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Western

Raton Pass

- "Hold Raton Pass And You Hold The Rest Of The West By The Throat!"

Raton Pass is a curious western based on the rules of Community Property. Dennis Morgan and Patricia Neal portray a recently married husband and wife, each of whom owns half of a huge cattle ranch. Neal is a tad more ambitious than her husband, and with the help of a little legal chicanery she tries to obtain Morgan's half of the spread. He balks, so she hires a few gunslingers to press the issue. In a 1951 western, the greedy party usually came to a sorry end; Raton Pass adheres strictly to tradition.

Release Date : 1951-04-07

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Dennis Morgan

Character Name : Marc Challon

Original Name : Dennis Morgan

Gender : Male

Patricia Neal

Character Name : Ann Challon

Original Name : Patricia Neal

Gender : Female

Steve Cochran

Character Name : Cy Van Cleave

Original Name : Steve Cochran

Gender : Male

Scott Forbes

Character Name : Prentice

Original Name : Scott Forbes

Gender : Male

Dorothy Hart

Character Name : Lena Casamajor

Original Name : Dorothy Hart

Gender : Female

Basil Ruysdael

Character Name : Pierre Challon

Original Name : Basil Ruysdael

Gender : Male

Louis Jean Heydt

Character Name : Jim Pozner (as Louis J. Heydt)

Original Name : Louis Jean Heydt

Gender : Male

Roland Winters

Character Name : Sheriff Perigord

Original Name : Roland Winters

Gender : Male

James Burke

Character Name : Hank

Original Name : James Burke

Gender : Male

Elvira Curci

Character Name : Tia

Original Name : Elvira Curci

Gender : Female

Carlos Conde

Character Name : Germaine

Original Name : Carlos Conde

Gender : Male

John Crawford

Character Name : Sam

Original Name : John Crawford

Gender : Male

Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.

Character Name : Ben

Original Name : Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.

Gender : Male

Frosty Royce

Character Name : Frosty (uncredited)

Original Name : Frosty Royce

Gender : Male

Edward Hearn

Character Name : Treadwell - Lawyer (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Hearn

Gender : Male

Jim Frasher

Character Name : Buddy Eastman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Frasher

Gender : Male

George Bell

Character Name : George (uncredited)

Original Name : George Bell

Gender : Male

Margarita Martín

Character Name : Lupe (uncredited)

Original Name : Margarita Martín

Gender : Female

Ida Smeraldo

Character Name : Maria (uncredited)

Original Name : Ida Smeraldo

Gender : Male

Ted Mapes

Character Name : Stagecoach Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Ted Mapes

Gender : Male

Carl Andre

Character Name : Carl (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Andre

Gender : Male

Dan White

Character Name : Scout (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan White

Gender : Male

Al Haskell

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Haskell

Gender : Male

Ray Beltram

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Beltram

Gender : Male

Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Gender : Male

Fox O'Callahan

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Fox O'Callahan

Gender : Male

Art Felix

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Art Felix

Gender : Male

Carol Henry

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Carol Henry

Gender : Male

Chick Hannan

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Chick Hannan

Gender : Male

Roque Ybarra

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Roque Ybarra

Gender : Male

Joe Phillips

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Phillips

Gender : Male

Ray Jones

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Jones

Gender : Male

Phil Schumacher

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Schumacher

Gender : Male

Frank Matts

Character Name : Cowhand (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Matts

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Thou shall not pass this pass! Raton Pass is directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Thomas W. Blackburn and James R. Webb. It stars Dennis Morgan, Patricia Neal, Steve Cochran, Scott Forbes and Dorothy Hart. Music is by Max Steiner and cinematography by Wilfred M. Cline. Two families feuding over land either side of Raton Pass, New Mexico. Into their lives comes a beautiful seductress with manipulation and land dominance on her agenda... Well well, what a treat. Something of a rare, little known or seen Oater, Raton Pass (AKA: Canyon Pass) really takes you by surprise. From the off we can see and hear this is a very nice production, with the twin greats of Steiner and Cline working their magic. Steiner's title music is Latino flavoured and then he introduces deft character motifs for the protagonists, while Cline's crisp black and white photography holds the eyes considerably. For thirty minutes the picture simmers away like a standard "B" Western threatening to dull the senses with formulaic tedium, this is another reason why Steiner and Cline should be lauded as their work keeps you interested. But then the film completely turns, you notice that Cline's photography has suddenly shifted into film noir territory, and Neal has skillfully shifted from being the new loving wife on the block, to a complete femme fatale bitch! The plot dynamics now have a real edge, and as the smouldering Neal works her feminine whiles, this part of New Mexico territory boils away furiously until it inevitably explodes and spells doom and disappointment for some... There's some crappy back projection work that undermines the quality elsewhere and the odd character is stereotypical of some Westerns of the period, but this has much to recommend. Marin (Johnny Angel/Nocturne/Colt.45/Sugarfoot) is fluid in his direction, while Neal and noir icon Cochran hold the screen as Max and Wilfred do their stuff. Currently licensed to TCM UK and available in HD format, I would urge any noir and Western fan in the UK to take the chance to see this rare picture the next time it shows. It doesn't deserve to stay rare. 7.5/10