Kansas Pacific (1953)

With the Civil War about to begin, Southern saboteurs attack frontier railroad construction.

Director:

Ray Nazarro

Writer:

Daniel B. Ullman (adapted from his play)

Stars:

Sterling Hayden, Eve Miller, Barton MacLane

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sterling Hayden	...	Capt. John Nelson
Eve Miller	...	Barbara Bruce
Barton MacLane	...	Cal Bruce
Harry Shannon	...	Smokestack, Train Engineer
Tom Fadden	...	Gus Gustavson, Train Fireman
Reed Hadley	...	Bill Quantrill
Douglas Fowley	...	Max Janus
Robert Keys	...	Lt. Sam Stanton (as Bob Keys)
Irving Bacon	...	Telegrapher Casey
Myron Healey	...	Morey
James Griffith	...	Joe Farley - Railroad Guard
Clayton Moore	...	Henchman Stone
Jonathan Hale	...	Railroad President Sherman Johnson

Storyline

Just before the Civil War (but after the South has seceded), Southern saboteurs try to prevent railroad construction from crossing Kansas to the frontier; army captain Nelson is sent out to oppose them. As the tracks push westward, Nelson must contend with increasingly violent sabotage, while trying to romance the foreman's pretty daughter Barbara.

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Plot Keywords:

civil war | army | sabotage | u.s. army | kansas | 

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Taglines:

Built by bullets, dynamite, and blood-stained spikes!

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kansas Pazifik

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Cinecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Though the film is set in late 1860/early 1861, firearms used in the film appear to be from 1870s and later. They include lever-action rifles and Peacemaker revolvers. These weapons use modern metallic cartridges. Most weapons of 1860 and 1861 were percussion arms.

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Quotes

Bill Quantrill: Any trouble?
Max Janus: Yeah, with the sheriff. They need a new one now.

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Connections

Featured in The Sierra Number 3 Locomotive: A Star Is Reborn (2012)

User Reviews

The "Lone Ranger" as a bad guy!

I can't recall Clayton Moore as anyone but the "brave masked man," but here he is as a bad guy with no mask. I'd say that counts as irony.

Also: who ever heard of a main character named "Mr. Bruce" in the Westerns. I think I know the source of the name, as my dad wrote the script. The same goes for the daughter, Barbara. If they had a daughter, my folks planned to name her Barbara. Three years later, they did and my sister's name is Barbara.

The memorable quotes struck a chord with me, especially when Mr. Bruce says that no one pushes him around -- except his daughter and his wife. Such dry humor was a hallmark of my father and I miss it and, of course, him.