutter's Gold) have little to do. Charley (sic) Stevens gives his usual account of a villainous renegade and C. Henry Gordon soldiers away enthusiastically - but to little account as his lines have no point and are just so much padding.
In many ways, Kit Carson is a typical Edward Small production which promises more than it delivers. The producer has an obvious liking for the period historical epic filmed on a somewhat constrained budget. This one could easily be re-edited down to a reasonably lively 60 minutes. But at its present length, with the narrative sagging so badly in the last half-hour - such a let-down after the splendid, vigorously-staged action in the middle of the film - it offers in sum little more than passable entertainment. 2nd unit direction and photography are impressive, but other credits (including Edward Ward's music score derived from Stephen Foster's "I Dream of Jeannie" et al) are no more than routinely competent.
SYNOPSIS: Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809-1868) leads a wagon train through hostile Indian territory, encountering all the usual obstacles along the way.
COMMENT: I don't know where Fenin and Everson get the idea that the Indians are sympathetically treated in this film. Certainly it's shown they are put up to their attacks by the Mexicans, but otherwise there's not a single hint that Indians are anything but savages.
However, Fenin and Everson are right about the terrific Indian-attack action sequence in the middle of the film and the obvious running-out-of-money in the final reel where the action is truncated just as it begins to get under way. Fortunately, there's a nice bit of action at the beginning of the film and 2nd unit director Arthur Rosson has contrived some striking compositions of the wagon train moving slowly across the floor of Monument Valley.
When it comes to the efforts of the main unit, the film is much less interesting. The soundtrack is over-cluttered with banal dialogue and director Seitz indulges the actors from static camera positions while they ham away mightily. This fault is aggravated not only by the extremely mundane and clichéd nature of all the talk, but by the uninteresting players who are doing all the gum-washing. Hall just rattles off his lines like a mechanical automaton, Miss Bari is likewise a talking doll, and the third member of the triangle, Dana Andrews is as customarily stiff as a post (even though this was but his third outing before the cameras).
Bond, Huber and Hatton overact in their usual ripe fashion, while other character actors like Stanley Andrews and particularly Edwin Maxwell (who is seen merely in the background though he is portraying the famous Sutter of Sutter's Gold) have little to do. Charley (sic) Stevens gives his usual account of a villainous renegade and C. Henry Gordon soldiers away enthusiastically - but to little account as his lines have no point and are just so much padding.
In many ways, Kit Carson is a typical Edward Small production which promises more than it delivers. The producer has an obvious liking for the period historical epic filmed on a somewhat constrained budget. This one could easily be re-edited down to a reasonably lively 60 minutes. But at its present length, with the narrative sagging so badly in the last half-hour - such a let-down after the splendid, vigorously-staged action in the middle of the film - it offers in sum little more than passable entertainment. 2nd unit direction and photography are impressive, but other credits (including Edward Ward's music score derived from Stephen Foster's "I Dream of Jeannie" et al) are no more than routinely competent.
Charismatic Jon Hall in Monument Valley with a Howard Hawks touch
happytrigger-64-3905171 January 2021
This Kit Carson doesn't run for historical truth, that's clear. But it's pure joyful entertainment with plenty twists and fast paced battles and a lot of surprising details (bath sequence). The tahitian Jon Hall is impressive as the leader of a convoy towards California braked by Shoshones helped by Mexican dictator Castro who wants to kill all Americans going to California. Carson is constantly determined to find quickly the right solutions to these constant dangers and it's fascinating. The triangle love story with Carson, his friend officer Frémont (a young but not yet great Dana Andrews) and beautiful Lynn Bari reminds me of some Howard Hawks movies, Carson and Frémont always being fair. I chose that DVD without knowing the director nor Jon Hall, but I saw a picture on the sleeve of the Monument Valley and that's how I decided to buy this DVD, and the Monument sequences are wonderful, I only regret it wasn't shot in colour. Anyway, a nice western that really reminds me of Howard Hawks.
Well produced classic
hines-20006 January 2021
Great story with many great actors including Jon Hall, Ward Bond, Dana Andrews, Raymond Hatton, Clayton Moore, Renie Riano and Harold Huber. My personal favorite Lynn Bari, "The Woo Woo Girl" gave a career performance. Aside from the opening scene, the beginning was rather soporific but developed the characters and story wonderfully thereafter. The struggles against the Shoshones contrasted nicely with the love triangle of Hall and Andrews vying for Bari's affections. The scenery of Monument Valley was spectacular with one of the best circle-the-wagon scenes ever. This could be described as a loose knit Kit Carson biopic that was wonderfully produced and a classic in it's own right.
Carson and Fremont Way out West.
MartynGryphon4 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If I were to compile a list of movie stars of yesteryear that today are largely forgotten, then Jon Hall would be at the pinnacle of that list. He had the physique of Johnny Weissmuller, the height of Gary Cooper, the voice of Randolph Scott and the good looks of Tyrone Power. So why, WHY on earth didn't this guy go on to leave a cinematic legacy on par with the great names mentioned? The answer is simple - He couldn't act for toffee. In fact, he hated acting, but in a similar way to James Cagney, he pursued the vocation purely because it gave him the finances to do the other things he actually wanted to do in life, such as flying and inventing things.
Luckily for Hall, in Kit Carson, he had Dana Andrews and Lynn Bari to help mask his obvious lack of acting chops is this engaging early period western. Hall plays the legendary titular character hired as a scout by Captain John C Fremont to accompany him, his troop and wagon train of civilians to California. However, Mexican General Castro, desperate for the Americans not to reach California to help the besieged American homesteaders there has armed the Shoshoni natives with rifles to do their dirty work for them. When this fails, Castro orders the attack on all the American haciendas and to wipe out the Americans settlers, which encourages the settlers to declare California an Independent Republic.
Not a bad little horse opera, but like all Hollywood westerns that feature real historical figures, revisionism took place then just as much as it does now. Kit Carson and John Fremont were real people and were together on quite a few expeditions over the years when the United States were expanding westward, but a needless love triangle between the two and Lynn Bari's character was added for some dramatic flair, which wasn't really needed. However, the film does give us a chance to see Bari play the female lead for once and not the bitchy 'other woman' characters that we saw her play all too often.
Worth a go, but don't expect 'How the West was Won'.
Enjoy!!
Luckily for Hall, in Kit Carson, he had Dana Andrews and Lynn Bari to help mask his obvious lack of acting chops is this engaging early period western. Hall plays the legendary titular character hired as a scout by Captain John C Fremont to accompany him, his troop and wagon train of civilians to California. However, Mexican General Castro, desperate for the Americans not to reach California to help the besieged American homesteaders there has armed the Shoshoni natives with rifles to do their dirty work for them. When this fails, Castro orders the attack on all the American haciendas and to wipe out the Americans settlers, which encourages the settlers to declare California an Independent Republic.
Not a bad little horse opera, but like all Hollywood westerns that feature real historical figures, revisionism took place then just as much as it does now. Kit Carson and John Fremont were real people and were together on quite a few expeditions over the years when the United States were expanding westward, but a needless love triangle between the two and Lynn Bari's character was added for some dramatic flair, which wasn't really needed. However, the film does give us a chance to see Bari play the female lead for once and not the bitchy 'other woman' characters that we saw her play all too often.
Worth a go, but don't expect 'How the West was Won'.
Enjoy!!
Trek across hostile territory
jarrodmcdonald-119 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Jon Hall had played a minor part in a Republic B western with John Wayne, but this was his first starring role in an A-budget western after achieving success in John Ford's THE HURRICANE. He is well suited to tales that take place outdoors, and he would make many more pictures in this genre during the years that followed. Though he was not producer Edward Small's first choice to play KIT CARSON, he seems ideally cast.
When we first meet the handsome scout, he is riding the range with his buddy (Ward Bond) and dealing with Shoshones. They are surprised to see the natives have guns. After the brief skirmish ends, they head to a nearby fort where they meet a well-known army captain (Dana Andrews) and a man (Clayton Moore) leading a wagon train to California.
The people from the train are following the captain and his men. They have heard about Hall's exploits and want to hire him to lead them safely across the desert to the promised land.
In some ways this is similar to the set-up in Paramount's CALIFORNIA (1947) in which Ray Milland was asked to lead a group of pioneers to the coast. A key difference, however, is that the lead female character (Lynn Bari) is not a saloon girl; instead, she is the well-mannered daughter of a Monterey landowner. She is on her way to her father's hacienda, and her feminine charms indirectly cause Hall to accept the assignment from Moore even though he initially turned it down.
As they make their trek across hostile territory, Hall and Andrews butt heads more than once about strategies on dealing with the natives. A significant contrast here is that Andrews must answer to government officials back east, while Hall and Bond are free to make decisions without much deliberation. Hall's quick thinking is what keeps the travelers from harm when danger occurs.
And there is plenty of danger, when a rifle-wielding Shoshone attacks. The Shoshone warrior is captured and he admits that the guns were a gift from Mexican General Castro (C. Henry Gordon). Castro is using the natives to prevent white homesteaders from settling in California, since he wants the region to remain under his control. There is a gruesome death scene where Andrews orders his soldiers to execute the Shoshone warrior. The scene is meant to make Hall's title character more likable than Andrews' character, especially in Miss Bari's eyes.
The triangle that plays out between the three leads does not take a lot of screen time because the filmmakers are more interested in the action sequences. So after the warrior dies by firing squad, Andrews and his men quickly head off on another trail where they are ambushed by more natives.
Hall heroically saves them, of course, but not before Moore's character is sacrificed. Some of these outdoor battle scenes are spectacularly staged. You can imagine how much food must have been catered on this set so the main performers and hundreds of extras had plenty of energy to keep going!
After the big battle scene in the middle of the movie, we flash ahead to the wagon train arriving in California. Soon there is a festive party at the home of Bari's father. But Hall and Bond duck out, because Hall is restless and does not intend to settle down. They go north to check on some traps, but then come across a general (Lew Merrill) that is willing to betray Castro. He fills the men in on another raid that is about to happen.
This sets us up for another huge action sequence, one depicting the fight for California's independence from Mexico and the establishment of California as its own republic. During the scenes that unfold in this sequence, Bond's character dies by blowing himself up with dynamite to ward off the Mexicans...allowing Andrews' men and Hall to claim victory. Again the battle scenes are effectively staged. Bond's death scene is shocking and perhaps the most memorable scene in the whole film.
Afterward, the survivors celebrate California's freedom from Mexican tyranny. It seems like we are headed for a happy ending, but there is still the unresolved aspect of the main triangle. Bari is unable to marry Andrews whom she does not love, and Andrews convinces Hall to pursue his feelings with Bari. Once this is settled, Hall and Andrews are off on another military adventure. What else would you expect?
When we first meet the handsome scout, he is riding the range with his buddy (Ward Bond) and dealing with Shoshones. They are surprised to see the natives have guns. After the brief skirmish ends, they head to a nearby fort where they meet a well-known army captain (Dana Andrews) and a man (Clayton Moore) leading a wagon train to California.
The people from the train are following the captain and his men. They have heard about Hall's exploits and want to hire him to lead them safely across the desert to the promised land.
In some ways this is similar to the set-up in Paramount's CALIFORNIA (1947) in which Ray Milland was asked to lead a group of pioneers to the coast. A key difference, however, is that the lead female character (Lynn Bari) is not a saloon girl; instead, she is the well-mannered daughter of a Monterey landowner. She is on her way to her father's hacienda, and her feminine charms indirectly cause Hall to accept the assignment from Moore even though he initially turned it down.
As they make their trek across hostile territory, Hall and Andrews butt heads more than once about strategies on dealing with the natives. A significant contrast here is that Andrews must answer to government officials back east, while Hall and Bond are free to make decisions without much deliberation. Hall's quick thinking is what keeps the travelers from harm when danger occurs.
And there is plenty of danger, when a rifle-wielding Shoshone attacks. The Shoshone warrior is captured and he admits that the guns were a gift from Mexican General Castro (C. Henry Gordon). Castro is using the natives to prevent white homesteaders from settling in California, since he wants the region to remain under his control. There is a gruesome death scene where Andrews orders his soldiers to execute the Shoshone warrior. The scene is meant to make Hall's title character more likable than Andrews' character, especially in Miss Bari's eyes.
The triangle that plays out between the three leads does not take a lot of screen time because the filmmakers are more interested in the action sequences. So after the warrior dies by firing squad, Andrews and his men quickly head off on another trail where they are ambushed by more natives.
Hall heroically saves them, of course, but not before Moore's character is sacrificed. Some of these outdoor battle scenes are spectacularly staged. You can imagine how much food must have been catered on this set so the main performers and hundreds of extras had plenty of energy to keep going!
After the big battle scene in the middle of the movie, we flash ahead to the wagon train arriving in California. Soon there is a festive party at the home of Bari's father. But Hall and Bond duck out, because Hall is restless and does not intend to settle down. They go north to check on some traps, but then come across a general (Lew Merrill) that is willing to betray Castro. He fills the men in on another raid that is about to happen.
This sets us up for another huge action sequence, one depicting the fight for California's independence from Mexico and the establishment of California as its own republic. During the scenes that unfold in this sequence, Bond's character dies by blowing himself up with dynamite to ward off the Mexicans...allowing Andrews' men and Hall to claim victory. Again the battle scenes are effectively staged. Bond's death scene is shocking and perhaps the most memorable scene in the whole film.
Afterward, the survivors celebrate California's freedom from Mexican tyranny. It seems like we are headed for a happy ending, but there is still the unresolved aspect of the main triangle. Bari is unable to marry Andrews whom she does not love, and Andrews convinces Hall to pursue his feelings with Bari. Once this is settled, Hall and Andrews are off on another military adventure. What else would you expect?
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