Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

a.lampert A cracking start to this 1956 western which unfortunately tends to slow up towards the end. I loved watching Dale Robertson as Jim Hardie in Well Fargo on TV with his quick draw left handed gun belt, when I was a kid. I notice one reviewer here says 'No Major Stars' which made me smile a bit, as I imagine the author is from a more recent generation of film and TV fans. Linda Darnell was certainly a major star in the 1940's in films like My Darling Clementine and both Dale Robertson and Ward Bond were major TV western stars in the 1950's/60's in Wells Fargo as mentioned and Wagon Train, in fact their stars grew after this film Dakota Incident was made in 1956. Sadly Linda Darnell died in a house fire in 1965 at the young age of 41. As I said earlier, the film opens with a terrific scene involving three outlaws who fall out which climaxes in a street gunfight, obviously with that famous left handed gun being the winner. All this in the first half hour, after which the story involves a coach being pulled into town with all the occupants dead due to an Indian attack. Several residents want a ride on the coach to Laramie and insist on going so our hero, Robertson takes on the task. There follows more Indian attacks and double crossing until just a handful of characters are left alive, and regrettably the picture ends with a rather predictable toned down ending which is rather disappointing for a film that started out so promising. If only the second half had lived up to the first I would have recommended it more highly.

Spikeopath An assorted group of people are waiting in Christian Flats for the stage to take them to Laramie. Once the empty stage arrives it's evident that it has been the victim of a Cheyenne attack, but out of need and bravery, the hardy souls decide to risk the journey regardless...Very much a minor Western in the grand scheme of the 1950s offerings, Dakota Incident makes up for what it lacks in quality, by being an oddly structured film of intrigue. The actual "incident" of the film isn't until about the half way point, because prior to the inevitable Cheyenne attack, there is no shortage of character forming. In fact this might be the longest prologue in Western history! Basically crooked John Banner (Dale Robertson) is shot and apparently left for dead out in the hills by his two so called allies. Getting to the town he proceeds to annoy everyone with his oafishness and of course catch up with the two who wronged him. In amongst all this we are also following the interests of the few who will eventually make up the stage passengers. With sultry Amy Clarke (Linda Darnell), John Carter (John Lund), Regis Toomey's Minstrel and Senator Blakely (Ward Bond) being the main principals. All of whom have back stories as to why they are making this decidedly perilous trip.It's very good stuff for its first half, in fact I tip my hat off to the makers for really giving the characters some substance. Yes we may not like them really, but at least our attention is held and as they board the stage, we are intrigued as to how things will pan out for them. The second half tho is a mixed bag, the action sequences are poorly put together but are off set a touch by the nice locale work at Red Rock Canyon State Park. While using the "Trucolor" technique really adds a vivid look to the action. None more so than the sight of the vivacious and curvy Darnell, resplendent in bright red dress, firing away at the Cheyenne with her newly acquired rifle. Dale Robertson and John Lund are average at best, but again it's not hurting the film too much because Darnell, Bond and Toomey are holding their ends up. The ending is perhaps a bit twee for some tastes, but it does work and closes the picture on a competent note.Republic Pictures have done far better films than this, and this one is a tough picture to recommend to even the hardiest of Western fans. But it's got a beguiling factor, and an oddity that means it's definitely one to at least try to see if the chance should arise.A cautious 6/10 from me.

bkoganbing 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.

Clarence Abernathy A widely unknown strange little western with mindblowing colours (probably the same material as it was used in "Johnny Guitar", I guess "Trucolor" or something, which makes blood drips look like shining rubies), nearly surrealistic scenes with twisted action and characters. Something different, far from being a masterpiece, but there should be paid more attention to this little gem in western encyclopedias.