Wagon Train
Brief Synopsis
Settlers and traders en route to the West fight off Indian attacks.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Edward Killy
Director
Tim Holt
Zack Sibley
Ray Whitley
Ned
Emmett Lynn
Whopper
Martha O'driscoll
Helen Lee
Malcolm Mctaggart
Coe Gardner
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Oct
4,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
59m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Synopsis
In the mid-1800's, wagon trains functioned as a supply line, carrying provisions to the people of the frontier. One of these freight lines is operated by Zack Sibley, who took over the operation after his father was murdered by his partner, Carl Anderson. As Zack leads his wagons across the plains, Matt Gardner schemes to take over the freight lines and drive up prices. In league with Gardner to eliminate Zack is Gardner's son Coe and O'Follard, Zack's wagon master. Along the trail, Zack meets Helen Lee, who is coming West to marry Coe, and falls in love with her. Consequently, when Zack learns that a Comanche attack is imminent, he rides to Helen's stagecoach and offers her safe passage. When Coe, who has ridden to meet his fiancée, sees Zack embrace Helen, he swears revenge and organizes an ambush of Zack and the wagons. Out of loyalty to Coe, Helen refuses to join Zack's wagons, and soon afterward, the Indians attack the stage, sparing only Helen and Gardner. Zack offers the survivors refuge in his wagons, and they continue along the trail to Pecos. Meanwhile, in Pecos, Gardner's trading post has been price gouging, prompting an angry customer to accidentally set fire to the post, destroying the provisions. In desperation, one of the townsmen rides to Zack to urge him to hurry with the supplies to save the people of Pecos from starvation. This knowledge prompts O'Follard, who has a wife and child in town, to warn Zack about Coe's ambush and reveal that Gardner is really Carl Anderson, his father's murderer. Zack orders Gardner to ride to Coe and call off the raid, but Coe mistakes his father for Zack and shoots him and attacks the train. Zack and his men fight off the attack, but Coe escapes and rides to town, where the angry citizenry takes him prisoner. With the threat of the Gardners eliminated, Zack and Helen decide to marry and open a new trading post.
Director
Edward Killy
Director
Cast
Tim Holt
Zack Sibley
Ray Whitley
Ned
Emmett Lynn
Whopper
Martha O'driscoll
Helen Lee
Malcolm Mctaggart
Coe Gardner
Cliff Clark
Matt Gardner, also known as Carl Anderson
Ellen Lowe
Amanthy
Wade Crosby
O'Follard
Ethan Laidlaw
Pat Hays
Monte Montague
Kurt
Carl Stockdale
Wilks
Bruce Dane
McKenzie
Glenn Strange
Driver
Harry Harvey
Thompson
Ed Brady
Sam Bates
Edward Dew
O'Connor
Jim Toney
Station agent
Lloyd Ingraham
Mayor
Bob Mckenzie
Editor
Bessie Wade
Martin Garralaga
Tom London
Bud Osborne
Crew
Clem Burgess
Dance Supervisor
Lucius Croxton
Art Director Associate
Bert Gilroy
Producer
Morton Grant
Screenwriter
John C. Grubb
Recording
Frederic Knudtson
Editing
Lee Marcus
Executive Producer
Harry Marker
Editing
Bernard Mcconville
Story
Van Nest Polglase
Art Director
Fred Rose
Composer
Paul Sawtell
Music Score
Ray Whitley
Composer
Harry Wild
Photography
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Oct
4,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
59m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Articles
Wagon Train
Settlers and traders en route to the West fight off Indian attacks.
Wagon Train
Settlers and traders en route to the West fight off Indian attacks.
Quotes
Trivia
Fargo Kid, The (1940) was shot simultaneously with this movie.
British confectionery company Burtons Foods insist the movie inspired the 1948 creation of their "Wagon Wheel" - a chocolate biscuit [cookie] still in production to this day.
Notes
This picture launched RKO's Tim Holt series. It was shot on location at Kanab, UT. Director Edward Killy, according to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, shot The Fargo Kid, another Holt western, simultaneously with this film. According to another item in Hollywood Reporter, Clem Burgess, Utah's champion square dance caller, supervised the dances in the picture.
