THE OMAHA TRAIL (1942)

The expansion of railroad service across the country in the 1870s meant an end to alternate ways of travel, one of which was the ox train, wagons pulled by oxen. Dean Jagger, boss of one of the bigger ox train companies, is feeling threatened by this expansion. In Habersford, an oxen hub town with a direct route to Omaha, we see that Jagger is planning on marrying Pamela Blake, sister of his right-hand man (Howard Da Silva). Meanwhile, handsome drifter James Craig (pictured) rides into town on Da Silva's ox train, lazily soaking up some sun while he plays a tune on his jaw harp. As Craig flirts with Blake, we meet Chill Wills, a guitar-playing buddy of Craig's, and Henry Morgan, a shifty little runt of a guy who often does dirty work for Jagger. Edward Ellis wants to get his locomotive car to Omaha to help stimulate railroad travel from Omaha west. The only way he can do it is to have it hauled by oxen, and he hires Craig to do it. Hearing of this, Jagger buys up all the oxen in town and forces Craig to pay handsomely to have him and his men lead the oxen that will pull the train. What Craig and Ellis don't know is that Jagger is planning to make sure that the train car never gets to Omaha. Things climax, as they often do in westerns of the era, in a gunfight in the middle of town. This B-western from MGM is glossier than most other B-westerns of the era, and benefits from a strong supporting cast filled with old reliables. Wills is mild comic relief who never gets too obnoxious, Morgan's quiet villainy has a sharp edge—he shoots an Indian in the back in an attempt to start an Indian attack against the train car; Donald Meek is fine as a train engineer and Da Silva's character starts out on Jagger's side but slowly moves to Craig's. Jagger is fine as always, and the handsome Craig makes a sturdy hero, though Blake is just so-so in the female lead. There are a couple of songs, including the catchy little ditty "Taters and Corn" which is sung by both Craig and Wills. Predictable and a bit corny but enjoyable. [TCM]