They Passed This Way
(1948)
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They Passed This Way
(1948)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Joel McCrea | ... |
Ross McEwen
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Frances Dee | ... |
Fay Hollister
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| Charles Bickford | ... | ||
| Joseph Calleia | ... |
Monte Marquez
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| William Conrad | ... |
Sheriff Egan
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Martin Garralaga | ... |
Florencio
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Raymond Largay | ... |
Dr. Eldredge
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John Parrish | ... |
Frenger
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Dan White | ... |
Clint Waters
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Davison Clark | ... |
Burnett
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Houseley Stevenson | ... |
Anderson
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George McDonald | ... |
Winston Boy
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Eva Novak | ... |
Mrs. Winston
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Sam Flint | ... |
Storekeeper
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Forrest Taylor | ... |
Conductor No.2
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Cowboy Ross McEwen arrives in town. He asks the banker for a loan of $2000. When the banker asks about securing a loan that large, McEwen shows him his six-gun collateral. The banker hands over the money in exchange for an I.O.U., signed "Jefferson Davis". McEwen rides out of town and catches a train, but not before being bitten by a rattler. On the train, a nurse, Miss Hollister, tends to his wound. A posse searches the train, but McEwen manages to escape notice. However a mysterious Mexican has taken note of the cowboy, and that loudmouthed brat is still nosing around. Who will be the first to claim the reward for the robber's capture? Written by David Steele
This is a great Western. McCrea shows off some great horsemanship as does Frances Dee, something rarely seen in female leads. I was intrigued with the authenticity (for the time) of the Hispanic and Native Americans portrayed in this movie. Joseph Calleia, playing against type, is a middle-class Hispanic, rather than just a poor Mexican, with property and a very large extended family in the region, something that was very common in New Mexico but rarely understood outside of its borders. There are surprising Spanish phrases used throughout and I was even impressed with the McCrea character's good Spanish -- so different from other Westerns of the era. The Native Americans, shown only in the opening scene at the Pat Garrett welcome, look like they could have been Mescalero Apaches from southern New Mexico. This movie really respected all the different cultures of southern New Mexico. Finally, El Morro aka Inscription Rock, now a national monument, was a significant symbol in this movie, a testament to its importance to the many different people and cultures that "Paso por Aqui" over the ages.