The best thing about this undistinguished oater are the stunts. The acrobatics center on riveting stagecoach climbs, plus expert saddle mounts that require perfect timing. Otherwise the flick's pretty loose in both storyline and focus as our heroes try to figure out what's behind a string of mysterious stage robberies.
Trouble is the mystery doesn't generate enough suspense or showdown tension that would otherwise cut through the meandering storyline and crowded cast. Steele gets the main action parts while Gibson and Maynard function mainly as secondary backup and sometime participants.
I've always thought Steele was underrated maybe because of his slight stature compared to the John Waynes of his day. Nonetheless, he could generate the kind of feisty intensity and hard-eyed stare of a Jimmy Cagney or Edward G. Robinson that goes beyond physical stature. Here he shows off the action side but minus the dramatic hard-eyed stare.
And oh my, for us guys there's only one female in the whole flick, a real looker (Linda Brent) and she only gets about a minute's screentime. Anyhow, in my little book the oater's a disappointment considering the talent involved. But happily the Trail Blazers will ride better trails ahead.
Trouble is the mystery doesn't generate enough suspense or showdown tension that would otherwise cut through the meandering storyline and crowded cast. Steele gets the main action parts while Gibson and Maynard function mainly as secondary backup and sometime participants.
I've always thought Steele was underrated maybe because of his slight stature compared to the John Waynes of his day. Nonetheless, he could generate the kind of feisty intensity and hard-eyed stare of a Jimmy Cagney or Edward G. Robinson that goes beyond physical stature. Here he shows off the action side but minus the dramatic hard-eyed stare.
And oh my, for us guys there's only one female in the whole flick, a real looker (Linda Brent) and she only gets about a minute's screentime. Anyhow, in my little book the oater's a disappointment considering the talent involved. But happily the Trail Blazers will ride better trails ahead.