DENVER AND THE RIO GRANDE

US, 1952, 89 minutes, Colour.
Edmond O'Brien, Sterling Hayden, Dean Jagger, Lyle Bettger, J.Carroll Naish, Zasu Pitts.
Directed by Byron Haskin.

Denver And The Rio Grande is a pleasant, if conventional enough, western. It shows the building of the Rio Grande railway line through Colorado - with all the difficulties from the terrain, rivals and violence. The film has a competent if unspectacular cast. Colour photography and location scenery are an asset. The special affects, especially the train crash are convincing. Direction is by Byron Haskin who made a number of routine films though stood out with his science fiction, The War Of The Worlds, The power.

1. A pleasing, conventional western? The picture of the frontier, pioneering days? Frontier justice and the law? The introduction and explanation of the American railroads, the presentation of the railroads in the fifties?

2. Colour photography, Colorado locations? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3. The conventions of this kind of western - the situation of the railway workers, the particular types and the camps, clashes, ruggedness? Villainy? The beauty of the terrain, its difficulties, accidents and sabotage? Romance? The happy ending? American achievement?

4. The post-Civil War period, General Palmer and his reputation, his investment in the railway, board of directors etc? Court injunctions and cases? Decisions and action and according to the law? The repercussions of the civil war, its memories, heroism? Tactics?

5. Jim as hero : relationship with Palmer during the war, saving his life, tough, a controller of men? The initial fight and his reaction to the death? Drinking, moving away from the Rio Grande? His return, tough stands? The attraction towards Linda and puzzled by her hostility? His treatment of the men, the fight in the saloon, the reaction to the stealing of the payroll, the chasing of the gamblers? Getting the men back to work? Strategies for giving the General to Denver? The suspicions about Linda? The final shootout and resolution? The tough American hero?

6. McCabe? as the tough American villain? The initial confrontation, deviousness, the shooting? The cover-up? The sabotage7 Using Linda? Final strategies? His brutal offsider and his taunts, trying to make Linda upset, stealing the payroll, the final shooting? Typical American villains ?

7. Linda as heroine, secretary to General Palmer, attraction towards Jim, the discovery of his identity, her antipathy, reliance on McCabe?, betrayal of information, her discovery of the truth?

8. Harkness and his engineering, peaceful means, relying on Jim?

9. The background of comedy with Monahan and Jane? and Zasu Pitt's daffy comedy ?

10. The grandeur of Colorado, the hard work, the pioneering, landslides and crashes, violence of the frontier?

11. An enjoyable and satisfying piece of Americana?