Customer Reviews

Pony Express [VHS]

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3 star:		(6)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Charlton Heston stars as Buffalo Bill, who along with partner Wild Bill Hickock, played by Forrest Tucker, is attempting to set up the Pony Express to help connect California with the rest of the country. Beautiful Rhonda Fleming and her brother are part of a group trying to prevent that from happening, wanting California to go it alone, rather than be part of the Union. Not only must Chuck do battle with them, but there are also the Indians to consider, not to mention the nagging presence of Jan Sterling, a tomboy in love with him. Pony Express is not short on action and that is its saving grace. The plot and dialogue are routine, the direction uninspired, and the characters comes across as sketches. The beauty of Rhonda Fleming and the technicolor scenery helps to make this acceptable viewing. There could be a great movie made about the Pony Express. This just isn't it.

Although the characters of Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickox are not exactly historically correct, this old western is fun to watch. The two Bills are up against a crew of politicians/civilians who want to make California independent from the United States. Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill are a threat to their plans with their own plan to connect Sacramento with the East Coast. Fun action and adventure, but not one of Heston's best.

The lightweight plot revolves around the adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody(Charlton Heston)and Wild Bill Hickok(Forrest Tucker)as they get involved in the opening up of the mail routes between California and the rest of the Union.They must also try to frustrate the plans of the devious Rance Hastings (Michael Moore )to split California from the rest of the Union.
The action scenes are splendidly well done and there are a lot of them but the script ,by Charles Marquis Warren ,is too talky and frankly rather dull .However there is a lot to enjoy -some crisp colour photography ,a raft of lively peformances from the leads who include Rhonda Fleming and Jan Sterling as the women in our heroes' lives and a nice study in icy villainy from Henry Brandon

The result is a good Western that is perfectly enjoyable but which falls short of the very highest standards owing to a routine storyline and verbiose script

In 1860, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok joined their strength to establish a communication route with the East through a fresh and fast relay stations of young riders on horseback...

Charlton Heston plays the legendary mountain man, buffalo hunter, U. S. Army Scout and Indian fighter and backer of the 'Pony Express' from St. Joseph to Sacramento in only ten days... Forrest Tucker plays his friend Wild Bill Hickok, an U. S. Marshal who brought order to the frontier with many encounters with outlaws among them Michael Moore (Lance Hastings) and Henry Brandon (Cooper) whose plans are to destroy the relay stations and ambush the express riders...

The film is loaded with action scenes and amusing moments...

- When Heston stops a stagecoach and tells the coachman: 'I'm Buffalo Bill Cody.' 'Sure, and I'm Wild Bill Hickok,' replies the driver... Coming alongside and smiling, Heston says: 'Nope, You're not that ugly!'

- When Heston meets Tucker arriving in town... Their courteous words are replaced by a shooting game, a rare but funny expression of friendship, putting holes in each other's garments including Tucker's nine dollars expensive hat... 'It's fancier than shaking hands,' expresses Jan Sterling to Rhonda Fleming from the window of her hotel...

-When Jan Sterling comes into the presence of the famous 'Pair of Bills,' wishing to increase her impression on Buffalo Bill with a fancy pink dress... Seeing her, Heston notes: 'Why not you go back and put some clothes on!'

Rhonda Fleming plays Evelyn Hastings, the ravishing wealthy redhead, who falls in love with Heston, leaving alone her brother who never wanted the 'Pony Express' to get through..-

Jan Sterling plays the sincere pretty blonde who loves so much Buffalo Bill...

Filmed in Technicolor, this enjoyable Western, based on factual account, is adequately entertaining...

I wanted this in dvd, not vhs! Somehow, I got a VHS, instead of a DVD.. A good movie, it is; but, not what I wanted..

I first saw this movie when I was a small boy in the early 1950s. In fact, it is the first film I recall having seen Charlton Heston in. I loved the movie so much I went home and made a crude set of wooden pistols and wore them just like he wore them in the movie. Over the years I have seen the film at least 20 times. If you are looking for a history lesson on the pony express, forget it. This movie is so far removed from historical fact the ghost of every real pony express rider should have risen up and demanded that the movie's title be changed. But for pure western movie entertainment, it's a very enjoyable film. I just wish Paramount would release the movie on DVD.

Directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Charlton Heston, Forrest Tucker and Rhonda Fleming, Pony Express is adapted from a story written by Frank Gruber. It revolves around the birth of the Pony Express and how it linked California to the rest of the United States, thus preventing it from becoming a separate republic. Buffalo Bill Cody {Heston} and Wild Bill Hickok {Tucker} are the principal characters in the formation of the St Joseph-Sacramento speed run that has long since passed into folklore. Very much a fictionalised account of the "Express" and its principals, this tale deals in an attempt to form a separatist movement from the Union and the trials and tribulations that Cody & Hickok go thru in order to successfully launch the "Express". Cue Indian attacks, with the Indians being armed by corrupt business men, and sinister plotting by the seemingly affable Hastings siblings {Michael Moore & Fleming}.

A loose remake of the 1924/25 silent film of the same name, Hopper's movie suffers from being overlong and for spending too much time with the Hastings sub-plot. It's only when we get to the last quarter that the film gathers apace, until then we are left with only Heston's gusto and Fleming's sexuality to hold our attention. Director Hopper struggles to craft any energy from the number of dialogue driven set-ups, and even a Mano-Mano fight to the death between Cody and Yellow Hand {Pat Hogan} is undeniably flat. Thank god then for Heston giving it brio. A few years away from career defining roles, he seems to be enjoying himself and puts ebullient life into the film when it starts to sag. Fleming too is a highpoint. When not asked to lead off awful film's like Bullwhip, Fleming was a more than capable actress, helped enormously by her sexiness and ability to own her scenes. She raises temperatures here considerably with one particular scene as both Jan Sterling {as Tomboy Denny} and herself each take a bath.

Thankfully the finale doesn't follow suit with what has gone before it, with Hopper gaining a little redemption with this action quarter. The momentum is built up as we approach the first "Express" run, a gunfight is well staged and the shots of the horses bolting along the plains are a joy; in particular one shot as man and beast speed off under a blood red sky {well done cinematographer Ray Rennahan}. Then it's the inevitable showdown where Heston flexes his gun toting muscles and a surprise development earns the picture an extra plaudit. So a real mixed bag for sure then. Well worth a watch for Heston purists and Fleming lusters. And indeed for Western fans who are versed in the lower grade genre entries so prominent in the 1950s. But it clearly doesn't fulfil its potential and the snippets of good only further make one feel a touch annoyed once the end credit booms out from the screen. 5.5/10

The story of the Pony Express riders and the obstacles they faced is the story here. This picture was Charlton Heston's second western and in spite of good casting, some fine action scenes and beautiful color, the film was okay but nothing special. The script is sprinkled with several light moments that clash with the more serious plots of Indian uprisings and sinister white men who don't want the express riders to succeed and unite the young country from coast to coast. There is good chemistry between Heston and Forrest Tucker but Heston's romance, such as it is, with Rhonda Fleming is corny. Henry Brandon, Pat Hogan and Richard Shannon are good in minor plot roles.