Western

Night Passage

- This was the night when the naked fury of the McLaines flamed out with consuming vengeance across a terrorized land!

Grant MacLaine, a former railroad troubleshooter, lost his job after letting his outlaw brother, the Utica Kid, escape. After spending five years wandering the west and earning his living playing the accordion, he is given a second chance by his former boss.

Release Date : 1957-07-24

Language :FrenchEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal International Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Grant McLaine

Original Name : James Stewart

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Utica Kid

Original Name : Audie Murphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Whitey Harbin

Original Name : Dan Duryea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charlotte Drew

Original Name : Dianne Foster

Gender : Female

Character Name : Verna Kimball

Original Name : Elaine Stewart

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joey Adams

Original Name : Brandon De Wilde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ben Kimball

Original Name : Jay C. Flippen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Will Renner

Original Name : Herbert Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Concho

Original Name : Robert J. Wilke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeff Kurth

Original Name : Hugh Beaumont

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shotgun

Original Name : Jack Elam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Howdy Sladen

Original Name : Tommy Cook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Feeney

Original Name : Paul Fix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Vittles

Original Name : Olive Carey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tim Riley

Original Name : James Flavin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jubilee

Original Name : Donald Curtis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Feeney

Original Name : Ellen Corby

Gender : Female

Character Name : Latigo

Original Name : John Daheim

Gender : Male

Character Name : O'Brien

Original Name : Kenny Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Trinidad

Original Name : Frank Chase

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pick Gannon

Original Name : Harold Goodwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shannon

Original Name : Harold 'Tommy' Hart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dusty

Original Name : Jack C. Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Torgenson

Original Name : Boyd Stockman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pache

Original Name : Henry Wills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roan

Original Name : Chuck Roberson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Click

Original Name : Willard W. Willingham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rosa

Original Name : Polly Burson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Linda

Original Name : Patsy Novak

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leary

Original Name : Ted Mapes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Train Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Emile Avery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Train Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Jerry Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Conductor (uncredited)

Original Name : Clem Fuller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Blacksmith / Livery Stable Owner (uncredited)

Original Name : William Phillips

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pete (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Welden

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Funny Man. As many Western fans know, Night Passage was all set up to be the sixth genre collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart. After a run of successful and genre defining "adult" Westerns, the prospect of another was mouth watering to the genre faithful. The promise of something good was further boosted by the names of others involved in the project. The screenplay is written by Borden Chase (Red River/Winchester '73), cinematographer was William H. Daniels (The Far Country), the score is from Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon/Giant) and joining Stewart in the cast are Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Jay C. Flippen, Jack Elam & the wee lad from Shane, Brandon De Wilde. That's some serious Western credentials. But sadly Mann was to bail at the last minute, the reason(s) given vary depending on what source you believe. It's thought that Mann was unimpressed with Chase's screenplay, feeling it lacked a cutting edge (as reportedly so did Stewart). The casting of Murphy was also said to be a bone of contention to the talented director, while it has simply been put down to him having other commitments (he had both The Tin Star & Men in War out in 1957). Either way, Mann was out and the film was never going to be better for that situation (sadly Mann & Stewart fell out over it and never worked together again). In came TV director James Neilson and the film was wrapped and released with mixed commercial results. Yet the film still remains today rather divisive amongst the Western faithful, due in the main one feels, to that Mann spectre of potentially a better film hanging over it. Night Passage is a good enough genre offering, but the plot is slight and the story lacks the dark intensity that Mann, one thinks, would have given it. The story follows an overly familiar tale about two brothers (Stewart/Murphy), one bad, one good. A story from which Chase's screenplay holds no surprises, it is in truth pretty underwhelming writing. With the actual core relationship of the brothers lacking any emotional depth. However, there's more than enough visually here to offset the standard plotting and make this a very enjoyable experience. Shot in Technicolor's short-lived "Technirama" process, the widescreen palette pings once the cameras leave the back lot and goes off into the mountains of Colorado. Trains are the order of the day here, as Chase adapts from a story by Norman A. Fox, it's the train that becomes the central character, deliberate or not. As the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway snakes its way thru the gorgeous terrain, it's that image one takes away, not anything that the thinly scripted characters have done. Still, in spite of its literary flaws, Neilson shows himself to be competent with the action set pieces, of which there are quite a few. While Stewart is as reliable as ever, even getting to play an accordion (a hobby of his since childhood) and sing a couple of chirpy tunes. Of the rest, Dianne Foster leaves a good impression as the Utica Kid's (Murphy) girlfriend and Murphy himself does solid work with his cheeky grin, slick hair and black jacketed attire that shows Utica to be something of a suspicious character. Good but not great in writing and thematics, but essential for Western fans with big TV's. 6.5/10