Wyoming Mail (1950)

The Worst Film Ever

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Stephen McNally is an ex Army officer now making a living by bare-fisted boxing. He's happy to get out of it when he's offered a job by the Post Office. There's a bandit gang out in Wyoming that is stealing the mail and making off with payrolls by robbing trains. McNally goes undercover as a bandido himself and worms his way into the gang, one of whose members, to McNally's dismay, is a café singer, Alexis Smith, with whom he develops a relationship. There's a shoot out at the end that reminds one of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" without the wisecracks. It ends happily.It's a little unusual because it focuses not on cow punching or marshaling but on telegraphers -- the guys who click and clack at their telegraph keys and send messages along the wires. A dozen or so seem to have given up their respectable specialties and formed a gang of their own. McNally has to learn Morse code to be inducted into the club. I don't particularly like it when telegraphers are portrayed as gangsters. I was a wireless operator myself for a few years and I'm here to say that no more than one out of five of my colleagues was a gangster. Well, maybe one out of four.Alexis Smith is wounded in the shoot out. That's a shame too. She's a beautiful red head with pale blue eyes of plumbless depths. True, the angle of her ascending ramus is marked but she's a Canadian and Canadians look a little odd. She shouldn't have gotten shot, despite her jawline. I can only say it's a darned good thing she recovered.Steven McNally isn't usually the hero. His Thespian talents are mediocre but that has nothing to do with it. The operative feature of Steven McNally's screen presence is his ominous, menacing, almost maniacal glare. His best moments come when that stare softens into thoughtfulness, as when he looks down at the dead body of a prisoner who had been friendly towards him, and then arranges to have his own pay sent to the dead man's widow. He was allowed a similar soft spot for a wounded comrade in "Split Second." The moments don't last long.There are a number of recognizable names among the supporting cast -- Howard Da Silva, Richard Jaekel, Roy Roberts, James Arness, Gene Evans -- but not of them gets much time. Ed Begley's stint as the corrupt warden of the Territorial Prison was probably shot in a day or two.The territorial prison is probably supposed to be Yuma Territorial Prison. It's still there, at least its wrecked shell, and open to the public. The time there wasn't nearly as demanding as it is in popular thought, or so say the public guides.

Pretty good Western that gets better as it goes along. Railroad agent Steve Davis (McNally) goes undercover to catch an elaborate gang of train robbers. Along the way, he meets lovely songstress Mary Williams (Smith), but much worse, has to go to prison to establish his outlaw cover. The gang, it turns out, has respectable confederates but we can't be sure who they are.There're several good surprises, plus some nice touches from director LeBorg— e. g. a wounded Indian Joe trying to hook on the train, the final scene that hits the right notes, a frantic outlaw (Jaeckle) atop an exploding baggage car. Also, that rock formation of the gang's hideout is impressive as heck, with its spindly ladders to the caves at the top. Then there's a splash or two of great blue sky scenery.The supporting cast is also notable—Begley, DaSilva, Evans and Jaeckle, plus a young, curly-haired James Arness and-- look quickly—Richard Egan as a prison guard. Universal Studio did a number of these Technicolor Westerns at the time, using solid performers and location filming. None that I've seen reach the first rank, but do remain solid entertainment for horse opera fans, including this one.

I saw the trailer of this film when I was less than ten years old, here in Brazil, where it was named "A Fogo e a Sangue". I was fascinated by the few scenes I saw, specially one that shows Stephen McNally boxing. The scenery and color cinematography were astonishing. Being underage I could not see the film. I saw it recently, more than fifty years after and went through a great Proustian experience. Unlike many westerns that age and become naive or too predictable or full of clichés, this one maintains its appeal. McNally is the detective that is sent to find out who is behind a continuous robbery of the train carrying mail. He was boxing for a living and does not want to give it up for a low salary, but when he takes a good look at his face, and sees how it is becoming deformed, he decides to carry on the mission. Alexis Smith is the saloon singer he falls in love with, she is quite a presence. McNally pretends he is an outlaw and is sent to prison where he becomes friendly with one of the key members of the gang. There are constant scenes of action, and never a dull moment. This is a really good one.

It was amusing to discover that the Director of this pleasant little diversion directed it apparently between two Joe Palooka movies. Now they are tough films to watch. However, although this story line is a bit weak,the film does have a couple of things going for it. Alexis Smith is an attractive heroine. Her character has a life changing decision to make and it works well. The film also attempts to flesh out the role of the Railroad in small communities in the west. The Railroad Club comes off as another saloon but the very fact that its a club is an interesting historical footnote. Much of the exterior scenery is beautifully presented, although the hideout left something to be desired. A good wet Sunday amusement.