Undescribable Perfection

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

There are just enough accurate historical elements to make this story interesting, but don't go betting the ranch on Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok working together to help establish the Pony Express. Cody did work as an Express rider, but he was only fifteen years old at the time! A young Hickok met Cody once prior to 1860, and later joined him in a stage production in 1873, but quit well before Cody formed his 'Wild West Show' in 1882.I've seen a handful of films now with the Pony Express as the principal theme, and was intrigued by the story's mention of the numbers involved - a hundred ninety relay stations, five hundred seventy horses and eighty riders making the trip between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. Virtually the same math showed up in the 1939 film "Cavalcade of the West" starring Hoot Gibson. The newspaper headline in the movie dated April 3rd, 1860 was historically correct, that was the day the first rider took off from St. Joseph westward bound. What wasn't mentioned, and it wouldn't have worked for this story, was that a Pony Express Rider left San Francisco on the same day heading East to St. Joe! That relay made it in ten days as well.Adding some intrigue to this story was the idea that there were behind the scene elements who wanted to see the Pony Express concept fail, for both political and financial reasons. Stage companies delivering the mail saw a threat to their business because delivery time would be virtually cut in half. There was also a political motivation involved with those who didn't want California to join the United States, particularly on the Confederate side. That was given some prominence in the story with each rider on the maiden run voicing California's rejecting slavery.As far as the principals involved, Charlton Heston made for a resolute Buffalo Bill Cody, while Forrest Tucker was pretty much Wild Bill Hickok in name only. Neither portrayal was physically accurate to the historical characters, but if you didn't know that, it's not a deal breaker. Jan Sterling's 'Denny' character immediately brought to mind Calamity Jane, while Rhonda Fleming brings some credibility to her turn from the anti-Express faction to those supporting Hickok. The romance angle between them doesn't get very far in the story, which is just as well; I liked Sterling better as the tomboyish Denny.If you'd like to explore some more films dealing with the Pony Express, there's the one mentioned earlier, along with another picture from the same year, 1953, with Gene Autry titled "Last of the Pony Riders". Roy Rogers did one as well early in his career with the 1939 movie "Frontier Pony Express". That one's interesting from the standpoint of the story line in this film, it has Roy's character as a Pony Express rider who's approached by a Confederate Senator who's attempting to establish California as a separate republic. Even Trigger gets in on the action, as a reliable Pony Express mount he's requested by fellow riders by name!

The story of the Pony Express is one of the most interesting and fascinating stories of the west. California at that time was totally isolated, and would get the news from the government many months later, thus many people would be for secession, because they did not believe they could be governed like that. There was no telegraph, so they decided to pick those skinny guys, the equivalent of today's jockeys, and make them alternate, also switching horses, so in ten days the express mail would get from St Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento. Now you might ask what Buffalo Bill (Charlton Heston), Wild Bill Hicock (Forrest Tucker) and a sort of Calamity Jane named Denny (Jan Sterling) fit into this and the answer will be marketing. Famous western names would please the crowds. I would have wished for a more serious film, but I can't deny the film is entertaining, fast paced, colorful and with a lot of action, The scenes where the pony express is shown are very good. I just was hoping for a more historical and serious film, but who knows, one day they will make it.

Charles Marquis Warren is one of the worst western scriptwriters.Responsible(also for directing it) for the very mediocre -and a bit racist- "Arrowshead"-which featured Heston as well,he wrote an even more dreadful story here.Will Cody must be turning in his grave! The story is incoherent,every sequence seems to be the beginning of the film,there's the de rigueur (check "Arrowshead") Heston/Indian fight,and Jan Sterling's part is so thin it's a wonder she can do something with it(This actress found her best role in Wilder's masterpiece "the big carnival").Only the last sequences of the mail might redeem that,but the "writer" wanted a "moving" ending so he spoils everything .You'll always be better off with Cecil B.De Mille's "the plainsman"(1936)with Gary Cooper ,Jean Arthur and James Ellison,as far as Buffalo Bill is concerned.Hickock 's character is also featured,and on top of that ,Calamity Jane in the flesh.

In 1860, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok joined their strength to establish a communication route with the East through a fresh and fast relay stations of young riders on horseback...Charlton Heston plays the legendary mountain man, buffalo hunter, U. S. Army Scout and Indian fighter and backer of the 'Pony Express' from St. Joseph to Sacramento in only ten days... Forrest Tucker plays his friend Wild Bill Hickok, an U. S. Marshal who brought order to the frontier with many encounters with outlaws among them Michael Moore (Lance Hastings) and Henry Brandon (Cooper) whose plans are to destroy the relay stations and ambush the express riders...The film is loaded with action scenes and amusing moments... When Heston stops a stagecoach and tells the coachman: 'I'm Buffalo Bill Cody.' 'Sure, and I'm Wild Bill Hickok,' replies the driver... Coming alongside and smiling, Heston says: 'Nope, You're not that ugly!'When Heston meets Tucker arriving in town... Their courteous words are replaced by a shooting game, a rare but funny expression of friendship, putting holes in each other's garments including Tucker's nine dollars expensive hat... 'It's fancier than shaking hands,' expresses Jan Sterling to Rhonda Fleming from the window of her hotel...-When Jan Sterling comes into the presence of the famous 'Pair of Bills,' wishing to increase her impression on Buffalo Bill with a fancy pink dress... Seeing her, Heston notes: 'Why not you go back and put some clothes on!'Rhonda Fleming plays Evelyn Hastings, the ravishing wealthy redhead, who falls in love with Heston, leaving alone her brother who never wanted the 'Pony Express' to get through..-Jan Sterling plays the sincere pretty blonde who loves so much Buffalo Bill...Filmed in Technicolor, this enjoyable Western, based on factual account, is adequately entertaining...