A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) It's a terrific premise, which could've been the foundation of a western comedy classic. To fulfill a contract, a train driven by Walter Brennan and Arthur Hunnicutt (who played Brennan's Rio Bravo role in El Dorado) has to make it through hostile territory to the station in Tomahawk. Problem is, there's 20 miles of track that hasn't been built yet. So the engine is pulled by mules and the train is guarded by the wounded Marshall's tomboy daughter (Anne Baxter). The contract also demands at least one passenger, so Dan Dailey (There's No Business Like Show Business) sits on the side of the train. Riding along are stagecoach drivers fearing the end of their jobs, including Jack Elam (of course) and some showgirls looking to travel under the protection of the group.
You probably recognize Marilyn Monroe in one of her earliest roles, the same year as The Asphalt Jungle. She's part of the film's big song and dance, and Dailey plucks Monroe from the quartet for some speciality dance moves. This is barely a musical, but I liked Dailey's ballad "On the Colorado Trail" which has a "Don't Fence Me In" vibe, and he shows tremendous skill during the campfire number with Monroe and the ladies.
Baxter has only stood out to me in All About Eve, but she has a great character here. Raised like a boy, she's given her first opportunity to hold the kind of authority usually reserved for men. Along the journey she learns how to be a woman because of the differences between her instincts and those of the men around her. Brennan provides the broader humor as his beloved train is in constant danger of not making it to the destination. This includes a very funny sequence where the train must be taken apart and carried by the group and their animals over a hill. We see the recognizable parts go by one at a time.
The film's biggest failure is the stuntwork, which often looks phony. There's the expected terrible rear projection, but also blows that don't land or look soft on impact, and Baxter really needed gun training to keep her from closing her eyes and tucking her head into her shoulders when she fires. The script is a winner. It deserved better care behind the camera.
Rating: * * * - Okay