With the Civil War about to begin, Southern saboteurs attack frontier railroad construction.With the Civil War about to begin, Southern saboteurs attack frontier railroad construction.With the Civil War about to begin, Southern saboteurs attack frontier railroad construction.
Robert Keys
- Lt. Stanton
- (as Bob Keys)
Lane Bradford
- Max - Henchman
- (uncredited)
Bill Coontz
- Henchman
- (uncredited)
Joe Garcio
- Henchman
- (uncredited)
Tommy Garland
- Heavy
- (uncredited)
Roy Gordon
- Gen. Winfield Scott
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWalter Mirisch of Allied Artists had Walter Wanger's name put on the picture as a producer, although he was in prison for shooting agent Jennings Lang, whom he believed to be having an affair with his wife, Joan Bennett. Wanger pled insanity and was sentenced to four months imprisonment, though he served only 98 days. Thanks to Mirisch, Wanger received a producer's billing, salary and profit participation.
- GoofsThe film is set in late 1860/early 1861 shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War. The crew building the Kansas Pacific railroad is using dynamite for blasting. Dynamite was invented by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel in 1866.
- Quotes
Barbara Bruce: [resignedly] You're staying.
Cal Bruce: I guess old Smokestack's right this time. We've handled these diploma boys before, you know. He'll learn soon enough to stay out of our way.
Barbara Bruce: Well... alright. But you've got to promise me one thing. If this man turns out to be impossible, we're leaving. I'm not go to let anyone push you around.
Cal Bruce: Have you ever seen anyone push me around... except you and your mother?
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Sierra Number 3 Locomotive: A Star Is Reborn (2012)
Featured review
DeMille did it better
This is a curious unpretentious little western from the former Monogram Studios about the building of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The action takes place before and during the Civil War with Sterling Hayden as the Army Captain sent west to supervise. He supersedes Barton MacLane who is the foreman and has some time to romance MacLane's daughter played by Eve Miller.
Film has some nice action sequences, but the script has a lot of holes in it. Reed Hadley plays William Quantrill who's doing a lot of
sabotage and pretty successfully. Then for no real reason he stops and lets construction proceed. He says he's waiting for some artillery from the Confederate States of America. That's the only indication we get that the Civil War has officially begun. Then when the railroad is finished, Quantrill decides to use the artillery to attack moving trains. I suppose while he's waiting, Quantrill is out doing the stuff he's more infamous for.
Quantrill is a stock villain in a whole lot of westerns, yet no one has ever done a reasonably accurate film with him in it. Reed Hadley, who had one of the best speaking voices in Hollywood, does his best with what he's given here. All you folks who watched Racket Squad back in the 50s remember Hadley narrating and portraying Captain Braddock. His voice is unmistakeable.
Another unmistakeable voice belongs to Clayton Moore who has a bit part as one of Quantrill's henchman while on hiatus from The Long Ranger.
Don't expect too much from this. DeMille did it better in Union Pacific, but he had a lot more resources to work with.
Film has some nice action sequences, but the script has a lot of holes in it. Reed Hadley plays William Quantrill who's doing a lot of
sabotage and pretty successfully. Then for no real reason he stops and lets construction proceed. He says he's waiting for some artillery from the Confederate States of America. That's the only indication we get that the Civil War has officially begun. Then when the railroad is finished, Quantrill decides to use the artillery to attack moving trains. I suppose while he's waiting, Quantrill is out doing the stuff he's more infamous for.
Quantrill is a stock villain in a whole lot of westerns, yet no one has ever done a reasonably accurate film with him in it. Reed Hadley, who had one of the best speaking voices in Hollywood, does his best with what he's given here. All you folks who watched Racket Squad back in the 50s remember Hadley narrating and portraying Captain Braddock. His voice is unmistakeable.
Another unmistakeable voice belongs to Clayton Moore who has a bit part as one of Quantrill's henchman while on hiatus from The Long Ranger.
Don't expect too much from this. DeMille did it better in Union Pacific, but he had a lot more resources to work with.
helpful•103
- bkoganbing
- May 30, 2004
- How long is Kansas Pacific?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 13 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content