ActionWesternTV Movie

Once Upon a Texas Train

- Some men took money ... Some men took lives ... These men took both.

Captain Hayes of the mighty law enforcement squad named the Texas Rangers reached the pinnacle of his career when he captured the notorious John Henry, an outlaw cowboy, and put him behind bars. Twenty years later, upon his release, Henry is older but unrepentant. Within six hours after leaving his jail cell, he evens the score with Hayes by holding up the Bank of Texas for $20,000 in gold. Hayes, in his fury, gets himself out of retirement to take up the chase once more.

Release Date : 1988-10-12

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Brigade Productions,Rastar Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Texas Guns

Cast

Character Name : John Henry Lee

Original Name : Willie Nelson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cotton

Original Name : Shaun Cassidy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nash Crawford

Original Name : Chuck Connors

Gender : Male

Character Name : George Asque

Original Name : Stuart Whitman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Billy Bates

Original Name : Jeb Stuart Adams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Timer

Original Name : Hank Worden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kelly Sutton

Original Name : Ken Curtis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nitro Jones

Original Name : Royal Dano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jason Fitch

Original Name : Jack Elam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fargo Parker

Original Name : Gene Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Governor

Original Name : Kevin McCarthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charlie Lee

Original Name : Dub Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Meg Boley

Original Name : Clare Carey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Herald Fitch

Original Name : Harry Carey, Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Young

Original Name : David Michael O'Neill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bates Boley

Original Name : Red West

Gender : Male

Character Name : Telegrapher

Original Name : Dennis Fimple

Gender : Male

Character Name : Warden

Original Name : Don Collier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Attendant

Original Name : Lisa Cloud

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maggie

Original Name : Angie Dickinson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Capt. Owen Hayes

Original Name : Richard Widmark

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

These old men get that way by staying alive. Written and directed by Burt Kennedy, Once Upon a Texas Train stars Willie Nelson, Richard Widmark, Shaun Cassidy and Chuck Connors. Music is by Arthur Rubinstein and cinematography Ken Lamkin. A TV movie that Western fans can enjoy more for nostalgia value than anything bordering must see entertainment. Plot essentially has aged criminals led by Nelson's John Henry Lee, being pursued by aged law enforcers led by Widmark's Captain Oren Hayes. The passing of time a persistent theme as Kennedy throws in fun and sparky dialogue, narrative twists to make characters unlikely allies, while action flits in and out to off set the threat of impending boredom. Made with love no doubt, and with the likes of Jack Elam and Royal Dano joining the Western roll call cast list, it's a passable Oater for lovers of such. 5/10

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***Old guns vs. young guns*** Released to TV in 1988, “Once upon a Texas Train” is a Western about an aged outlaw who is paroled from prison after 20 years (Willie Nelson). After he brazenly robs a bank and reforms his old gang, his nemesis, a retired Texas Ranger (Richard Widmark), forms a posse to pursue them. But these two factions of withered men might have to join forces against a young gang of outlaws (led by Shaun Cassidy). Writer/director Burt Kennedy was known for numerous Westerns, both theatrical and television, two of his best being “The War Wagon” (1967) and “The Train Robbers” (1973). This one isn’t on that level because it was limited by a TV budget and included Willie Nelson, who’s a charismatic guy but not the best actor. Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile Western featuring a can’t-beat-it cast of Western stalwarts, like Chuck Connors, Stuart Whitman, Jack Elam and Angie Dickinson. Also on the female front is the lovely Clare Carey, who was only 20 during shooting. There’s some effective comedy thrown in, mostly revolving around old age, not to mention a couple of laugh-out-loud jokes involving a bicycle. Lastly, you can’t beat the superb Western locations of Arizona (Mescal, Old Tucson), Nevada (Ely) and California (Thousand Oaks). The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes and, while a standalone flick, was sort of the third movie in the “Over the Hill Gang” series, the first two being from 1969 and 1970 respectively. GRADE: B-