Thunder Pass

1954's "Thunder Pass" is a formula Western from low budget Lippert Pictures, naturally shot at the ubiquitous Bronson Canyon. Fresh from two Hammer thrillers in Britain, veteran Dane Clark would soon concentrate solely on television work in series like WIRE SERVICE and BOLD VENTURE. The year is 1876, the Kiowa and Comanche have joined forces to drive the white men from their lands, so Clark's Captain Dave Stone and his cavalry must lead the settlers of Buffalo Valley to safety through Thunder Pass, so named by the Indians who fear it. The fine cast keeps things afloat, as there's precious little action until the rousing climax. Andy Devine is surprisingly sober, Raymond Burr gets to play a good guy, while veteran baddie John Carradine is instantly revealed to be the villainous gunrunner Bergstrom, claiming otherwise as he joins the party, keeping a watchful eye on the injured man blamed for selling Winchester rifles to the Kiowa. Carradine's last Western villain was in 1944's MGM feature "Barbary Coast Gent," and while his work in horror/sci fi would eclipse his frontier movie career, he would be far busier out west on the small screen.

The rival Comanche and Kiowa tribes form an alliance to attack white homesteaders. A cavalry officer(Dane Clark) persuades their leaders to talk with a government emissary, and uses the time this buys him to set about evacuating the settlers to safety in case the negotiations end in failure. He leads them to Thunder Pass - an area the natives fear - but his other troubles such as a gunrunner in his midst.

Despite some tediousness, this is a fairly enjoyable western which benefits from interesting assortment of characters such John Carradine's gunrunning character, great scenery (Bronson Canyon/Apple Valley), some tense moments and much needed action tacked at the end. It's formula stuff, but B-western devotees should find it passable.

Thunder Pass is directed by Frank McDonald and collectively written by Tom Hubbard, Fred Eggers and George Van Marter. It stars Dane Clark, Dorothy Patrick, Andy Devine, Raymond Burr and John Carradine. Music is by Edward J. Kay and cinematography by John Martin.

Thunder Pass is based upon an incident when the mighty Kiowa and Comanche Indian Nations, traditional enemies, joined forces in one tremendous effort to remove the white man from the land...

Not a great deal to write home about here, it's a solid black and white Oater that follows a safe formula. Dane Clark plays Capt. Dave Stone who along with his small Cavalry unit escorts an assorted band of civilians through the dangerous Thunder Pass territory of the title. The group dynamic is of course troublesome, more so when Carradine's viper in the nest joins the ranks, and the Indian threat builds to a crescendo at the finale with an extended shoot-out that's resplendent with stunts galore as the bodies pile up. Cast are adequate, the musical score a chest pumper and the location backdrop (Bronson Canyon/Apple Valley) rugged and ripe for backs to the wall heroics.

No surprises here but enjoyable fare for the B Western fan. 6/10

Obviously an attempt to generate some low-buck suspense, in the tradition "Little Big Horn," this effort fails on all counts. The action, such as it is, centers on the attempt of a cavalry commander to bring a group of assorted travelers to safety through hostile Indian territory. The stiff acting, poor direction, and cliche' ridden dialogue only make matters worse. Skip this one.

THUNDER PASS is a typical, run-of-the-mill Western that certainly won't kill you to watch it.

As a child, I was enchanted -- and still am! -- by the film's captivating march-like theme, played whenever the settlors and cavalry could be seen trudging through the desert to escape from Injuns on the warpath. If you're as sensitively attuned to film score music as I am, you absolutely must get ahold of THUNDER PASS, if, for nothing else, than to hear for yourself these haunting strains.

Unfortunately, the music must have been pilfered from other films, for no mention of the composer(s) is provided; although Edward J. Kay is credited as its musical director.