OMIGOSH! What a mixed bag this film is! You have to wonder just what they were thinking about over there at Warner Brothers when they planned this particular project.
TO begin with, it is such a crossbreed of so many different kinds of movies. In essence it is part: Action Film, War Movie, Biopic, Historical Drama, Western and even Period Piece. As is usual, if a film tries too hard to be too many things, chances are that it will do none of them well. Director Michael Curtiz and Company seem up to the task of making a better film, but never got a chance due to the script.
AFTER a brief glimpse at the conditions in the Kansas Territory, with its lawless and brutal Guerilla Warfare between the Slavers and the Abolitionists, we are shown how one Cyrus Holliday (Henry O'Neill) plans to build a Railroad right through "Bleeding Kansas"; leading to the New Mexico. Hence we have the title, SANTA FE TRAIL. (Get it, Schultz?)
THE opening then shifts locals and takes us to the United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York. It is the Spring of 1854, Commencement Time. The new class of Cadets are about to be graduated and infused as new blood into the U.S. Army WE are introduced to some of the members of the Graduating Class, such as: J.E.B. Stuart (Errol Flynn), George Armstrong Custer ("Dutch", himself, Ronald Reagan), Phillip Sheridan (David Bruce), George Pickett (William Marshall), James Longstreet (Frank Wilcox) and John Hood (George Haywood); great Civil War Generals on both the Union and the Confederacy.
STOP! REALITY CHECK! I just cannot stand anymore!
ALL of these "future" Generals are depicted as having been in the same Class, yet we know that there were some widely varying life spans involved. For example, we have George Custer (12/5/1839-6/25/1876), J.E.B. Stuart (2/6/1833-5/25/1864), Phil Sheridan (3/6/1831-8/5/1888), James Longstreet (1/8/1821-1/2/1904), George Pickett (1/16 or 25 or 31/1825-7/30/1875 and John Hood (6/1/1831-8/30/1879). The screenplay and scenario ignore these differences in age and the disparity in the true ranking of the men portrayed in real life.
ADDED to the above bunch of Cadet characters is Bob Holliday (William Lundigan), son of Cyrus the Railroad Builder in Kansas and older brother of Kit Carson Holliday (Olivia de Havilland-Woo, woo,woo,woo!). The final character in the Cadets' Class and the first antagonist of the story is Carl Rader (Van Heflin). It is Cadet Rader who is the bad apple of the story; as he is an agent of the Abolitionist Party ; who is spreading propaganda in both the spoken and written word in the Military Academy.
RADER has a particular dislike for Jeb Stuart and he is always in Stuart's face and constantly makes his general anti-slavery remarks personal to Cadet Stuart. Rader once even referred to Jeb as a "Plutocrat", who has made a fortune on the backs of Black Slaves.* Rader and Stuart finally come to blows; as Stuart has tried tom ignore Rader's remarks; not wanting to jeopardize the graduation of any of himself or any other of his classmates. But finally, the situation just blew up.
AS a result of the brawl, Cadets Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Hood, Pickett and Holliday are called on the Carpet by the Commandant of West Point, Colonel Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) and, due to the circumstances, are spared expulsion; but are to be assigned to the "most dangerous" post on the Frontier, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory.
THE seven Cadets are elated at their assignment where they will surely see plenty of action and hence will have a head-start on their way to becoming generals.
WHAT fate has in store for Rader will not be so kind. For his previous incidents of preaching Abolitionist politics at the Military Academy and because a large cache of Abolitionist pamphlets are found in Rader's quarters; Rader faces immediate expulsion and dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army.
LATER all meet up again in Kansas with the Cadets now 2nd Lieutenants and Rader a hired consultant to the seditious Abolitionist Leader, John Brown (Raymond Massey). Let's consider this last name in depth; for Mr. Raymond Massey gave a performance to end all others in his interpretation of the fanatical, self proclaimed spokesman for God on Earth. This is probably the most historically correct and hence most enlightening aspect of the story. Kansas was torn by a mini-Civil War of its own; a sort of 'Dress Rehearsal' for the big one, if you please.
THE picture hits its climax with a highly fictionalized and fanciful depiction of John Brown's Raid and capture of the U.S. Armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia ; which is now in the present day, in the State of West Virginia.
TO their credit, the producers included in the cast plenty of regulars in Warner Brothers' stock company, people like: Alan Hale, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Joe Sawyer, John Litel, Russell Simpson, Charles Middleton, Susan Peters, Spencer Charters, etc., etc.
AN interesting aspect of the film to me is the heavy handed and unsympathetic characterization of everyone involved with the Abolitionist movement and this dramatic license has a modern day equivalent; for it seems that most of our present day left leaning writers and liberal producers have equally vilified those in the Pro-Life, anti-abortion movement. Just look around on TV in our favourite dramas; try episodes of LAW & ORDER or PICKET FENCES (if its re-runs are showing anywhere).
SANTA FE TRAIL would be okay as a strictly fictional work of make believe characters; much like that which was done in the Mel Gibson starring vehicle, THE PATRIOT (Columbia, 2000). As for a Period/Historical/Western/Action/Adventure/Biopic, we prefer THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Warner Brothers, 1941), which also has Miss Olivia de Havilland and Mr. Errol Flynn (this time, though, he's Custer!). POODLE SCHNITZ!!
TO begin with, it is such a crossbreed of so many different kinds of movies. In essence it is part: Action Film, War Movie, Biopic, Historical Drama, Western and even Period Piece. As is usual, if a film tries too hard to be too many things, chances are that it will do none of them well. Director Michael Curtiz and Company seem up to the task of making a better film, but never got a chance due to the script.
AFTER a brief glimpse at the conditions in the Kansas Territory, with its lawless and brutal Guerilla Warfare between the Slavers and the Abolitionists, we are shown how one Cyrus Holliday (Henry O'Neill) plans to build a Railroad right through "Bleeding Kansas"; leading to the New Mexico. Hence we have the title, SANTA FE TRAIL. (Get it, Schultz?)
THE opening then shifts locals and takes us to the United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York. It is the Spring of 1854, Commencement Time. The new class of Cadets are about to be graduated and infused as new blood into the U.S. Army WE are introduced to some of the members of the Graduating Class, such as: J.E.B. Stuart (Errol Flynn), George Armstrong Custer ("Dutch", himself, Ronald Reagan), Phillip Sheridan (David Bruce), George Pickett (William Marshall), James Longstreet (Frank Wilcox) and John Hood (George Haywood); great Civil War Generals on both the Union and the Confederacy.
STOP! REALITY CHECK! I just cannot stand anymore!
ALL of these "future" Generals are depicted as having been in the same Class, yet we know that there were some widely varying life spans involved. For example, we have George Custer (12/5/1839-6/25/1876), J.E.B. Stuart (2/6/1833-5/25/1864), Phil Sheridan (3/6/1831-8/5/1888), James Longstreet (1/8/1821-1/2/1904), George Pickett (1/16 or 25 or 31/1825-7/30/1875 and John Hood (6/1/1831-8/30/1879). The screenplay and scenario ignore these differences in age and the disparity in the true ranking of the men portrayed in real life.
ADDED to the above bunch of Cadet characters is Bob Holliday (William Lundigan), son of Cyrus the Railroad Builder in Kansas and older brother of Kit Carson Holliday (Olivia de Havilland-Woo, woo,woo,woo!). The final character in the Cadets' Class and the first antagonist of the story is Carl Rader (Van Heflin). It is Cadet Rader who is the bad apple of the story; as he is an agent of the Abolitionist Party ; who is spreading propaganda in both the spoken and written word in the Military Academy.
RADER has a particular dislike for Jeb Stuart and he is always in Stuart's face and constantly makes his general anti-slavery remarks personal to Cadet Stuart. Rader once even referred to Jeb as a "Plutocrat", who has made a fortune on the backs of Black Slaves.* Rader and Stuart finally come to blows; as Stuart has tried tom ignore Rader's remarks; not wanting to jeopardize the graduation of any of himself or any other of his classmates. But finally, the situation just blew up.
AS a result of the brawl, Cadets Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Hood, Pickett and Holliday are called on the Carpet by the Commandant of West Point, Colonel Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) and, due to the circumstances, are spared expulsion; but are to be assigned to the "most dangerous" post on the Frontier, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory.
THE seven Cadets are elated at their assignment where they will surely see plenty of action and hence will have a head-start on their way to becoming generals.
WHAT fate has in store for Rader will not be so kind. For his previous incidents of preaching Abolitionist politics at the Military Academy and because a large cache of Abolitionist pamphlets are found in Rader's quarters; Rader faces immediate expulsion and dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army.
LATER all meet up again in Kansas with the Cadets now 2nd Lieutenants and Rader a hired consultant to the seditious Abolitionist Leader, John Brown (Raymond Massey). Let's consider this last name in depth; for Mr. Raymond Massey gave a performance to end all others in his interpretation of the fanatical, self proclaimed spokesman for God on Earth. This is probably the most historically correct and hence most enlightening aspect of the story. Kansas was torn by a mini-Civil War of its own; a sort of 'Dress Rehearsal' for the big one, if you please.
THE picture hits its climax with a highly fictionalized and fanciful depiction of John Brown's Raid and capture of the U.S. Armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia ; which is now in the present day, in the State of West Virginia.
TO their credit, the producers included in the cast plenty of regulars in Warner Brothers' stock company, people like: Alan Hale, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Joe Sawyer, John Litel, Russell Simpson, Charles Middleton, Susan Peters, Spencer Charters, etc., etc.
AN interesting aspect of the film to me is the heavy handed and unsympathetic characterization of everyone involved with the Abolitionist movement and this dramatic license has a modern day equivalent; for it seems that most of our present day left leaning writers and liberal producers have equally vilified those in the Pro-Life, anti-abortion movement. Just look around on TV in our favourite dramas; try episodes of LAW & ORDER or PICKET FENCES (if its re-runs are showing anywhere).
SANTA FE TRAIL would be okay as a strictly fictional work of make believe characters; much like that which was done in the Mel Gibson starring vehicle, THE PATRIOT (Columbia, 2000). As for a Period/Historical/Western/Action/Adventure/Biopic, we prefer THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Warner Brothers, 1941), which also has Miss Olivia de Havilland and Mr. Errol Flynn (this time, though, he's Custer!). POODLE SCHNITZ!!