Highly Overrated But Still Good

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Carson City is a western that has an easy, but enjoyable story-line to follow. Randolph Scott pleases in his role as a engineer, taking on the assignment of constructing the railroad between Carson City and Viriginia City. However, he encounters plenty of objection and division from the residents of Carson City. Now add in the bad guys, a group of outlaws, dubbed the Champagne Bandits for their serving the bubbly drink to those they rob. Raymond Massey makes the most of his role as the gangs suave leader. Pretty actress Lucille Norman plays the girl with romantic feelings towards Scott. The film ends with a showdown between Scott and Massey. Carson City moves at a satisfying pace, with your typical saloon brawls and other action packed western activities. The color is not vivid as technicolor and the cinematography is average, but it does not distract from the performance of the actors. The combination of Scott and Massey in this film is superb, and Lucille Norman lights up the screen with her pretty blonde tresses. If you are a fan of Westerns from the early 1950s and Randolph Scott, I suggest Carson City is well worth watching.

When "Carson City" begins, a stagecoach is being robbed. However, oddly, these bandits have class and treat their 'guests' to a nice picnic lunch complete with champagne! Not surprisingly, they're dubbed the Champagne Bandits and the mine owner whose gold was stolen is furious. He proposes to build a railroad and avoid all this banditry. To help him get the job done, he brings in an engineer/troubleshooter, Jeff Kincaid (Randolph Scott). However, the new railroad is opposed by two forces--the local newspaper that's afraid it will usher in thugs and the guy who is secretly behind all the robberies. Can Jeff manage to get the job done-- especially when the baddies seem willing to do ANYTHING to stop them?This is generally a well made and enjoyable film--which isn't surprising since Scott stars in it. He seemed to always make even the most ordinary material better and this movie is no exception. The complaints I have are relatively minor (such as how dumb Zeke is when he learns who's behind the robberies--way to do Zeke!) and the film is solid and entertaining.By the way, the pretty lady starring in the film is NOT Virginia Mayo but a near lookalike, Lucille Norman.

Early 50's..still thrilled with re-telling stories of the old west..a lot of us couldn't' wait for the next western to be released..whether it was Johnny Mack Brown or Wild Bill Elliott..or Hopalong Cassidy..we didn't care..but we all had our favorites..or whether they were shooting 8 or 10 shots from a 6 shooter without re-loading..it was all good fun..but when certain actors showed up in a western we seemed to pay a little more attention because these guys seemed authentic..James Stewart, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Henry Fonda..for me it was Randolph Scott and Joel McRea..now with Carson City, we have Randolph Scott who always wanted to see the other side of the mountain and meets up with his brother..the stable kind of guy with a regular job and a girl that Scott hasn't seen since she was 16 and admits to having a big crush on way back then..he's in town to build a railroad..a faster, easier way to ship all that gold coming out of the mines..Raymond Massey as the mine owner with no gold..but he always has plenty of it..you guess where it's all coming from..hold ups by a gang called the Champaigne Bandits because those robbed are well treated..fried chicken lunch and Champaigne for their troubles..there is animosity between the town folk and the railroad crews.. And a pretty good fight between Scott and one of his men in the saloon..pretty well staged..the girl in question has never gotten over Scott and she has never thought of his brother in that way..they both work for her father publishing the town newspaper until he is killed..it's got to be the railroad people, right? The way it ends reminds me of the Errol Flynn/Olivia Dehaviland western from 1939..Dodge City when someone proclaims that their railroad building days are over only to have their mind changed by a good woman..all in all there is plenty of action..some romance..some wolves in sheeps' clothing.. A good story made better with Scott..

This is a pleasant western by talented Andre De Toth although in my book,it does not rank with his best ,with such works as " Springfield rifle" and "day of the outlaw" ,not to mention non western-efforts such as "House of Wax" or "two-headed spy".It looks like a "Dodge City" (Curtiz,1939) in miniature ,a feeling which the final scenes on the train reinforces. Scott is an intellectual this time ,Jeff,a courageous engineer while Raymond Massey plays the villain.Jeff has also a brother ,Alan (Richard Webb) who is trifle jealous of his brother and his -professional and others-success (they are both in love,of course ,with the same woman,Susan (Lucille Norman);generally it bodes ill for the washout.