By Richard Harland Smith
Slaughter Trail
Brief Synopsis
An Indian hating bandit's reign of terror could lead to a range war.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Irving Allen
Director
Brian Donlevy
Capt. Dempster
Gig Young
Vaughn
Virginia Grey
Lorabelle Larkin
Andy Devine
Sgt. McIntosh
Robert Hutton
Lt. Morgan
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Oct
1951
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: 11 Oct 1951
Production Company
Justal Productions, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
Simi Valley--Ray Corrigan Ranch, California, United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Color (Cinecolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6,895ft
(9 reels)
Synopsis
In 1882, a San Francisco-bound stagecoach, carrying mail down the "Slaughter Trail" through New Mexico, is held up by three masked bandits, who kill the guard. Vaughn, the bandits' leader, takes jewels from a package in the mail sack and hands them to his accomplice, Lorabelle Larkin, who has been posing as a passenger. During their escape, Vaughn and cohorts Heath and Levering steal fresh horses from some Navajo Indians, whom they kill, save for one, who escapes, wounded. When the stage arrives at Fort Marcy, Captain Dempster, the commanding officer, informs Lorabelle that he is delaying the stage's onward journey until the guard can be replaced. Dempster, suspecting that the Vaughn gang may be responsible for the holdup, assigns Lt. Morgan to bring them in. Lorabelle persuades Dempster to allow the stage to proceed by telling him that her grandmother is dying in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the wounded Navajo reports the attack to Chief Paako, who declares war and attacks the stagecoach. However, Morgan and his troops come to the rescue and all return to the fort. Dempster is surprised by the Indians' attack as he and Paako have been friends for a long time. In an attempt to get away from the fort, Lorabelle strikes up a friendship with Dempster's young daughter Nancy. Morgan and Dempster ride out to meet Paako, who tells them that white men have killed his brothers and that because their treaty has been broken, he will seek revenge. Anxious to maintain peace, Dempster promises Paako that he will catch the culprits, and Paako gives him two days to do so. In the meantime, Vaughn, posing as a cattleman, returns to the fort to rescue Lorabelle. Dempster informs Vaughn that all civilians are confined to the fort due to the uprising. After Vaughn tells Lorabelle that they will sneak away at night, Lorabelle apologizes to Dempster for her behavior, and he thanks her for being kind to his daughter, whose mother was killed during the last Navajo war. Dempster tells Lorabelle that he can only appease Paako by handing over the three outlaws, but that he could not do that even if they were proven guilty by a federal court. At the regular Saturday night social, a traveling companion of Lorabelle recognizes Vaughn's laugh from the stagecoach robbery and informs Dempster. As Lorabelle participates in a vigorous square dance, the small bag of jewels fall out of her dress. Vaughn takes it and, at gunpoint, makes Nancy his hostage and orders the fort gates to be opened. Lorabelle, however, refuses to go with him. Vaughn escapes, dropping Nancy off outside the fort, and meets up with Heath and Levering. However, they are seen by the Indian they wounded, and Paako attacks, forcing them to return to the fort, where they are then arrested. Paako comes to the fort under a flag of truce and demands that Dempster hand over Vaughn and his men within a few minutes. Dempster sends an Indian scout to another fort for reinforcements, but the scout is killed by the Navajo. Dempster then has three volunteer soldiers, along with the Vaughn gang, go outside the fort to create a perimeter of defense. When the Navajo attack, Lorabelle helps defend the children inside the fort. The Navajo kill Vaughn and his men and call off the attack. Lorabelle walks back into her cell and refuses to come out. When Dempster visits her, he finds Nancy there, and she asks her father not to send Lorabelle away. Dempster tells Lorabelle that she is free to go, and although a romance has started to blossom between them, she leaves. She is hopeful, however, that she may meet Dempster and Nancy again some day.
Director
Irving Allen
Director
Cast
Brian Donlevy
Capt. Dempster
Gig Young
Vaughn
Virginia Grey
Lorabelle Larkin
Andy Devine
Sgt. McIntosh
Robert Hutton
Lt. Morgan
Terry Gilkyson
Singalong
Lew Bedell
Hardsaddle
Myron Healey
Heath
Ken Koutnik
Levering
Eddie Parks
Rufus Black, drummer
Ralph Peters
Matt McGroot, stagecoach driver
Ric Roman
Chief Paako
Lois Hall
Susan Wilson
Robin Fletcher
Nancy Dempster
Ralph Volkie
Sentry
Fenton Jones
Dance caller
Emmett Lynn
Old timer
Frank Mcgrath
Jamora, Indian scout
Jody Gilbert
Fat lady
Chuck Hayward
Wounded Indian
Don Frost
Corporal
Miles Shepard
Orderly
Sherry Atkins
Child
Joanne Franklin
Child
Gene François
Child
Eric Neilson
Child
Richie Kuller
Child
Sid Brokaw
Musician
Rudolph Friml Jr.
Musician
William Wright
Musician
Earl Colbert
Musician
Eugene Englund
Musician
Jimmy Ames
Poker player
Earl Hodgins
Poker player
Dorinda Clifton
Crew
Fred Allen
Film Editor
Irving Allen
Producer
Howard Anderson
Special Effects
Jack Berne
Assistant Director
Darrell Calker
Music Director
Rose Carter
Welfare worker
Oliver Crawford
Contract Writer
Jimmy Dase
Stand-in
June Davies
Stand-in
Terry Gilkyson
Composer
Joe Gluck
Film Editor
Jack Greenhalgh
Director of Photography
Wilton R. Holm
Color Consultant
Harold Knox
Production Manager
Sid Kuller
Screenwriter
Sid Kuller
Composer
George Loper
Assistant Director on retakes
Cliff Lyons
Stunts
Lynn Murray
Composer
David Newell
Makeup Artist
Val Raset
Dance Director
Cy Roth
Assistant Director
Clifford D. Shank
Color Consultant
Neal Stuart
Composer
George Van Marter
Art Director
Fred Vleck
Stand-in
Ben Winkler
Sound
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Oct
1951
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: 11 Oct 1951
Production Company
Justal Productions, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
Simi Valley--Ray Corrigan Ranch, California, United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Color (Cinecolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6,895ft
(9 reels)
Articles
Slaughter Trail
Infamous in the annals of Hollywood history for having balked at the notion of adapting Ian Fleming's James Bond novels for the big screen and sending partner Albert R. Broccoli into business with Harry Saltzman, Lewis Allen directed only a handful of films during his long career (which included developing the Matt Helm spy films starring Dean Martin.) Accustomed to having Poverty Row studios distribute his independent productions, Allen was poised to offer his Cinecolor western Slaughter Trail (1951) to the J. Arthur Rank-owned Eagle Lion until RKO Radio Pictures made the better offer. Studio head Howard Hughes agreed to release the picture on one condition: star Howard Da Silva had to go. Da Silva's leftist politics had landed him on an industry blacklist, which made him persona non grata at the patriotic RKO. With Da Silva's scenes already in the can, director Allen was obliged to reshoot with Brian Donleavy subbing in the role of an Old West Calvary captain who must bring to justice the white killers of Indian braves before the Navajo nation goes on the warpath. Slaughter Trail's use of ballads to reflect plot developments predates High Noon (1952); folksinger Terry Gilkyson later enjoyed a long association with Walt Disney and earning an Oscar nomination for writing "The Bare Necessities" for the 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book.
By Richard Harland Smith
By Richard Harland Smith
Slaughter Trail
Infamous in the annals of Hollywood history for having balked at the notion of adapting Ian Fleming's James Bond novels for the big screen and sending partner Albert R. Broccoli into business with Harry Saltzman, Lewis Allen directed only a handful of films during his long career (which included developing the Matt Helm spy films starring Dean Martin.) Accustomed to having Poverty Row studios distribute his independent productions, Allen was poised to offer his Cinecolor western Slaughter Trail (1951) to the J. Arthur Rank-owned Eagle Lion until RKO Radio Pictures made the better offer. Studio head Howard Hughes agreed to release the picture on one condition: star Howard Da Silva had to go. Da Silva's leftist politics had landed him on an industry blacklist, which made him persona non grata at the patriotic RKO. With Da Silva's scenes already in the can, director Allen was obliged to reshoot with Brian Donleavy subbing in the role of an Old West Calvary captain who must bring to justice the white killers of Indian braves before the Navajo nation goes on the warpath. Slaughter Trail's use of ballads to reflect plot developments predates High Noon (1952); folksinger Terry Gilkyson later enjoyed a long association with Walt Disney and earning an Oscar nomination for writing "The Bare Necessities" for the 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book.
By Richard Harland Smith
Quotes
You know, I can look into your eyes and see you have led a gay, romantic life. If I'm not too personal, what do you do for a living?- Woman Dancer
I sell coffins!- Rufus Black
Trivia
Notes
According to an undated credit sheet submitted to the PCA, contained in the file on the film in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, this independent production was to be "An Eagle-Lion Classics Release," presented by Joseph Justman. The PCA file also indicates that a completed version of the picture, starring Howard Da Silva as "Capt. Dempster," was submitted to the PCA in April 1951. When the film was acquired for release by RKO early in May 1951, the studio, then run by Howard Hughes, announced that, due to Da Silva having testified as an unfriendly witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, his scenes would be reshot with Brian Donlevy in his role.
Some scenes were filmed on location at the Ray Corrigan Ranch in Simi Valley, CA. Although Fred Allen is credited onscreen as editor, Hollywood Reporter production charts list Joe Gluck as editor. According to the Daily Variety review, footage from Irving Allen's earlier film New Mexico was reused in Slaughter Trail. Much of the film is accompanied by songs from folk singer Terry Gilkyson and a male chorus. One song, heard only briefly in the film, "The Girl in the Wood," became a hit recording for Frankie Laine.
