Out of all the stars who came out of 1940s Hollywood, I find I'm most interested in the films which starred Dana Andrews. Not a multi-faceted actor, but most assuredly a reliable one, Andrews is seldom ever mediocre in his vehicles--and of course it didn't hurt that he usually worked with great directors, such as Jacques Tourneur here. This minor-league but acceptable western, taken from a story by Ernest Haycox, has a wrangler and a feisty female trekking across Oregon in 1856, encountering woodsy folks along the way, as well as Indians and the woman's crooked intended. Not especially memorable, but still an entertaining second-feature spectacle with fine color photography and solid work from Andrews and Susan Hayward. Tourneur's direction gives the proceedings a light, airy touch, and the supporting cast (including Brian Donlevy, Ward Bond and Lloyd Bridges) is first-rate. **1/2 from ****
Review of Canyon Passage
