Kansas Pacific (1953) User Reviews

Exciting Railroad Yarn!

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 16 March 2003]

"Kansas Pacific" is another building of a railroad picture that turns out to be quite good. It was produced by Allied Artists on a larger than normal budget for an "A-minus" or "B-plus western. It was shot in color and contains some great shots of vintage trains as well as, some exciting battle sequences. There's one particularly convincing attack where the confederate supporters blow up an entire train.

The story takes place just prior to the American Civil War. A railroad is being built by the Union Army to supply its western posts. Confederate sympathizers are trying to prevent its completion.

Union engineer John Nelson (Sterling Hayden) is sent out from Washington to oversee the building of the railroad. Construction boss Cal Bruce (Barton MacLane) and his engineer "Smokestack" (Harry Shannon) have been experiencing troubles from unknown sources. It turns out that southern sympathizer Bill Quantrill (Reed Hadley)is behind the problems. Bruce's daughter Barbara (Eve Miller) is the token heroine who provides the love interest for Hayden.

There are many familiar faces to western fans in the supporting cast. Members of Hadley's gang include the likes of Douglas Fowley, Lane Bradford, Myron Healey, Riley Hill and a moustachioed Clayton Moore. James Griffith plays Joe Farley, a railroad guard. Hill was never a major player as a villain in westerns but he could always be singled out in the gang because he was usually clean cut and wore a "hero style" white hat. Moore of course was better known as TV's "The Lone Ranger" and had appeared in many Republic and Columbia serials (on both sides of the law) of the period.

Hayden was a big man, six foot six I believe, and was always more convincing in his screen fights than many of his contemporaries. MacLane although giving a good performance, was usually on the wrong side of the law in his movies and was better suited to brutish villainous roles.

A better than average railroad film.

Good Old Hollywood Western

[Tomlonso · 5/10 · 22 July 2005]

I was going to write a scathing report of all the anachronisms in this movie, from the dynamite to the completed U.S. Capitol Dome to the knuckle couplers and air brakes on the railroad equipment (if they look familiar, it's because the engine and the baggage/coach combination were the stars of "Petticoat Junction") to Eve Miller's Capri slacks and Maidenform bra.

But if I did I'd miss the point.

This movie isn't about what happened in Kansas in the late 1850's, it's another trip into the Hollywood Old West. It's the kind of movie you'd watch on a Saturday afternoon to forget that C- Miss Kursinsky gave you in Algebra.

Don't worry about the details. Just sit and relax, grab some popcorn and Juju Fruits and enjoy the ride. Which, at the end of the day, isn't all that bad.

Good railroad epic with a rousing music score.

[Hup234! · 7/10 · 8 October 1999]

I saw "Kansas Pacific" in theatrical release, as the second half of a double bill with "War of the Worlds". What a day at the movies that was! Since then, I've sought this film out and have seen it repeatedly. There could be more rail action for my taste, but what there is, plus the solid performances of the fine cast, makes for a very good Western indeed. And Albert Sendrey's terrific gonna-build-a-railroad soundtrack music is epic. I've always wished Hollywood had given him more to do. You'll be humming that theme, and carrying fond memories of steaming down the high iron aboard the "Kansas Pacific". Highly recommended to all.

Straightforward Civil War Western with Good Action Sequences

[Snow Leopard · 16 May 2001]

"Kansas Pacific" is a dramatization of one of the types of confrontations that took place in the West during the Civil War. In an area where the residents had divided loyalties, a group of Southern sympathizers wants to prevent the completion of a railroad being built by the Union, so the Union Army sends in experts and eventually backs them up with strength. It's a decent Western, and it is also interesting as a fictional depiction of a little-known aspect of the Civil War era.

The story is straightforward, and the script and acting are fairly routine, though there are some familiar faces in the cast such as Sterling Hayden, Barton MacLane, and Clayton Moore.

The action sequences, especially towards the end, are done well and are the main reason to watch the movie. The period setting is convincing, the special effects during the battles are realistic and exciting, and there is also a decent musical score.

There should be plenty in "Kansas Pacific" for any Western fan to enjoy it, and you might also give it a try if you enjoy historical-based fiction.

I choo choo choose AA for sure.

[ptb-8 · 6/10 · 13 June 2006]

This very appealing and simple railroad western is a Monogram Picture made in color and labeled 'An Allied Artists Film" to up-size its image. Other comments on this site will tell you the story and the history of the time and setting; I shall stick to my reaction. Basically filmed on a short distance of track at the back of some western lot, AA have succeeded in creating a suspenseful B grade chase western that allows for some very well staged train stunts and explosive set pieces. With a excellent music score matching the rousing action and photographed superbly in Cinecolor (I did not know this 'cheap' process was so beautiful) all clearly adds to the welcome comic book look and feel of this handsome railroad drama. Other excellent train chase films include NORTHWEST FRONTIER (1959) and THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE (1956) and recently: TV movie Young Indiana Jones And The Phantom Train Of Doom which in itself is almost an elaborate remake of Kansas Pacific but set in WW1..... and If you love Republic action pix in glorious Trucolor like I do, then find a tape of TIMBERJACK (1954) which has a fantastic contraption style logging train in peril, more Sterling Hayden and even a few songs by Hoagy Carmichael and (gulp) Vera Ralston - with tambourine! The Americana of Kansas Pacific and Timberjack make a excellent western train double feature if you are keen for some track work and explosions in your own lounge room. Fun to watch with Nephews and pre-teens whilst babysitting....like I did. So easy to enjoy. Wait 'till you see the cannon battle with the carriages blasted off the tracks! Well done!

Built By Bullets, Dynamite And Blood Stained Spikes!

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 4 October 2013]

Kansas Pacific is directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Daniel B. Ullman. It stars Sterling Hayden, Eve Miller, Barton MacLane, Harry Shannon, Tom Fadden and Reed Hadley. A Cinecolor production with music by Albert Sendrey and cinematography by Harry Neumann.

"In the years preceding the War between the States, 'Bleeding Kansas' was split down the middle. Being a border state-and not legally committed to either side-Kansas was almost torn apart by its two equally violent factions.

A railroad to the West was being built. To the rapidly forming Confederacy, this line, if completed, could mean the difference between defeat and victory, because it could well become the lifeline for the Union's western military installations.

Some Southern groups therefore, took strong steps to see that the Kansas Pacific did not reach completion. Northern interests, on the other hand, took equally strong steps to see that it did. All of this happened before any formal declaration of war, so neither side was really justified in the acts of total violence which resulted."

It's a fictionalised account that would surely have the historians frothing at the mouth, but on its own modest terms Kansas Pacific is solid entertainment. It's 1860 and Hayden is an undercover Army engineer who is sent in to ensure that the railroad is built. Not easy because the construction is plagued by sabotage attacks by Southern Rebels led by William Quantrill (Hadley).

Thus the story follows a familiar path that sees Hayden viewed with suspicion by some, admired by others, and as the sabotage attempts increase in ferocity, so does Hayden's will to succeed. Some love action comes his way (Miller on dressage duties only), as does the chance for some stoic engine driving. The action is well staged by Nazarro, who oversees dynamite attacks and cannon warfare, and the location photography coupled with the train sequences are most pleasing.

Modest for sure, but performed well in the right areas and at 73 minutes in length it barely has time to annoy anyone but the history buffs. 6/10

"Bloody Kansas"

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 22 June 2016]

In the years right before the Civil War both the North and the South struggled over the state of Kansas. It got so bad that the state was nicknamed "Bloody Kansas" due to all of the violence. Since many on both sides realized that war was about to erupt it became imperative for the North to complete a railroad through the state that would link up with their forts out west. Conversely, the South wanted to stop the Kansas-Pacific railroad from being built at all costs. This film is about the building of this railroad and features a Union officer named "Captain John Nelson" (Sterling Hayden) being dispatched by General Winfield Scott (Roy Gordon) to Kansas to try to prevent any disruptions. Fearing any possibility of a misunderstanding which might trigger a war, Captain Nelson is sent in civilian clothes and given the title of the lead engineer. This infuriates the current person-in-charge "Cal Bruce" (Barton MacLaine) and his daughter "Barbara Bruce" (Eve Miller) who have worked very hard building the railroad and feel that they are being demoted. Likewise, the main antagonist named "Bill Quantrill" (Reed Hadley) isn't too pleased about his sudden appearance either. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a solid B-movie which should appeal to most fans of the western genre. Admittedly, some parts were a bit corny but since this is a movie about Kansas I guess that's quite alright. In any case, I have rated the movie accordingly. Average.

DeMille did it better

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 30 May 2004]

This is a curious unpretentious little western from the former Monogram Studios about the building of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The action takes place before and during the Civil War with Sterling Hayden as the Army Captain sent west to supervise. He supersedes Barton MacLane who is the foreman and has some time to romance MacLane's daughter played by Eve Miller.

Film has some nice action sequences, but the script has a lot of holes in it. Reed Hadley plays William Quantrill who's doing a lot of

sabotage and pretty successfully. Then for no real reason he stops and lets construction proceed. He says he's waiting for some artillery from the Confederate States of America. That's the only indication we get that the Civil War has officially begun. Then when the railroad is finished, Quantrill decides to use the artillery to attack moving trains. I suppose while he's waiting, Quantrill is out doing the stuff he's more infamous for.

Quantrill is a stock villain in a whole lot of westerns, yet no one has ever done a reasonably accurate film with him in it. Reed Hadley, who had one of the best speaking voices in Hollywood, does his best with what he's given here. All you folks who watched Racket Squad back in the 50s remember Hadley narrating and portraying Captain Braddock. His voice is unmistakeable.

Another unmistakeable voice belongs to Clayton Moore who has a bit part as one of Quantrill's henchman while on hiatus from The Long Ranger.

Don't expect too much from this. DeMille did it better in Union Pacific, but he had a lot more resources to work with.

One of the weaker golden era Westerns

[drystyx · 4/10 · 8 June 2018]

I had hoped to like this grandiose railroad Western as much as the other epic railroad Westerns: Canadian Pacific and Western Union are great, and UNION PACIFIC is simply the best Western ever made, the definitive Western. This one has some assets. The hero, played by Sterling Hayden, maybe the homeliest lead actor in film History, is likable, as are the other good guys. The most interesting of the good guys is killed off in a bit of a contrived way, however, and the contrivance seems to be very Republican in that only low level people are killed, giving the impression of demi god qualities among the elite, an impression needed by the elite to keep the minions in line. Always suspicious. The romance angle works well enough. In fact, it's good to see two people who are more "next door" types being in the lead.

An ordinary plot made better by Sterling Hayden's seemingly effortless performance.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 28 July 2010]

While this is not a great film, it certainly is well worth watching--especially in light of Sterling Hayden's nice performance. While hardly a household name today and never a top star, Hayden was a terrific performer with his direct, no nonsense style of acting. Oddly, however, this film finds Barton MacLane playing a nice guy...can you figure?!

The film begins with a particularly useless and bad prologue--it was poorly written and seemed to pull its punches as it didn't want to offend anyone...though the Civil War had been over for almost 90 years when the movie was made! It is set in Kansas just before the war and concerns the US government and railroad's desire to get the railroad completed...especially as it will be needed to bring in needed supplies if war breaks out (which it did). But, Quantrill and his gang are doing everything they can to sabotage the railroad, so an Engineer (Hayden) is brought in to help the foreman (MacLane) get the project completed. All in all, it's a pretty ordinary sort of film, though it plays fast and loose wit the facts...in particular Quantrill's life. Despite this, the film is enjoyable, well-made and worth seeing--even if you aren't a dyed in the wool western lover.

Not Good

[januszlvii · 3/10 · 21 September 2020]

Kansas Pacific is not a good movie. I have seen a number of Sterling Hayden films and some of them like The Godfather snd Dr. Strangelove are some of the greatest of all time. This is not one of them. One big problem is the love interest Barbara (Eve Miller) brings nothing to the table. It is about Captain John Miller ( Hayden) and his attempt to get the railroad built before the Civil War. Is it an absolute waste of time? No the idea was good it is just the execution that failed.3/10 stars

The "Lone Ranger" as a bad guy!

[BruceUllm · 8/10 · 25 June 2007]

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.

Decent railroad Western with solid star Hayden

[funkyfry · 6/10 · 20 April 2007]

Kansas Pacific isn't a particularly great film, but it's far from the bottom of the barrel if you ask me. The main thing it's got going for it is obvious – leading man Sterling Hayden, slumming it at Allied Artists but putting his best effort into a pretty standard character. And although the film's plot twists will be easily seen a mile away, the script manages to make the scenario come alive with some crisp dialogue and assorted moments of insight.

Hayden plays John Nelson, a U.S. Army Captain who is sent to Kansas as an undercover agent, posing as an engineer with the railroad company on the project to build a railroad connecting Kansas to the West Coast. As the prologue explains, the completion of the railroad is crucial to the North's hopes in the impending Civil War (the film is set in 1860, just before the outbreak of hostilities). The South, realizing this, sends an intelligent and cultured leader, Bill Quantrill (Reed Hadley) to co-ordinate attacks with an eye to delaying the railroad's completion. At first the railroad man on the job, Cal Bruce (Barton MacLane) and his lovely daughter Barbara (Eve Miller) resist his charms and his efforts, but they soon learn of his patriotic mission and embrace the cause.

This is an extremely low budget film – so cheap that you can easily spot anachronisms like tire tread on the roads. In the scene where Captain Nelson chases the two men into the bar, he tries to tie his horse onto the post but the rope slips off and he just walks away. I guess they figured audiences wouldn't notice this stuff, or it was too late to fix. Anyway, the cheap sets do give the film a somewhat unpleasant look with the interior scenes – I recognized the Washington DC set as the same one used in some of Roger Corman's films from later in the 50s, and possibly in some of the Schneer/Harryhausen productions – but this is more than made up for by some lovely exterior photography of the Western setting.

As said above the plot is somewhat standard as is the approach to the romance between the Captain and the daughter, but everything is done just well enough so that Western fans won't mind. The film gives us a somewhat interesting look at the period just before the Civil War, where as the prologue reminds us there was massive bloodshed which was unjustified because there had been no formal declaration of war (does this imply that the declaration of war made mass bloodshed somehow just?). When Captain Nelson arrives in town almost the first thing he does is involve himself in a fight between strangers. It turns out that he had come to the rescue of his nemesis, Bill Quantrill, because the Southerner was being jumped by 3 men with Northern sympathies. This underlies the Captain's essential morality – he is supporting the North but he would not do anything dishonorable to further his cause. At this point before the War at least, it's still possible to place morality or justice above victory. Given the fact that Hadley's Quantrill is well-spoken and seems more reserved than his henchmen (one of whom is portrayed by Clayton Moore), this initial scene between the two men promises the possibility of two opposing but equally honorable opponents, but the film doesn't really follow this interesting course, instead eventually devolving into a fairly standard good guys/bad guys conflict.

Still, for Western fans this one will be reasonably worthwhile for Hayden's stout performance and some decent action scenes – the attack on the train by cannons is particularly and surprisingly effective given how cheap the film is on the whole.

Just a fair Western, railroad and Civil War film

[SimonJack · 5/10 · 1 March 2024]

This Western film is set in the time just before the start of the Civil War in the U. S. It's a fictional account of the Southern sympathizers working to sabotage the work to build the Kansas Pacific Railway. Sterling Hayden plays an undercover Union engineer, Capt. John Nelson, who is sent to Kansas to see the railroad completed before the start of the Civil War.

Reed Hadley plays the real renegade Confederate raider, William Quantrill, whose aim is to disrupt the project. Some of the rest of the cast will be recognized by movie buffs of the mid-20th century. Barton MacLane, Clayton Moore, Irving Bacon, James Griffith and Jonathan Hale were stalwart supporting actors of the day.

Those who enjoy history, especially of the pioneer, Western and Civil War period, may enjoy this film. Of course, with a grain of salt as to the accuracy of the plot and the fictional characters.

Pretty Good Western

[dougdoepke · 22 February 2013]

On Civil War's eve, the Union pushes for completion of a railroad to the West, while the Confederacy works to prevent it.

Decent western that makes good us of its limited budget. The cannon duel is imaginative as heck and a good effect that avoids western cliché. Lots of familiar faces in supporting roles, especially MacLane, Hadley and Fowley. Since the plot concerns Civil War rivalries, the bad guys can't be too bad since they're fighting for the Southern cause. I like the way attention is paid to technicalities of railway building, which lends realistic atmosphere. Too bad they have to work in a romance that dangles like a needless appendage, but I guess that's commercial filmmaking

Something should be said for Sterling Hayden, always an interesting actor even if he hated the profession. Too gangly and taciturn to be a leading man, he's perfect for an action role like this. And who can forget his grim- faced attachment to his horses in The Asphalt Jungle (1950). It's an outward stoicism that still conveys unexpected feeling. Or his philosophical resignation upon leaving the airport in Kubrick's masterpiece The Killing (1956). By all accounts he was a fascinating man as well as an underrated actor.

Anyway, this is a nicely done outdoor western with a good cast.

I'd actually rate this movie seven and a half

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 8 April 2014]

Although it could be described as a poor man's variant of De Mille's spectacular "Union Pacific" with all the action scaled down to just the one area of conflict, this is nevertheless an engaging western with solid performances from Sterling Hayden as the get-it-done hero, Barton MacLane as the mildly resentful sidekick and Reed Hadley as the villain of the piece. The movie also offers a rare chance to see the lovely Eve Miller in a lead role. As written, the characters are little more than stereotypes, but the players make them sufficiently engaging to keep our attention focused. In the support cast, Douglas Fowley comes across forcefully as a vicious henchman. James Griffith is introduced into the script with some fanfare, but his talents are then largely wasted in what turns out to be a rather small role. Myron Healey and Clayton Moore, I didn't spot at all! Ray Nazarro has directed with competence and even a bit of style. The action scenes are very capably handled indeed, although it's possible they were directed by an uncredited specialist. Railroad buffs will certainly get something out of the movie too.

This movie is currently available from more than a dozen DVD distributors. At least three different prints are on offer. One of them is absolutely superb and is most certainly by far the best Cinecolor offering available today. The other prints, alas, vary from just acceptable to absolutely lousy. (In my collection, the superb print is on a Flashback DVD).

Kind of Fun.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 24 March 2014]

The Civil War is just about to start. In Bleeding Kansas, the government is trying to get the Kansas Pacific Railroad built in order to link its western forts with the east. The Confederate sympathizers are less than eager to see this accomplished. The US Army decides to send out one engineer in civilian clothes to see if he can straighten things out a bit. That would be Sterling Hayden, who looks so big compared to everyone else in the movie that it's possible to imagine him filling a box car all by himself.

In charge of the now-stuck railroad in Kansas is beefy, blustering, Barton MacLane, who resents becoming subordinate to Hayden. MacLane's theatrical bellowing had a place in the rough action movies of ten years earlier. But here, the writers have burdened him with a daughter he loves. She can't act but he loves her anyway. Once in a while he chucks her under the chin and tries to smile at her, but one can almost hear the creaking of long-unused facial muscles.

The story is rambunctious, headlong. Hayden is determined to get that railroad built, although the suave villain, Reed Hadley of the sonorous baritone, does everything possible to stop him, including requisitioning some artillery from the nascent Confederate Army.

But if it's never boring, it's never original either. All the men dress alike: dark cowboy hats, checkered shirts, unbuttoned vests, black boots, and low-slung holsters. I don't know why all the men in these routine Westerns have to wear vests but they do. I counted 246 cowboys and 213 of them were wearing unbuttoned vests. That's 86.58536 percent of the men, all wearing unbuttoned vests. They wear neckerchiefs too, and gloves.

Towards the end there is a terrific fist fight between hero Hayden and villain Hadley, and each fist lands smack on each jaw with a loud thud.

Well, does the railroad finally get built, you ask? And well you might. No. The railroad does not get built. As a result, the western forts are severed from the battles in the east, the Confederate States of America win the war, and we are all reduced to eating hoppin' john and hush puppies.

Nothing New

[denis888 · 5/10 · 9 April 2017]

Yeah, many old films were a real cliché - good cause, good guys, bad guys, war looming, fights, beautiful lady in between the fights, lone hero, sandy mountain views, horse riders, gun fights, silly dialogs, pathetic phrases, shallow plot, very correct and inspiring words written across the screen either at the beginning or at the end credits - well, this is more or less this old film about Bleeding Kansas and all in the interim that follows. There is nothing exciting, unusual, fresh or new here, just a bunch of predictable baddies, bunch of heroic goodies, lady, sands, trains, railroad, fights and yes, this is over before you can say Kansas Pacific. Very trite and banal

Quantrill raiders try sabotaging the building of this railroad

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 22 June 2017]

In retrospect, we might think of this as the last and least of a trilogy of films featuring the building of a railroad, with the word Pacific in the name: "Union Pacific"(1939), "Canadian Pacific"(1949), and "Kansas Pacific"(1953). I'm a sucker for these types of films. Of these, "Union Pacific" is, by far, the best remembered, having the most resources and a run time nearly twice that of the present film. Nonetheless, I enjoyed them all, even with their faults. In place of Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott, we have the less remembered, though quite convincing, Sterling Hayden as the chief troubleshooter, who brings all of his 6'5" frame to bear in dealing with the bad guys.

Of course, there's romance implied between the troubleshooter and a girl he comes into contact with periodically. In the present case, Eve Miller, as Barbara, takes an initial dislike to Hayden because she sees him as a rival to her father, who is the foreman of the work gang. But, eventually, she understands that he is not out to replace her father, just to supplement him in getting the job done.

Of course, there must be people trying to delay or stop rail construction or the trains that run on them. In "Union Pacific" and "Canadian Pacific", both Native Americans and whites are involved in these depredations. In the present film, no Native Americans are involved, probably because of lack of running time. Instead, we have a gang of southern sympathizers under the leadership of Will Quantrill(Reed Hadley). Not clear if they are receiving support from the Confederate Government, as such, at this time. Quantrill is a historically relevant name, relating to depredations in Kansas and other border states before and during the Civil War. His name pops up every now and then in Civil War or post-Civil War westerns. In fact, James Griffin, who plays the rail worker Joe, played Quantrill in another film. This gang uses tactics such as tearing up rails, rolling boulders onto the track, ambushes, staging fights among the workers, and blowing up locomotives by dynamite or artillery. Not only do these tactics require remedial action, they scare workers away. Incidentally, dynamite hadn't yet been invented when this story takes place(1861). Nitroglycerin, the active ingredient in dynamite, or black powder, was used in blasting, at that time. Actually, little explosives should have been needed, since the landscape of Kansas is mostly flat or gently rolling, generally requiring little leveling of the rail bed.

Historically, what eventually became the Kansas Pacific line didn't begin building track until 1863, finished in 1866. This is in contrast to this story, when this occurs in 1861. In web sources, I didn't find any mention of problems with saboteurs. A few years later, this line was connected to the Union Pacific.

I'm surprised so little attention was paid to Quantrill, as the mastermind of the sabotage operations. He is not included in the finale, when all of his henchmen are killed or taken as prisoners. In these types of films, usually the chief villain dies, if not in a fight with the hero, by some other means, or sometimes is merely imprisoned.

Hayden had quite an adventurous life, the sea being his real love, sailing around the world a few times. He hated acting, actually, thinking of actors as pawns. Mostly, it provided him with enough money to buy more sailboats. He married the same woman 3 times!....Eve Miller had a minor acting career. She seems to have had problems with her romantic life, attempting suicide several times, succeeding at last.

See all three of these films at YouTube, only Union Pacific being in B&W.

The Civil War had many stories.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 4 February 2023]

Less a story about the war and more about sabotage, this film deals with the importance of locomotives as a matter of defense, and the efforts to prevent them from doing what they need to do to help the north win the war. Sterling Hayden, Barton MacLane and Clayton Moore (sans mask) star in this colorful action film that is more about a situation to protect rather than a strong, complex story, and yet it resonates because it represents situations of other wars involving the destruction of important buildings or moving vehicles in an effort to prevent one side from winning.

The pretty Eve Miller, once a brief Warner Brothers contract player (co-star of "The Big Trees") is great in her rather limited role, but she's just as strong as the male characters who dominate the film. The rugged three leads, all good, help in make the story interesting even though it isn't the strongest, basically an important theme. The biggest surprise for me is MacLane who usually played the bad guy in films like this but is just a loud mouthed teddy bear in his characterization. The colorful photography really adds to the impact, and I bet this looked really great on a big screen.

Kansas pacific - an exciting choo-choo.

[froberts73 · 8/10 · 8 July 2011]

I would have given this a 10, backing down because it played loosely with history. Otherwise, it was a helluva good movie - rousing, exciting, constantly moving like a train with the tracks intact.

It has to do with building the rail through Kansas to the Colorado border, train/tracks coveted by the Confeds and the Union.

The action is never-ending, most of the fight scenes convincing and leading man, Sterling Hayden is rock solid (not Rock Hudson). His own life was far more exciting. Check his unbelievable bio. Wow!! All in all, there is not a thing wrong with the movie. If you like westerns, if you like action, it is all there on the "Kansas Pacific." Final thought: If Sterling Hayden married Robert Sterling, he would be Sterling Sterling.

Speaking of sterling - as in silver - the hi-yo man has a small part in this adventure.

Okay Western

[jeremycrimsonfox · 6/10 · 24 May 2020]

In a time after the South has seceded from the United States, but before the American Civil War, an effort is made to build a railway from Kansas across the West Coast is sabotaged by Southern sympathizers, to the point where John Nelson, captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering (played by Sterling Hayden) to keep the project going, as the railway is to supply Union outposts for when the anticipated war starts. Not only must he thwart the saboteurs, led by Confederate William Quantrill (played by Reed Hadley), but he also aims to win the heart of Barbara Bruce (played by Eve Miller), the daughter of the railroad foreman.

It's an okay western. The acting and action are good, and the story is neat (even with an intro where it said neither side was justified in the events of the film due to it happening before declaration of war). Sadly, the pacing is slow in some points, and some of the actions don't seen well choreographed (like that one scene where one of the saboteurs trips a worker). But still, it's a good western worth checking out.

An enjoyable B-movie film

[oscar-35 · 20 September 2012]

*Spoiler/plot- 1953, A railroad family becomes part of the Kansas railroad political matters leading up to the Civil War.

*Special Stars- Sterling Hayden, Eve Miller, Barton MacLane.

*Theme- The Union must be saved with the use of its railroads.

*Trivia/location/goofs- Shot on Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth California. Sterling Hayden plays the lead well especially since his recently released background was as a successful WW2 OSS spy. Barton MacLane appears as a good guy this time instead of his usual 'baddie' role of his younger days.

*Emotion- An enjoyable B-movie film of the pre-Civil War era. Railroad rolling stock/engines and scenic vistas was a plus to see the early Northwestern San Fernando Valley with Iverson Movie Ranch.

A Gem of a Film

[jromanbaker · 10/10 · 12 May 2022]

The story of this film, and some of its goofs have been gone over here so I will leave them alone. This is fictionalised history and after all 1950's Westerns had their own vision of the ' old ' Wes misguided or not. Personally I like this vision as it makes exciting viewing and plays on the imagination more than it does on so-called reality. If I want that reality of approach in film I look elsewhere. Among the few finest actors of Westerns of this decade Sterling Hayden is in my opinion the finest. And he is at his best in ' Kansas Pacific ' trying to ward off Quantrill and his men from destroying the trains. Despite the goof of the dynamite it makes excellent fantasy and a lot of excellent suspense is created out of it. The violence is there but it is not excessive or sadistic, and the child in all of us can watch this fantasy without cringing away from the screen. Eve Miller plays Hayden's love interest and I only wish her role had been slightly more built up. A fine actor and unknown to me. As cinema I found the experience of watching the trains of this distant past recreated, plus the scenes when they upstage the actors, and B-movie it maybe it rates as an A quality for me. I give it a 10 for its fast pace, intelligent dialogue and fine acting, and having such a fine mythical ' hero ' as Hayden.

Poverty Row

[tieman64 · 23 March 2013]

"Kansas Pacific" is a poor, generic, low-budget Western. It stars actor Sterling Hayden as a Union soldier tasked with protecting the Kansas Pacific Railway from Confederate attacks.

The complex, parasitic relationship between Union forces and Industrialists - the army essentially protected northern business cartels - isn't examined, but the film does contain several lovely shots of a grand steam engine, which is unusual, as the film was produced by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation, a Poverty Row "studio" renowned for its unwillingness to spend money. Today the film's mostly forgotten. Sterling Hayden completists may find it interesting.

2/10 - Worth one viewing.