SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Lollivan
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Wuchak
RELEASED IN 1957 and directed by James Neilson, "Night Passage" stars Jimmy Stewart as a fired railroad man rehired and trusted to secretly carry a $10,000 payroll, even though he is suspected of being connected to outlaws (whose leader is played by Dan Duryea). One of the outlaws happens to be his younger brother, the Utica Kid (Audie Murphy). Dianne Foster and Elaine Stewart are on hand in the feminine department.People say "Night Passage" is akin to Anthony Mann's 50's Westerns, but that's a bunch of hooey. True, Mann was originally slated to direct it, but he declined because he felt the script was lousy, arguing that nobody would understand it. He also thought it would be a stretch to have the 5'5"Audie Murphy play the brother of 6'3" James Stewart. While the height of the two actors is inconsequential (many families have a 'runt' in the litter, so what?), Mann was deadly accurate about the story, which is too talky and absurdly over-plotted. The story's so unnecessarily complicated that it doesn't work up any steam until the last 12 minutes, although there are a few quality moments here and there.Mann's "Bend of the River" (1952), "The Far Country" (1954), "The Man from Laramie" (1955) and the outstanding "The Last Frontier "(1955) are all infinitely superior to "Night Passage." Yet it's not just an issue of a convoluted screenplay, although that's the main problem, "Night Passage" is also marred by old-fashioned hokeyness that those Mann flicks generally elude. The opening dance sequence and Stewart's occasional warbling with the accordion are two examples, although I could live with both if the story were compelling. Still, there's enough good here to maybe make it worth watching for those who don't mind 50's Westerns, such as the mind-blowing Elaine Stewart, the magnificent train, the scenic locations and the action sequences, like the climax. THE MOVIE RUNS 90 minutes and was shot in Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Colorado, and Buttermilk Country, Inyo National Forest, California. WRITERS: Borden Chase wrote the script based on the story by Norman A. Fox. ADDITIONAL CAST: Jay C. Flippen plays the railroad mogul and Brandon De Wilde (the kid from "Shane") an adolescent friend of the protagonists. GRADE: C-
jazerbini
Night Passage is a great western. I think that was actually performed by Mann. It is perhaps the best example of molded form of filmmaking that was the great director Mann. James Nielsen, I doubt not only lent his name to the producers feuding with Mann and had James Stewart as the big star of westerns, so very hard to decide about the movie. The photography is gorgeous. A very good story, making the female characters of the plot have a very special moment in cinema, with two roles extremely well designed and which actresses are perfect in their performances. Brandon De Wilde here can repeat his performance in Shane, another brilliant George Stevens western. The actors are splendid, except that it takes Audie Murphy was not considered suitable actor for the role of Utica Kidd. Dan Duryea who had shone in Winchester 73, shows this film because it was one of the most requested supporting westerns. Particularly consider that Nigh Passage is really a film directed by Mann. Magnificent.
MBunge
Night Passage is a traditional American Western that's only unusual in treating accordion music as though it were just as powerful as a gun.Grant McLaine (James Stewart) is a traveling accordion player. He's pretty good, but he doesn't make nearly as much money as he once did working as a trouble shooter for the railroads. 5 years after a mysterious betrayal, railroad boss Ben Kimball (Jay C. Flippen) calls McLaine back into service. He needs Mclaine to take a payroll to a rail camp at the end of the line. Whitey Harbin (Dan Duryea) and his gang have stolen the last three payrolls and the workers are ready to walk off the job if they don't get their money. McLaine takes the job and he and a boy named Joey (Brandon deWilde) that McLaine saved from a violent beating on the trail set off with the payroll hidden in McLaine's clothes.Here's where the story gets a bit complicated. A team of armed guards is secretly aboard the train, ready to ambush Whitey's gang if they attack. Ben Kimball and his wife Verna (Elaine Stewart) also join the train, Elaine having once been in love with McLaine but having abandoned him when things went bad 5 years ago. The gang attacks the train successfully, thanks to some inside information, but can't find the money. So instead, Whitey decides to hold Verna for ransom. Things aren't so swell for Whitey, however. A member of his gang called the Utica Kid (Audie Murphy) is always needling him and looking to take over. The Kid is cool and controlled while Whitey is wild and erratic. Whitey is, in fact, a terrible leader but he's so fast with his gun no one will challenge him. The Kid is in love with Charlie (Dianne Foster), a waitress who knows both the Kid and McLaine and has known them since 5 years ago when McLaine was ordered to track down the kid but instead helped him escape. The connection between McLaine and the Kid becomes the key to everything when McLaine somehow walks in on the gang's secret hideout, determined to leave with Verna, Joey and the railroad's money.This film certainly gets points for handling such an involved plot very well. There are a series of intertwined relationships at work in Night Passage and the story gives each one a chance to breathe on screen. Even though it's just a bit more than 90 minutes long, it allows the actors to have some meaningful interaction with each other. The movie starts out focusing on Grant McLaine, shifts to The Utica Kid for the middle of the story and then brings those two main characters together for the conclusion.But as I mentioned earlier, other than an emphasis on accordion music, there's really noting noteworthy or exceptional about Night Passage. Stewart is excellent, there's some traditional Western action and excitement and a moral to the story about the choice between good and evil. The morality of Night Passage is of a fairly corny and simplistic variety, however, and the main plot point of the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If the railroad payroll is small enough to hide in a person's clothes, why put McLaine on the train in the first place? Why not have him just ride his horse to the rail camp, making himself a much tougher target for the gang? Why in the world does Kimball bring his wife along, when he expects there to be a big gun battle between his guards and Whitey's gang? How does McLaine know how to find the gang's hideout? Those problems, though, are fairly minor for this sort of good-natured adventure story. If you like traditional Westerns, you'll find Night Passage to be quite fun. If you prefer postmodern Westerns or aren't a fan of the genre at all, there's nothing out of the ordinary in the film to make it worth your while.
jcohen1
If you caught Western fever as I did in good measure due to Jimmy Stewart's Winchester 73 (1950), Bend of the River, Naked Spur (1953) , The Far Country (1954) and Man from Laramie (1955) then the last of the wild bunch , Night Passage (1957) is a weak swan song. Dan Duryea lampoons his Winchester 73 role and Audie Murphy doesn't really fit here as the bad brother. Would have been more interesting to make Duryea the older brother. None of the supporting players really add much punch (no Walter Brennan) and there is no truly compelling villain. Couldn't John McIntire try Jimmy for not havin his train ticket? Stewart manages to get hurt bad (a trademark ) but he recovers quickly. Bottom line I'll probably watch it again as I bought the DVD, but unless you like accordion players, take the next train. That's the train that has a wreck with Stewart wearing clown makeup.
