Stage to Tucson
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Ralph Murphy
Rod Cameron
Wayne Morris
Kay Buckley
Sally Eilers
Carl Benton Reid
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Just before the outbreak of Civil War, John Butterfield, owner of the Butterfield Stage Line, pleads for assistance from President-elect Abraham Lincoln to fight the increasing number of stage thefts on his St. Louis to San Francisco run, but Lincoln encourages Butterfield to defend himself alone. A few days later on the Texas trail, El Paso's sheriff Winters detains Grif Holbrook, Butterfield's former partner, and escorts him to Butterfield, who arranged the arrest to stop Grif from resigning. Butterfield pleads for Grif to stay on and help him discover who is behind the stage raids, but Grif refuses until Butterfield makes him head of the Tucson branch. When Grif arrives at the line's Apache Pass branch in Arizona, acting manager Kate Crocker describes the latest stage theft, in which the robbers appeared in a black, apparently driverless stage. Kate reacts angrily at being replaced by Winters until Grif offers her work at his branch. On the Tucson trail, the black stage ambushes Grif and Kate, but Kate is allowed to continue unharmed. Taken inside the black stage, Grif recognizes Sam Granger, the driver, a former Butterfield employee, who explains the thefts are to support the Southern cause. Grif soon breaks out of the black stage and makes his way to Tucson. The black stage then reports to boss Jim Maroon, who berates his men for allowing Grif's escape. Meanwhile, at the Tucson Butterfield office, supervisor Barney Broderick, long an admirer of Kate, reacts with dismay over her concern for Grif, who turns up unharmed. While checking into the local hotel, Grif reunites with old flame Annie Benson, the proprietor, then in the saloon, tries to get information from an associate of Maroon about the black stage. When Grif follows the man later, another of Maroon's henchmen kills the man and attacks Grif, who escapes. The next day, Kate confesses her concern for Grif's safety and, despite Barney's resentment, accepts Grif's proposal. Barney goes to Annie's and drinks heavily while Maroon questions him about the Butterfield line. The next day, the black stage hijacks another stagecoach, and when Grif and Barney investigate, they are attacked. After they escape, the men quarrel over Grif's engagement, and upon returning to Tucson, Kate chides Grif for fighting Barney. That night after hearing reports that a Mexican stage had been hijacked less than two hours earlier, Grif hastily summons all the townsfolk to the square to note which men are absent. They include Maroon, his half-breed henchman, Gus Heyden, and perennial drunk, Doc Noah Benteen. Just then, a Union soldier arrives with Lincoln's call for volunteers, sending a surge of excitement through the town. When Barney notices Gus ride away, he follows him to Maroon's ranch and overhears Maroon plan one final stage heist before war is officially declared. Upon discovery, Barney convinces Maroon he has quit working for Butterfield and wishes to join him. Maroon agrees, but when Gus protests, Maroon strikes him and is attacked by Gus's imposing white dog, Billy. Maroon shoots Billy, and Barney uses the distraction to tuck the flower he always wears into Doc's hatband. Seeing Kate fret over Barney's lengthening absence, Grif realizes she is in love with him. Doc arrives in the bar and Annie, noticing the flower, pressures him to reveal Barney's whereabouts. Doc admits Maroon's involvement with the thefts, but insists it is for the "cause" and refuses to believe that Maroon is corrupt. When Annie reveals she is Maroon's wife and knows his long history of illegal activities, Doc discloses Barney's location. Grif rounds up a posse and heads to Maroon's ranch, while Maroon plans to take the last two stolen coaches to Mexico. Barney is assigned to one of the stages, and while driving, hurls the accompanying guard off and tries to make an escape. Gus and Maroon chase him as Grif's posse closes in. Barney unhitches his team and crashes his stage, forcing Gus and Maroon to crash as well. As revenge for killing Billy, Gus kills Maroon just before the posse arrives. Later, in Tucson, Annie and Kate look on as Barney joins the Union Army only to discover that Grif has already been made his commanding officer.
Director
Ralph Murphy
Cast
Rod Cameron
Wayne Morris
Kay Buckley
Sally Eilers
Carl Benton Reid
Roy Roberts
Harry Bellaver
Douglas Fowley
John Pickard
Olin Howlin
Charles Evans
Boyd Stockman
John Sheehan
Reed Howes
James Kirkwood
Stanley Andrews
Guy Wilkerson
Paul E. Burns
Arthur Carrillo
John Mckee
Joe Dominguez
Rodolfo Hoyos
James Griffith
Edward Clark
Frank Moran
John Cason
Davidson Clark
Barry Brooks
Frank Hagney
Hank Mann
George Plues
Dolly Tapp
Francis Mcdonald
John Beck
Joseph Murphy
Nolan Leary
Ruth Warren
Crew
George Brooks
Harry Joe Brown
Frank Burt
Yakima Canutt
George Cooper
Francis Cugat
Charles Lawton Jr.
Robert Libott
Charles Nelson
Willard Reineck
Paul Sawtell
Morris Stoloff
Frank [a.] Tuttle
Bob Williams
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Lost Stage Valley. According to copyright records, portions of the film were shot on location in Lone Pine, CA.
