User Reviews

It would be easy to dismiss this low-budget, little-known film as just another western oater, but actually it has more to offer than one might expect. Robertson plays a bank robber who is shot down and left to die in the desert by his two cronies. He catches up to them in a run-down little town where several folks are waiting to board the stagecoach. Here he runs into Darnell, a famous dance hall performer and Bond, a preachy, pompous senator, among others. When the threat of Indians causes the stage line to halt passage, Robinson and Lund decide to drive it across the terrain with Bond, Darnell, Toomey (Darnell's musical cohort) and Bissell (a prospecting Easterner) as the passengers. The trip is eventful, to say the least, when the water supply runs low and the Cherokee attack from the hills. The film is like a mini "Stagecoach" with the disparate people who all seem to have mission or a connection. While it can't touch that legendary film, it still offers a lot in the way of solid acting, tart dialogue and visual appeal. Robinson (who looks and sounds a bit like Clark Gable at times) gives a decent enough performance in the lead role. Darnell (in a memorably eye-popping red dress) is beautiful and assured in one of her last roles. Lund's character is meant to be stoic, but he's downright wooden. The other actors all bring their particular brand of character skills to the picture. Even though the story is sometimes pat and trite, and the "Indians" are very unconvincing in their authenticity, there is some good tension and conflict within the film. There are also a couple of surprises along the way concerning the connections between the characters. Fans of Robertson might enjoy the bath he takes in a horse trough and Darnell admirers will have plenty to gaze upon as well. It's not a masterpiece, but it's an engaging way to spend an hour and half, especially for western fans.

This western gets of to a good start when two bank robbers connive to shoot the third in the back and take his share of the loot. Too bad for them they didn't check that he was dead because he will bump into them again in town. In many stories the conclusion would be when he faced down the two who tried to kill him; here that is just the beginning of his adventure. He is one of several people wanting to get to Laramie; it seems everybody wants to go there including a senator who is preaching the case for peace with the Indians, a woman called Amy Clarke who wants to catch up with the partner who robbed her and a travelling minstrel. The ticket seller tells them that the stage is full but when it finally arrives it is clear that there will be places available… those aboard are full of Cheyenne arrows! They don't get far before the coach loses a wheel and they have to take cover in a dry riverbed as the Cheyenne prepare to attack. When the attack comes not all of them will make it out alive.

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this less well known western, the opening scene got me interested and I was not bored from that moment till the end. I hadn't heard of any of the actors before but thought they all did a pretty good job, especially Dale Robertson who played the bank robber John Banner and Linda Darnell who played Amy Clarke; it isn't surprising that all the male characters took an interest in her; she was stunning in her scarlet dress. I feared that it would be an old fashioned 'white man good, Indian bad' film however by the end our anti-Indian hero had grown to respect them. The action was pretty tense and I was surprised at how much bright red blood we see; most of the westerns I've seen from this era show very little if any. If you enjoy westerns of this era I'd certainly recommend this one; it might not be a classic but it is still worth watching.

"El Paso" director Lewis R. Foster and "Charro" scenarist Frederick Louis Fox sought to defy formulaic western plotting without success in "Dakota Incident," a lukewarm 'survival of the fittest' horse opera about a group of white passengers stranded in the desert after their stagecoach breaks down and they find themselves at the mercy of hostile Cheyenne Indians. Despite some lively dialogue, this clash between whites and Indians generates only minor surprises. Long before its contrived ending, you'll know who will survive in this saddle sore sagebrusher. Most of the characters are sympathetic but far from charismatic. Dale Robertson is appropriately tough and leathery as John Banner. He is one of three bank robbers who eventually shoots it out with his treacherous, double-crossing partners, Rick Largo (John Doucette of "True Grit") and Frank Banner (Skip Homeier of "The Gunfighter"), after they turn on each other. Typically, the conventional western hero is an honest, law-abiding hombre. However, John Banner displays none of these qualities. He wears a black hat rather than a white hat. He treats the heroine with contempt. Ultimately, we learn that he has resorted to villainy after his best laid plans to pursue the straight and narrow path to prosperity go awry.

Mind you, Foster and Fox do everything possible to juggle all these predictable western tropes. For example, Ward Bond plays a Congressman who sympathizes with the plight of the Native Americans. He wants whites and reds co-exist in harmony. Sadly, nobody shares his noble sentiments. Indeed, even the bloodthirsty Cheyenne hate our heroes. This roving war party is minding their own business when they spot the stagecoach and attack it. Curiously, the Indians have no dialogue until the final standoff when the last brave speaks in English. Worst of all, one of the passengers has a bounty on his head. John Carter (John Lund of "Five Guns West") is accused of robbing the bank that the Banner gang held up. Now, Carter seeks to clear his name and turn John Banner over to the sheriff in Laramie. Somehow or another, when the robbery occurred, the authorities charged Carter with a crime that he didn't commit.

As this fracas unfolds, Largo and Banner double-cross Banner and bushwhack him. Predictably, these two outlaws fail to confirm that our left-handed, gun-toting hero is kaput. Apparently, John was knocked unconscious when his horse collapsed under him. Largo and Banner empty his saddle bags of the stolen loot and ride off to the town of Christian Flatts to revel in their ill-gotten gains. Eventually, Banner catches up with them after walking forty miles on foot, sporting his saddle on his shoulder. Predictably, he kills both Largo and Banner in separate showdowns. Why Foster and Fox gave one of the villains the same name as the hero adds to the confusion. After killing his two partners, Banner discovers one of the stagecoach passengers is the bank teller that he robbed. Not only is Carter on a quest to find Banner, but he also wants to clear himself with the bank that has put a bounty on him. Evidently, the authorities have mistaken and enlarged Carter's role in the robbery. Carter plans to take Banner to Laramie and turn him over to the sheriff. Not surprisingly, Banner has other ideas.

Banner's ideas change when he crosses paths with Amy Clarke (former Twentieth Century Fox beauty Linda Darnell) who wears a bright red dress and still packs quite a bosom. As everybody else here has mentioned in their reviews, Republic Studio's TruColor process accentuates the RED in everything, from Darnell's fetching outfit to a bloody pioneer left to rot in a pool of water. The problem with director Foster's handling of this run-of-the-mill oater is everything bogs down after the stagecoach crashes and overturns, prompting our heroes hole up in a dry wash to defend themselves against the Native Americans. The good guys and the Cheyenne eventually exhaust their supplies of ammunition, but "Dakota Incident" never runs out of clichés. Veteran western actor Ward Bond has several interesting moments as a politically correct politician who defends the Native Americans. Character actor Whit Bissel plays a woebegone tenderfoot who has deluded himself into believing he has struck it rich in the gold fields. After he dies from an arrow, the hero discovers all the tenderfoot had was fool's gold!

Before the dust settles in this tedious 88-minute tale, you'll feel like you've been trapped in the same claustrophobic gulch and menaced by marauding Cheyenne yourself. We learn little about these Native Americans because the filmmakers don't differentiate the individual braves. Incredibly, after fighting tooth and nail to the last man, our stalwart hero refuses to kill the last Indian. Incredibly, this Indian agrees to let bygones be bygones, too. Later, this brave furnishes the hero and heroine with horses so they can finish their ride to Laramie! Although initially a low-down, no-account skunk himself, Banner vows to turn himself in to the law and clear Carter's name in an act of redemption. The filmmakers spend the first half-hour assembling these characters before they embark on their ill-fated journey. Predictably, Amy Clarke and Banner cannot stand the sight of each other. When they meet, she stumbles and falls down, but he refuses to help her to her feet. Later, he informs her to her chagrin that he isn't a gentleman. Inevitably, these two nemeses kiss and make up. The majestic Red Rock Canyon State Park scenery in the background looks spectacular. Nevertheless, most of the time, our principals are confined to a blatantly obvious studio set. Altogether, "Dakota Incident" amounts to an accident!

"Dakota Incident" with a tip of the hat to "Stagecoach" (1939) is about a group of diverse people travelling across Indian territory to the town of Laramie, all for their own reasons.

Bank robbers John Banner (Dale Robertson), his brother Frank (Skip Homier) and Rick Largo (John Doucette) are on the lam from the law. Largo and Frank decide to double cross John. Largo bushwhacks John leaving him for dead. John is forced to walk 40 miles to town. There he confronts Frank and invites him to a showdown. John, sympathetic to his brother, lets him leave town when he beats him in a duel. Largo emerges and challenges John who guns him down.

The stagecoach arrives late riddled with Cheyenne arrows both in the coach and it's passengers. A group of six passengers insist on boarding the coach, despite the danger, to travel to Laramie. The travellers include John Banner, John Hamilton (John Lund) who has been falsely accused of the bank robbery committed by the Banner gang, Saloon entertainer Amy Clarke (Linda Darnell), a blustery long winded Senator Blakely (Ward Bond), Amy's accompanist "Minstrel" (Regis Toomey) and a meek and mils Mark Chester (Whit Bissell) who believes he is taking gold ore samples for assay.

As the coach crosses the prairie, it is being stalked by a Cheyenne war party. Along the way, they discover the body of Frank Banner with an arrow in his back.

The coach loses a wheel and crashes. The occupants climb out and hide in a gully nearby without any water. The Cheyenne begin to attack pinning the trapped group below. Chester is killed by an arrow and it is revealed that he was carrying fools gold rather than the real gold he thought he had.

Banner and Hamilton try to steal the Cheyenne horses but Hamilton is wounded and the horses escape. Senator Blakely believes in bringing white man and Indian together. He also has eyes for Amy to whom he professes his love. Minstrel becomes disorientated and thinks he sees water. He blindly leaves the gully to scoop up a mandolin of water only to be shot down by the Cheyenne.

Senator Blakely, answering the challenge by Amy to put his money where his mouth is, leaves the gully and cries out to the Indians for peace and understanding only to receive an arrow for his trouble. That leaves only Banner, Hamilton and Amy. Then the Cheyenne chief (Charles Horvath) attacks and ........................................................................

A competent Republic western with a stellar cast. Darnell, looking as beautiful as ever, hardly smudges her makeup during the ordeal, Robertson is the standard no nonsense hero of the piece, Lund is sympathetic as the wounded Hamilton trying to find justice in a hopeless case. However it's Ward Bond and Regis Toomey who steal the acting honors this time around. Their two sojourns out of the gully are the best parts of the film. Homier and Doucette disappear far too early.

Robertson winds up with Darnell as his, you guessed it, hully gully baby.

Dakota Incident has to be one of the strangest westerns I've ever seen. Not good, but definitely strange.

A driver-less stagecoach rides into the town of Christian Flats with all passengers killed. It's scheduled to go on, but very few for obvious reasons want to risk the Cheyennes on the warpath out there. But Linda Darnell, Regis Toomey, John Lund, Whit Bissell, and Ward Bond each have their reasons for going on. And Dale Robertson who killed John Doucette in a gunfight after Doucette and Skip Homeier shot and left him for dead in the desert, is so anxious to go he's willing to drive the team.

Of course the Cheyennes attack the intrepid group of passengers if forced into a dry wash for cover. Who will live and who will die is the remainder of the film.

Dakota Incident came at the very end of Republic Pictures before Herbert J. Yates pulled the plug on his little studio. Westerns were their specialty, but normally of the kind Roy Rogers made. This would not have been a Rogers product.

In fact it's beyond belief. The characters aren't ground in any kind of reality. Whit Bissell is taking back ore samples from his claim, but Robertson discovers it's iron pyrites, fool's gold. Toomey is a guitar playing cynic who goes mad from thirst. Darnell is after a cheating manager of her's, but really doesn't know what to do when she finds him. Lund is looking to bring in Robertson who committed a crime he took the rap for, but has to bring him in alive. For that he'd require help, but doesn't have any.

But the worst is Ward Bond who's a United States Senator on his own peace mission to the Cheyennes. In real life Bond was a most right wing individual and I'm not sure this wasn't some kind of a caricature of what he would perceive as a liberal. He's really quite the fatuous fool, but I think that might have attracted him to the role.

I tried to get into Dakota Incident, but couldn't. And the ending was a bizarre fantasy to say the least.

Give it three stars for the cast involved.

The screenplay is another variation of the "stagecoach " theme : a group of persons in jeopardy ,some of whom are enemies.At least in its second part:the first one,particularly the very first ,are confusing and the movie really takes off when ,in spite of an ominous warning,the travelers set off for territories where the Indians are a living threat.

Sen Blakely is a politician we do not meet every day : his attempt at a truce with the Indians is the most moving moment in the movie -it recalls Uncle Matthews ' vain attempt to communicate (armed with a cross) with the Martians in " war of the worlds " (Byron Haskin, 1954)-;his sacrifice is not vain : John (Dale Robertson)does some soul-searching and makes a decision which is not so obvious:he will clear Hamilton/Carter's name whereas he could easily get away with it.Let's add that miss Darnell's sumptuous dress-in the middle of the desert!- helps .As for her French servant,Giselle,C'est Une Lâcheuse.

With a bank robber antihero, a traveling songstress and a pompous politician preaching about the hidden humanity of native Americans, this film has enough unique character development to make it an interesting setup. Basically, this has two segments, the preparation of a journey to Laramie and the actual journey which results in a group of people being surrounded by bloodthirsty Cheyenne's. Dale Robertson, Linda Darnell and Ward Bond play the characters I mentioned above, joined by John Lund, Skip Homier and Regis Toomey. There is an amusing series of scenes with Darnell and stagecoach ticket salesman Irving Bacon (best known as the frustrated postman in the "Blondie" series) over her three talking him into getting her a ticket on the full stagecoach by gifting him a brand new perfumed garter. Little does she realize the danger ahead, even though she is there when the wagon train pulls in filled with bodies already victims of the cheyennes awaiting them.

While Darnell is striking in her fiery red dress, it is Ward Bond here whom you will remember, his constant preaching about the humanity inside the natives that he wants to reveal to the white man. His intentions are good, but the script is already against the character, showing the Cheyenne's unfortunately as savages without guilt over slaughtering everyone aboard stagecoach parties. Darnell does add some spark, but the remainder of the cast (other than Bacon's cameo) isn't really memorable, a cliche of every type of character you seen in these type of westerns. However the color photography is catchy and the outdoor scenery is very pretty. I wouldn't call this a bad Western, but it certainly is no "Stagecoach".

Please don't confuse the B&W John Wayne western "Dakota" with this Trucolor film, starring Linda Darnell and Dale Robertson. Both were released by Republic studios and both included Ward Bond playing a major character. This one was mostly filmed in Red Rock Canyon, southern CA, which somewhat resembles the badlands of South Dakota.

Aside from the western action sequences, the main thing of interest is the romantic give and take between Dale Robertson(as Johnny) and Linda Darnell(as Amy), which provides some chuckles here and there. In accordance with standard formula, at first, Linda is put off by Dale's egoism and chauvinism, but gradually warms up to him, as she is impressed with his backing up his claims. His final act that broke her icy attitude, comes near the end, when Dale says he will keep his promise to the dying John Hamilton to clear his name from hosting the bank robbery at the bank where he was a teller. This robbery was actually carried out by Dale and his 2 deceased partners. Assuming he will keep this promise along with returning the money, this impresses Linda as to his honesty.

Several reviewers mention the opening segment, in which the team of 3 bank robbers are riding along, when one(Largo) suggests to another (Frank) that they kill Frank's brother(Dale), so that the money can be split 2 ways instead of 3. Amazingly, Frank agrees to this!(Frank definitely should not have been characterized as Dale's brother)!. They shoot at Dale several times, killing his horse, and apparently Dale, as well. But, the sloppy pair fail to check to make sure he's dead! After they leave, Dale gets up, apparently minimally hurt by a bullet or by the fall from his horse. He walks to town, carrying his saddle. Later, when he has a gun duel with Largo in town, he falls down, apparently dead. Largo staggers over to him and collapses. Dale then arises, apparently unhurt and says to his deceased opponent "I didn't think you would fall for that opossum trick twice". Dale also has a gun duel with brother Frank, winning again, but not killing Frank. He tells Frank to get out of town. Later, on a stage coach run, Frank is found dead, of a Cheyenne arrow.

A stage comes into town with arrows sticking out everywhere and most of the people dead. A number of people, including Linda are anxious to get on to Laramie, but nobody wants to be the driver, until Dale volunteers. Linda later asks him why he volunteered to drive. His answer suggests because she was on the stage and he didn't want to lose her. Dale, as well as the 5 passengers later regret they decided to take this stage, as they have 2 traumatic experiences. Firstly, a wheel comes off the stage, perhaps from Dale's inexperience at driving a stage. This causes the stage to crash and land on it's side. Miraculously, no one inside is even hurt, let alone killed. Dale, who is dragged a considerable distance by the fleeing horses likewise has nary a scratch! As this is in the middle of Cheyenne country, they are in a very bad situation. They decide to hold up in a trench-like gully, not knowing what to do next, being very short on water. Soon, Cheyenne start throwing arrows and lead at them. Then, the Cheyenne place a canteen where they have to crawl out of their trench to get it. Two of the 4 male passengers die trying to get this canteen or a mirage of water. Senator Blakely(Ward Bond), who has been giving pro-Indian speeches all along, dies when he climbs out of the trench to plead with the Cheyenne to buzz off. The 4th male passenger, John Hamilton, is shot trying to steal some Cheyenne ponies. However, he makes it back to the trench, with Dale's help. However, he will soon die. He extracts a promise from Dale, that he will clear Hamilton's name, as the accused in the robbery that Dale and partners committed, and will return the money. After Hamilton dies, Linda asks Dale why he should keep that promise. Who will know if he doesn't. Dale claims he will keep the promise, because he will know if he doesn't. Regardless, looks like their chance of surviving their current situation is virtually nil, unless they can somehow turn the Cheyenne from enemies into friends. I won't tell you the conclusion. See the movie to find out. It's available on You Tube now.

I enjoyed the movie. I liked Robertson's laconic self confidence and Oklahoma twang. I also liked Linda's more openly stated confidence and fancy colorful outfit. Ward Bond stood out periodically as the 'pretentious blowhard', to quote Linda, always talking up giving the Indians a chance to stick to a peace treaty, and dying in the effort.

The screenplay was marred by the occasional implausible event. I've discussed the wrecked stage event. Also, the little stream of water that finally flows into the gulch where the stage people are hiding, after most have died. There was no hint of rain nearby. The ending may seem implausible, as well, but possible.

A poster for this Republic western plays up the fact that the main characters are passionate, and I suppose to some extent they are. Not necessarily passion in the romantic sense, though there is some of that, but maybe it's a passion or outright desire to survive. All the people in this story are plunged into a very challenging situation in the middle of nowhere on their way to Laramie.

Frederick Louis Fox wrote the screenplay for this engaging horse opera, and it certainly is full of tension and exciting sequences. Fox was a noted writer in the western genre, though after this feature, he turned his talents to writing hit TV shows of the day, including The Rebel for which he penned seven scripts. Fox had an innate understanding of what drives men and women in the bleakest of circumstances. And yeah, things get bleak in DAKOTA INCIDENT.

The story begins in an out of the way town called Christian Flats, where we are introduced to a group of individuals with assorted issues. Most of them are trying to get to Laramie for one reason or another and have come into Christian Flats to get the next outbound stagecoach.

However, when the stage arrives, the driver has an arrow struck through him; and the passengers riding inside are dead, having just been killed outside town by warring natives.

Right from the start, we sense the danger. But we also sense how determined this group of people are to get out on the trail and make the journey to Wyoming no matter what sort of trouble might be in store with the natives.

One of the characters is a liberal senator played by Ward Bond who is most sympathetic to the natives' cause, providing explanations about why they behave as they do. He believes that the whites and the Indians will be able to reach a peaceful sort of coexisting, even if that is not in the immediate future.

Besides the senator, the trip includes an aging saloon gal (Linda Darnell). She is accompanied by a business manager (Regis Toomey). Also along for adventure is a handsome bank clerk (John Lund) as well as a prospector (Whit Bissell) with only a bag of pyrite to show for his labors. They all have different reasons for traveling on the stage, and as the story gains traction, we learn more about what motivates each one.

Republic put a lot of money into this feature, filming it in Trucolor and taking the cast and crew out on location. The exterior scenes were done in Red Rock Canyon State Park. The park is located in Cantil, California and is a popular tourist attraction today.

While the drama that unfolds is a bit preachy and moralistic in spots, something that may comfort many of today's conservative viewers, I think it's a good example of how people can overcome a rough set of circumstances with determination. The natives are not necessarily the villains, despite the skirmishes and killings that occur.

An additional plot involves the character played by Dale Robertson, who takes over driving the stage and falls for Darnell en route. It is revealed that Robertson's kid brother (Skip Homeier) had betrayed him after a bank robbery with another partner (John Doucette). Robertson spares his brother's life, though the brother is later killed by a tribe of Cheyenne.

This plot point is revisited later, when the stage breaks down in the middle of a dry gulch. Robertson leads the others to defend themselves against attack by the enclosing natives. However, he ends up sparing the life of an Indian who eventually brings a horse and water to him and Darnell, thus facilitating their escape from near death. I guess the moral is that anything good you do for others may come back to save you later on, when you most need saving.