CARSON CITY

US, 1952, 87 minutes, Colour.
Randolph Scott, Lucille Norman, Raymond Massey.
Directed by Andre de Toth.

Carson City is a routine, if entertaining Warner Bros western of the 50s. Its star, Randolph Scott, specialised in such films throughout this decade. The supporting cast has some strength, especially with Raymond Massey as the sinister villain. The settings are San Francisco as well as Nevada, the building of the railway between Virginia City and Carson City. It gives some images of the work on the railroads of the 19th Century. Direction is by Andre de Toth, director of action features from House of Wax to Play Dirty.

1. Interesting and entertaining western? The Nevada mines, stage coaches, the railroad? Historical perspective?

2. Colour photography, location settings? Special effects, the tunnelling in the mountains? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Nevada and its development?

4. Jeff Kincaid, his reputation, tough, working in Panama? Wanting to settle down, challenged to work? His knowledge, the engineer? His assistance for the work? Friendships in the town, hostility against the railroad? The attraction to Susan and his memories of her? Relationship with his brother, the growing clash, defiance? His encounters with Davis? The death of Mitchell, the hostilities in the town? The sabotaging of the drills? The murders? The boss, showing him the railroad, the landslide? The tunnelling and the rescue? The opening of the railroad, the information about Davis, the confrontation and shoot-em-up at the end? Marrying Susan, Allan dying - and his going back to Nevada for the railroad to San Francisco? The Randolph Scott tough western hero?

5. The railroad boss, the initial robbery of the stagecoach - and the champagne picnic? His going to San Francisco, employing Kincaid, his visit to the railroad, the inaugural journey? The future of the railroad through to the Pacific? The employers in San Francisco in their offices? The fortunes they built out of the mines and the railroad?

6. Susan and her father, producing the paper, the stance against the railroad? Mitchell and his realisation of squires as murderer, confronting Davis, his death?

7. Susan and her devotion to Jeff, out with him - the death of her father, suspicions, the paper and the articles against him? Her joining in the rescue after the landslide? On the train - and the happy ending? Allan, his relationship with his brother, wanting to marry Susan, and not seeing him in this way, his angers and jealousy, confronting his brother? His death?

8. Davis and Squires, the useless mine, robbing the stagecoaches, sending the money through? The public stance against the railroad? The murders, the sabotaging of the drills? Davis and his smile and his-use of people to get his own way? Squires and his violence? The opening of the railroad, the planning of the robbery, the killing of Mitchell, the confrontation and Davis's death?

9. The men working on the railroads, the transforming of the western towns for better or for ill?

10. A perspective on American history and the west in the 19th century?