Wyoming Mail

I reviewed this movie and find it very strange, that after all these years this movie is still around. I was visiting my relatives in Sonora California when I was 16 years old and Universal International was filming the movie. Most of the movie crew ate at the El Nido Inn where I stayed. I was introduced to the producers and and directors and they took me into the production as a guest. Every morning I would tale the big limos to the locations. One location was the Sonora city dump transformed into a scene that didn't resemble the original location. I met actress Alexis Smith, although she was a very private person. I was introduced to her because she was from Penticton B.C. Canada only 50 miles from my home town. I recall many moments of the production. It was strange to see it later in the theatre, because most of the scenes became different than what I saw in real life. Memories still linger.

The satisfactions of the Technicolor western register in this production line co feature, with Russell Metty's camerawork and the studio's wooden cowboy town, train station and saloon interiors always a pleasurable environment. The cast is good too so there's only the routine direction to take issue with and Le Borg has exerted himself a few times here - Smith's anguished walk back to the railworker club, knowing her lover is a government spy, is one.

Better work followed but this is enjoyable.

It was amusing to discover that the Director of this pleasant little diversion directed it apparently between two Joe Palooka movies. Now they are tough films to watch. However, although this story line is a bit weak,the film does have a couple of things going for it. Alexis Smith is an attractive heroine. Her character has a life changing decision to make and it works well. The film also attempts to flesh out the role of the Railroad in small communities in the west. The Railroad Club comes off as another saloon but the very fact that its a club is an interesting historical footnote. Much of the exterior scenery is beautifully presented, although the hideout left something to be desired. A good wet Sunday amusement.

Usually stephen mcnally plays the surly bad guy so playing an undercover good guy is a twist but his attitude hasn't changed ... he's still a hard case and considers himself a lady's man ... and to prove it they have alexis smith play his gal pal ... the usual cast of bad guys are in this film, except jim arness who later becomes matt dillon on the long running series "gunsmoke" ... the problem with this plot is the railroads shipped money for express agents, hardly ever the us postal service .... howard silva never changes his spots

I watched it because it was from Universal studios and also directed by Reginald LeBorg, whom I did not comment so many films from him so far. It is a good effective western starring Stephen McNally for once in a good guy character, an undrcover agent to nail a gang of outlaws. As you see, nothing exceptional here. No surprise at all. I would have prefered Mc Nally as a gang leader, but Howard De Silva could not be an undercover agent. It would not have matched at all. I don't even speak of Ed Begley. Good sequences though, good production design, this western was a small budget one, OK, but not PRC or Monogram either, so the lack of budget did not justify some flaws explained by a lack of care from the director and not the production.