Pony Express (1953)

Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock work to establish the Pony Express and fight Indians and California Separatists who seek to destroy it.

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Charles Marquis Warren (screenplay), Frank Gruber (story)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Rhonda Fleming, Jan Sterling

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charlton Heston	...	Buffalo Bill Cody
Rhonda Fleming	...	Evelyn Hastings
Jan Sterling	...	Denny Russell
Forrest Tucker	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Michael Moore	...	Rance Hastings
Porter Hall	...	Jim Bridger
Richard Shannon	...	Red Barrett
Henry Brandon	...	Joe Cooper
Stuart Randall	...	Pemberton
Lewis Martin	...	Sgt. Russell

Storyline

Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok join forces to establish a mail route that can get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in ten days. Along the way they must battle bad weather, hostile Indians and outlaws intent on robbing the mail and shutting down the entire operation.

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Plot Keywords:

wild bill hickok | sacramento california | native american | buffalo bill cody | indian | 

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Taglines:

GALLOPING THRILLS! A mighty adventure when America's destiny rode in the saddle bags of the...PONY EXPRESS

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Genres:

History | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le triomphe de Buffalo Bill

Filming Locations:

Cudia City Studios, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,400,000, 31 December 1953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nat Holt Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Porter Hall, who plays Jim Bridger in this movie about William F. Cody (aka "Buffalo Bill") and Wild Bill Hickok, played gunman Jack McCall who murdered Wild Bill Hickok (Gary Cooper) in The Plainsman (1936).

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Goofs

In a scene where Charlton Heston and Forrest Tucker mount their horses and take out their rifles the action is repeated when the camera cuts to a close up on them.

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Quotes

Wild Bill Hickok: [Speaking to Cody after he has insulted Yellow Hand] If he ever catches you, I hope you're not around.

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Connections

Remake of The Pony Express (1925)

User Reviews

Pony express was a great thing but the movie wasn't.

Charles Marquis Warren is one of the worst western scriptwriters.Responsible(also for directing it) for the very mediocre -and a bit racist- "Arrowshead"-which featured Heston as well,he wrote an even more dreadful story here.Will Cody must be turning in his grave! The story is incoherent,every sequence seems to be the beginning of the film,there's the de rigueur (check "Arrowshead") Heston/Indian fight,and Jan Sterling's part is so thin it's a wonder she can do something with it(This actress found her best role in Wilder's masterpiece "the big carnival").Only the last sequences of the mail might redeem that,but the "writer" wanted a "moving" ending so he spoils everything .

You'll always be better off with Cecil B.De Mille's "the plainsman"(1936)with Gary Cooper ,Jean Arthur and James Ellison,as far as Buffalo Bill is concerned.Hickock 's character is also featured,and on top of that ,Calamity Jane in the flesh.