![](/img/wiki_up/pony express.jpg)
PONY EXPRESS
US, 1953, 101 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Rhonda Fleming, Jan Sterling, Forrest Tucker.
Directed by Jerry Hopper.
Pony Express is a very enjoyable western, in the style of westerns of the 50s. Charlton Heston gets his chance to play Buffalo Bill and encounter villains and dangers with the extension of the Pony Express to California. Rhonda Fleming is an attractive heroine with a dash of the spy. Jan Sterling is vigorous as a tomboy alternate heroine. Direction is by Jerry Hopper who made a number of action films at Paramount in the 50s and then moved to television. Enjoyable even if conventional.
1. A satisfying Western? conventional, expectations?
2. Charlton Heston and the stars, a Western of the fifties with particular styles, colour, locations, music?
3. A glimpse of American history, the presentation of the American heritage, American heroism of the 19th century, the legends of the men of the West, their confrontation of villainy, exploitation?
4. The reputation of Bill Cody? Charlton Heston portraying him? The initial encounter with the Indians and his skill, his involvement with the Pony Express and his vision for communications? his smartness, reliability? His work on the outposts? Skill as a gunfighter? His suspicions of enemies? The rivalry and encounter with Bill Hickock? Their work together, overcoming difficulties, riding the last part of the Express and achieving success? A portrait of a legend or a character study, or both?
5. The portrait of Bill Hickock, the character study? As a foil for Bill Cody? Comparisons in work, vision, gunfighters? Rival, friend?
6. The character of Evelyn and her brother? their place in the West, their characters, the situations, politics and plans? The brother and his greed, change of attitude, attitude towards his sister, working with his cronies? The clash? The initial kidnapping? Evelyn and her involvement, change of heart?
7. Evelyn as an attractive character, love for Cody, change of attitude, help, involvement in the Pony Express? Conventional Western woman?
8. The contrast with Penny and her being a type, a woman of the West, infatuation with Cody, help, spying, the pathos of her death? A comparison with Evelyn, humour? A balance of the Western woman?
9. Audience interest in the life of the gunfighters, their pioneering of the West and their vision, clashes with the Indians, with the Army? The plausibility of the plots, the political repercussions for California and the United States?
10. The build-up of the Pony Express: the amount of footage given to the various stages, the atmosphere of exultation an the Express was moving through, the message that they were caring about slavery, the sabotage, Bill Cody and his finally riding in to victory?
11. The appropriate happy ending, a conventional ending, satisfying for this kind of film? The themes of the West?