Friday, October 18, 2013

October 18 - Santa Fe Trail

This movie has a scene that happens today – October 18. I hope you will enjoy this film while watching it tonight.

SANTA FE TRAIL

JEB Stuart, George Custer and abolitionist Carl Rader are cadets at West Point. After a brawl between Stuart and Rader, Rader is expelled and Stuart and Custer are sent to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. On the way they meet Kit Carson Holliday, daughter of Cyrus K. Holliday, who wants to build a railroad from Kansas to New Mexico. Both Stuart and Custer fall in love with her. Stuart and Custer escort a wagon train to Santa Fe. John Brown, using a false name comes to collect Bibles shipped to him. However, when a case is dropped, they turn out to be rifles, not Bibles and Brown’s men hold the outnumbered troops at gunpoint. Stuart and Custer give chase when Brown leaves. They recapture the rifles  and take one of Brown’s sons prisoner. Brown then attacks a group of Free-Staters who  aren’t militantly anti-slavery enough for him.  Stuart goes to the town that is John Brown’s headquarters, but he is recognized by Rader. Rader takes Stuart to Brown, who condemns him to be hung. However at the last second Stuart breaks free and into a barn. The barn is set on fire, but Custer arrives with a troop of cavalry to save him. Brown escapes. When Rader is not paid by Brown, he betrays Brown’s plan to attack Harper’s Ferry to Stuart. Stuart and Custer lead troops to surround Brown’s men. On October 18, 1859 [1:37:44 to 1:45:33] Stuart offers Brown a chance to surrender, but he refuses. The army attacks and Brown is captured. He is later hung. Stuart and Kit are married.

A mangled view of American history. Can’t decide if it’s pro-South or pro-north. Has some good action sequences though.

Lee ed by Richard Harwell by Douglas Southall Freeman (Charles Scribners Sons, New York, 1961) p. 100-1

Producer - Hal B. Wallis

Director - Michael Curtiz

Screenplay - Robert Buckner

Runtime – 1 hour 50 minutes

Released – December 28, 1940

Starring –

Errol Flynn as J.E.B. Stuart
Olivia de Havilland as Kit Carson Holliday
Raymond Massey as John Brown
Ronald Reagan as George Armstrong Custer
Alan Hale, Sr. as Tex Bell
William Lundigan as Bob Holliday
Van Heflin as Carl Rader
Gene Reynolds as Jason Brown
Henry O'Neill as Cyrus K. Holliday
Guinn Williams as Windy Brody
Alan Baxter as Oliver Brown
Moroni Olsen as Robert E. Lee
Erville Alderson as Jefferson Davis



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