User Reviews

It is obvious to see here that Barbara Stanwyck was more comfortable riding a horse and wearing pants then Edith Head costumes. She loved the west and the freedom it gave here, surrounded by nature and as an actress, she thrived in those roles when other types of parts began to dry up. Before she went on to star as the .atriarch on "The Big Valley", she appeared in four different episodes of "Wagon Train", and for the first episode, she really gets to chew some delicious scenery.

When first seen, Stanwyck is dealing with a husband she doesn't love (Russ Conway), and all of a sudden finds her commanding the Wagon Train when all of the men are killed in an Indian raid. She knows where gold is hidden, and strives to get there, vowing that when they arrived in San Francisco, she will not be poor. but the other women in the train have different ideas and when Indian Scout Robert Horton comes along, they agree to join a nearby Wagon Train led by a man. Stanwyck, at odds with Horton from the moment they meet, vows she doesn't need a man to help her fulfill her goals, but in vulnerable moments finds herself in his arms. he likes her stubbornness and toughness because it serves a challenge, and perhaps that challenge is misogynistic, but they too have a chemistry in spite of all that.

Stanwyck, when she is tough, is terrific, a commanding actress who could play commanding or demanding characters and still make you respect her, the actress, if not the character. Nora Marlowe is also very good as the older woman who stays on the wagon train with her, basically pointing things out to Stanwyck that she does not want to hear. unfortunately, things turn in the last five minutes that makes it a disappointing conclusion. The Indian battle scene here shows the women being just as tough and brave as the men which gives credit to a series made before that was fashionable.

This fifth season episode finds Barbara Stanwyck making the first of her four appearances on Wagon Train. She played a few different characters on the show, and this one is a real doozie. Maud Frazer is a ruthless ambitious woman, and she is cut from the same cloth as Phyllis Dietrichson.

Maud and her husband Isaac (Russ Conway) are leading their own train west. In an early scene they meet up with the train led by Chris Hale (John McIntire) and Flint McCullough (Robert Horton). Chris sends Flint over to encourage the Frazers to take another trail that will be safer. But Maud intends to stay on this trail, because it can lead them to a stretch of country where she tells Isaac there's plenty of gold for the taking. She has gold fever, and nothing is going to stop her.

Despite her husband's protestations, they remain on the trail but things quickly take a turn for the worse. There's an exciting action sequence when the Sioux and some Shoshone attack them. The ambush is catastrophic and leads to Isaac's death as well as the deaths of all the other men in their group. This forces Maud to take over and commandeer the women and children. Stanwyck is powerful during these scenes, and for the next twenty minutes the narrative focuses entirely on her.

Maud's best friend is a widow named Bessie (Nora Marlowe) who tries to reason with her, especially when it's clear the other gals have grown tired and dispirited. But Maud insists they continue forward; she's been to California before and knows what's best. But that night when they make camp, she tells them she has no intention of finishing the journey to San Francisco unless they get the gold she's heard about. She gives them a speech about how they can enjoy a life of luxury instead of a life of poverty. Though some have begun to doubt Maud's leadership abilities, they agree that getting to the coast and ending up as scrubwomen would not be ideal. So Maud seems to be turning them to her way of thinking.

Then they meet up with Flint and Chris again, and most of the women decide they'd rather join the other train and have the protection of the men. Maud, however, is still determined to get that gold. She has been outvoted, but she won't give up. She realizes she is going to need help, so she uses her feminine charms to entice Flint into helping her. There's a sexy scene where Horton passionately kisses Stanwyck; and we see Maud working her wiles on him the same way Phyllis Dietrichson worked hers on poor Walter Neff in DOUBLE INDEMNITY.

What I like most about this episode is Stanwyck's authoritative attitude. She's totally in her element in this genre. I can't think of any other classic Hollywood star who's so at ease in westerns. She still looks great at this stage of her career; and since Stanywck's an expert horsewoman in real life, she impressively utilizes her riding skills in the outdoor scenes.

Also they've given her some fun lines of dialogue about how she plans to hunt and fish and do whatever men do to provide and put food on the table for her people. And though she gets flirtatious with Flint, we can be sure that he comes in third on her list of priorities. Gold is number two, and number one is Maud Frazer herself. Unless, of course, she experiences a change of heart.