Westbound

This takes place during the Civil War.

And typical of movies about the period, everyone has a cartridge belt and pistol instead of the 'cap and ball' available at the time.

While Christy is reminiscing about the Overland Stage with Hayes, he reminds him that they worked together on the line for twenty years.

Before that, he says, he worked for the Pony Express.

As the year is 1864, that would push his Pony Express experience to 1844 or earlier if you subtract Hayes' Civil War service.

The actual Pony Express only was in operation for one year, from 1860 to 1861.

My review title is a quote from star Randolph Scott, as Union Captain John Hayes, addressing a Confederate-sympathizing cook who poured much salt into the pie slice of the lone blue coat among a group seated at the table in his restaurant. The cook claims this pie slice is no different from the others, but it's obvious this is a lie, raising Hayes' ire.

I've been considered Budd Boetticher one of great western director on cinema industry, but Westbound is a point outside the curve, quite sure, an ordinary plot, predicable and senseless, having in the beauty Virginia Mayo as the first waste, she was flouted, just few laconic scenes, Randolph plays Captain Hayes who was a former manager of Overland stage line in the pastime, his main assignment enforced by the Union Army is restore the safety of stage line steadily undermined by southern on Colorado territory, he arrives in town accompanied by a cripple soldier Rod Miller (Michael Dante) who had cut your lefty arm infected by gangrene and waived of the war, often blaming himself as a half man, supported by his young wife Jeannie Miller (Barbara Steele), on the Julesburgh's town the rich man Clay Puttman (Andrew Duggan) no longer wants make part of the Overland line, he resigned due has strong southern roots, although has in mind finds an easy way to stopping the shipment gold thru the stagecoach line from California, nonetheless he has a dangerous gang behind leading by an unsavory assassin Mace (Michael Paté) who have his own rules, uncumbering his blind boss, a minor movie from Boetticher, for your notable relevance 7 out 10!!

WESTBOUND 1959This western was produced by Warner Brothers and stars, Randolph Scott. The rest of the cast includes, Andrew Duggan, Virginia Mayo, Karen Steele, Michael Dante and Michael Pate.

I guess i've seen all of randolf scott's films at least a dozen times ... this one has plenty of action and the beautiful karen steele who has performed with scott in at least three westerns i'm aware ...

Westbound finds Captain Randolph Scott of the Union Army headed in that direction to return to his civilian occupation, that of manager for the Overland Stage Company. As the main transporter of gold for the Union Treasury, Overland has had its share of holdups and other problems caused by Confederate raiders and the army puts Scott on detached duty to return to run Overland.

There is a lot of experience in this 1959 Randolph Scott film. Scott is about 62 when this one was shot and it shows.

Though the story here is rather formulaic, there's some interesting stuff going on that managed to keep me involved with the picture. First off was that salted pie scenario in which the Southern sympathizing station master had to eat crow AND the pie once Captain John Hayes (Randolph Scott) got involved.

Don't let the Fact that this is Considered the Least of the Seven Movies in the Budd Boetticher-Randolph Scott Westerns that helped Redefine the Genre, keep You from checking it out, because it is still Above Average among the enormous Amount of "Product" released in the Decade. The Director all but Disowned it and Reflected on it with Disdain.

During the American Civl War, an Army captain is tasked with ensuring the safe transport of government gold in the Old West. This is perhaps the weakest of the seven Boetticher-Scott Westerns, thanks to a so-so script that fails to evolve into a compelling narrative.