Rock Island Trail (1950)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Frank J. Nevins (story)
James Edward Grant (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 May 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Loumas, president of the Rock Island Trail company, tries to expand his rails into the Midwest but finds...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Beautiful Woman | Trucolor | Railway

Cast

Forrest Tucker	...	Reed Loomis
Adele Mara	...	Constance Strong
Lorna Gray	...	Aleeta (Indian princess) (as Adrian Booth)
Bruce Cabot	...	Kirby Morrow
Chill Wills	...	Hogger McCoy
Barbra Fuller	...	Annabelle Marsh
Grant Withers	...	David Strong
Jeff Corey	...	Abe Lincoln
Roy Barcroft	...	Barnes
Pierre Watkin	...	Major
Valentine Perkins	...	Annette (Aleeta's French maid)
Jimmy Hunt	...	Stinky Tanner
Olin Howland	...	Saloonkeeper (as Olin Howlin)
John Holland	...	Maj. Porter
Kate Drain Lawson	...	Mrs. McCoy

Also Known As:

Transcontinent Express (UK)
Mississippi-Express (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Frecce avvelenate (Italy) [it]
Hvide blandt rødhuder (Denmark) [da]
Indianöverfallet vid Mississippi (Sweden) [sv]
Intiaanit hyökkäävät (Finland) [fi]
Mississippi-Express (France) [fr]

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Trucolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #14223)

Company:

Republic Pictures

Trivia:

"'Rock Island Trail' tells a story of the building of the first bridge and railroad over the Mississippi River from Rock Island, Illinois, to Davenport, Iowa. The World Premier of the film was in the Quad Cities, USA, on April 27th, 1950. Republic stars took part in a pre-show promotional parade which extended from Silvis, Illinois, the Home Yard of the mighty Rock Island Lines, at the time the largest rail yard in the world, to the theater in Rock Island, Illinois, and included John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Rock Island Railroad employees.

Solid action, with a few wrinkles

Forrest Tucker had numerous leading-man opportunities following his breakthrough role in SANDS OF IWO JIMA. This was his first and arguably best. As Reed Loomis, he is persuasive as he attempts to raise money for his railroad expansion but is a worthy man of action as well, great with a gun, his fists and, as he demonstrates in a memorable scene with Bruce Cabot, even a mop dipped in boiling soup (you have to see it). Adele Mara makes an appealing leading lady as always, Bruce Cabot is a sturdy villain, and there's great support from erstwhile Republic leading lady Adrian Booth and perennial sidekick Chill Wills.

As action-packed as just about any Republic western, with one of the studio's strongest overall casts. Fast-paced and well handled by Joseph Kane. Turns up frequently these days on Encore's Western Channel. Recommended.