Paradise Express

When the story begins, the local railroad is in receivership--meaning that the court has appointed an overseer to watch over the day to day operations of the company. Not surprisingly, the owner of the railroad (Harry Davenport) is not happy and he doesn't yet realize that the receiver, Larry Doyle (Grant Withers) is a decent guy who really wants to help. But what neither yet realize are the depths to which a local trucking company will go to put the railroad out of business. Can Larry manage to get the railroad out of its financial woes AND defeat the wicked truckers?

Despite being only 52 minutes long*, this B-movie is quite enjoyable and lacks many of the usual B-movie cliches. Well acted and worth your time.

*It is obvious the opening scene is missing as later there is a reference to this scene where Larry meets a local lady....but it's no where in the film.

Good guys vs. Bad guys. In this case a small short line railroad is facing unfair competition from the evil trucking company headed by would-be mobsters. Our knight in shining armor, Grant Withers, rides in to rescue the failing railroad. In the '90's the parallel would be drawn between the Mom & Pop store being forced out by the giant chain store, who would cut prices until Mom & Pop threw in the towel, and would then raise prices to whatever the traffic would bear. The plot unfolds like a Grade "B" Western - the dialogue is a bit strained and simplistic in several places. However, if you enjoy morality plays with good eventually triumphing over evil - ala Hollywood of the 1930's, the film will keep your interest. Pay attention to Jed - the railroads owner. You should recognize him as the Doctor in "Gone With The Wind." If sometimes you find it just plain fun to cheer for the hero and hiss the villain, you'll enjoy Paradise Express.

Lively Republic programmer. So which hauler's going to get the lucrative fresh produce contract for the valley. Will it be the short-line railroad or the trucker fleet. Each has got advantages, but the racketeer trucking line won't compete fairly, doing what they can to sabotage the rail line, sending box-cars flying here and there. Good thing railroaders Larry (Withers) and Jed (Davenport) are a hard team to beat, even if Larry is the receiver to the bankrupt rail line.

For a programmer it's well produced-- the rail line crashes are dramatically done, plus nicely blended process photography, along with a mob of extras bearing down on poor Larry. Heck, even pedestrian director Kane comes up with some imaginative camera angles. However, crusty old Davenport just about eats the scenery as he storms around in a perpetual rage. Good thing the delectable Appleby is there to soften the visuals. Still, I liked her earlier scenes with an aggressive Larry when she fends him off in spirited fashion.

All in all, it's a superior little production with good pacing, okay performances, and lots of action, but most importantly, an entertaining way to pass an hour. Plus, I learned a lot about the advantages of both kinds of hauling.

One of the more interesting things about Paradise Express probably known in later years as the Hooterville Cannonball is the fact that Harry Davenport is playing against type. Usually cast as the kindly grandfather type in films, Davenport plays the kind of crotchety old guy usually done by George Barbier.

Davenport is the president of a local railroad which is in receivership and hemorrhaging business badly to a trucking company. That was happening all across the USA then, it's called progress. But in this case the receiver appointed, Grant Withers is looking to save the railroad, particularly a line to the town of Paradise where a lot of local farmers were sending their produce with the railroad until recently.

Donald Kirke is president of the trucking company, but these guys are racketeers, shades of Jimmy Hoffa. He arranged for Withers to be made receiver, but Withers crosses him up. Of course Davenport's pretty granddaughter Dorothy Appleby might have something to do with it.

On the whole it's not a bad product from Republic Pictures, the Hooterville Cannonball is of course saved. In fact Withers finds an interesting way to sabotage the saboteurs which you have to see the film for.

These crooks go to jail, unlike Homer P. Bedloe who never gave up his efforts to close down the Hooterville Cannonball.