Passage West (film)

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Passage West (1951 film)

Passage West is a 1951 American Western directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring John Payne, Dennis O’Keefe, and Arleen Whelan. Produced by Pine-Thomas Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the Technicolor film runs 80 minutes.

Plot
Six convicts escape from a Utah prison and hijack a wagon train bound for California, interrupting a child’s funeral. Pete Black leads the gang and forces the wagons to move at once, angering Rose Billings, a widow in mourning. Jacob Karns, a preacher who plans to marry Rose, tries to keep the peace. Curly, one of the escapees, flirts with Rose and is whipped by Pete; Pete’s interest in Rose grows. At a fork in the trail the group takes a dangerous shortcut, and harsh conditions—dust storms, a dying cow, and a starving baby—quarrel with their plans. Karns defeats Pete in a confrontation, and Pete begins to question his own aims as Karns reveals a past life he wants to leave behind. In a town they discover gold, and greed leads to violence. Ultimately, Pete, weary and guilty, detonates dynamite to bury his gang and himself as the wagon train presses on west.

Cast
John Payne, Dennis O’Keefe, Arleen Whelan (starring), with supporting actors in key roles.

Production notes
Written by Lewis R. Foster and Nedrick Young (credited as Alvah Bessie’s front name for Hollywood Ten reasons). Cinematography by Loyal Griggs; edited by Howard A. Smith; music by Mahlon Merrick. Color process: Technicolor. Production company: Pine-Thomas Productions. Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Release date: August 30, 1951 (New York). Box office: $1,025,000 (U.S. rentals).