Night Passage

views updated

Night Passage ★★½ 1957

Stewart is Grant McLaine, an ex-lawman hired to protect a railroad's payroll from a band of outlaws who've heisted previous attempts to get the payroll through. Unbeknownst to Grant, the gang is led by his brother (Murphy), who's known as the “Utica Kid.” Eventually Grant and the Kid will have to have a showdown, unless Grant can convince him to go straight. Anthony Mann was set to direct, at Stewart's request, but declined, damaging his relationship with Stewart. Fans of the stars and the genre will enjoy this solid outing, but will also wonder how much better it could've been with Mann at the helm. Stewart plays accordian and sings two songs. 90m/C DVD . James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Dianne Foster, Elaine Stewart, Brandon de Wilde, Jay C. Flippen, Herbert Anderson, Robert J. Wilke, Hugh Beaumont, Jack Elam, Tommy Cook, Paul Fix, Olive Carey, James Flavin, Donald Curtis, Ellen Corby; D: James Neilson; W: Borden Chase; C: William H. Daniels; M: Dimitri Tiomkin.