User Reviews

At the Eldorado Relay Station of the Arizona Stageline Company, the stages from the north and the south are awaited by station agent Moran (Dan White as Daniel White), his wife (Sarah Selby), and their worker, Cheel (Vera Ralston.) Aboard the north-bound stage, which carries a money shipment, are stage driver Bill (Joe Yrigoyen), stage guard Ed Stewart (Steve Warren), passenger Jefferson, alias Pike (George Macready), and, hidden by a canvas atop the stage, Sheriff Daniel Harris (Barry Kelley.)Three outlaws attack the stage, the sheriff kills one of them but Scully (George Keymas) and Loder (John Doucette)escape after wounding Stewart.

Meanwhile, the horse of Juan Morales (Anthony George)breaks a leg, and Juan (a la The Ringo Kid in STAGECOACH but this guy ain't no Ringo Kid) hitches a ride on the "Safe" south-bound stage to the relay station, where Pike is removing a bullet from Stewart.

Juan helps Cheel with her chores, but Sheriff Harris makes it clear that he suspects Juan of being one of the hold-up men and, with the chores all done, Juan lights out for Mexico and Cheel goes with him. She is unaware that Pike has revealed himself to Juan as head of the gang, and has forced him to take the money, planning to meet him later at Indian Gap Pass. Juan is better at chores than he is at thinking.

Camping for the night, Cheel learns that Juan has the money but as he lamely explains that he intends to return it---so, why take it to begin with?---the pair are captured by Pike's henchies Scully and Loder. Pike arrives. Pike divides the money among Juan, Scully, Loder and himself. Now, Cheel is really confused. Loder makes a play for Cheel. Juan (HE would need help) and Pike drive him off. Scully agrees to help Loder bushwhack Pike, but Pike traps Scully and leaves him to die, splitting Scully's money with Juan, who is, unintentionally he tells Cheel, getting richer by the frame.

Juan and Cheel search for firewood, as Juan is a whiz at chores and light camp-keeping. Loder shoots Pike in the back. Loder again goes after Cheel. Handy-man Juan protests (mildly). The wounded Pike kills Loder. Pike splits Loder's money with Juan. Juan's stack grows even larger. (Cheel is beginning to suspect that Pike and Juan may have something going on she doesn't know about. Cheel ain't no prize in the smarts-department, either.) The next morning, Pike tells Juan they are leaving Cheel behind which, based on what she is dimly beginning to suspect about Pike and Juan, comes as no surprise to Cheel. Juan objects as that would leave no one to help him with his chores. Pike, as the brains-leader of the gang, don't do no chores.

Sheriff Harris and his posse are drawn to the scene by the sound of GUNFIRE AT Indian GAP. Juan claims he shot Pike, but our money is on Cheel.

A real rarity in that it is the only American-produced western that actually makes Spaghetti westerns look good by comparison. One of those Pasta westerns would have had Loder killing Pike, Scully and Juan, ravishing Cheel for a couple of days, and then heading, alone, for Mexico with ALL the money, while some kind of whoomp-pah, high-pitched, spaced-out zither provided THE END music.

This is a fourth rate Z grade Western, coming long after TV had taken off and long after Z grade poverty row westerns had moved over to that medium, keeping Western fans and young boys busy on rainy Saturday afternoons. This is nearing the end of the line, too, for Republic Studios and its not quite shining star, the sincere but rather bland Vera Ralston. She gets top billing (with a brother as the film's producer and husband as head of the studio, what else would she get?), but the actual lead is Anthony George, a dark haired American actor, playing an accent free Mexican harassed by local law for being a drifter, simply because he's a Mexican, and not because he's a suspect in a payroll robbery.

Running away from the sheriff's custody with the not quite young Ralston, they find themselves being chased and eventually caught by the sheriff's men. They continue to mistreat George while ogling Ralston, and at times, it seems like they are out to rape her. This tries to deal with the issues of racism and the misuse of the law, but the film is defeated by an exploitation style script. George MacReady, best known for playing villains, plays a seemingly grandfatherly like character who looks over both Ralston and George but seems to have another agenda. Glenn Strange, the last of the Universal Frankenstein monsters, leers and drools as the most vile of the posse out to bring George in.

Ralston is directed to be as girlish as possible, but she's obviously far from youthful here. As for Mr. George, soap fans from the golden age might recognize him as a leading man on several serials, but it is obvious that he is completely miscast in this in spite of his sincere, quiet performance.