Very disappointed :(

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Of the seven Western films that James Stewart appeared in during the 1950s, "Night Passage," released in July 1957 and the final one of the septet, is the true anomaly. The first of that bunch, 1950's "Broken Arrow," directed by Delmer Daves, is historically important today in that it was one of the first Hollywood oaters to depict American Indians sympathetically, and was nominated for a number of Academy Awards. Following this film, Stewart and director Anthony Mann collaborated on five Westerns that turned out to be some of the best of that decade: "Winchester '73" (1950), "Bend of the River" (1952), "The Naked Spur" (1953, and an especial favorite of this viewer), "The Far Country" (1955) and "The Man From Laramie" (also 1955). "Night Passage" was intended to be the sixth team-up of Stewart and Mann, but for reasons that I'm still not clear on, Mann backed out at the last minute. (I've read conflicting reports to the effect that the director didn't care for the script, didn't care for screenwriter Borden Chase's right-wing politics, had simultaneous commitments, disapproved of the casting of Audie Murphy and so on, but am still not sure as to the precise cause.) Thus, "Night Passage" is indeed the oddball of the septet: a James Stewart Western from the '50s that was not directed by Anthony Mann, is hardly historic (except for the fact that it was the first film to be shown in the new process known as "Technirama"; similar to CinemaScope, as the opening credits clearly reveal), and garnered no award nominations. A minor Western, surely, and yet, as will be seen, one certainly worthy of a viewer's perusal.In the film, Stewart stars as Grant McLaine (aka Mac), a former troubleshooter for the railroad who had been ignominiously fired five years earlier for letting the notorious outlaw Utica Kid (Murphy, one of the most decorated American soldiers of WW2, here playing against type as a "bad guy") escape in the midst of some cattle rustling. Now reduced to playing the accordion and singing for his chow, Mac is given a second chance by railroad bigwig Ben Kimball (the great character actor Jay C. Flippen) and railroad detective Jeff Kurth (Hugh Beaumont, here just a few months pre-"Beaver"): to carry a $10,000 payroll from Junction City, Colorado to the workers at End of Line, traveling by train and ensuring that the money doesn't wind up in the hands of the Utica Kid and his new partner, the infamous Whitey Harbin (Dan Duryea, who stole practically every movie he ever appeared in). Matters for Mac are made even more complicated when he rescues a boy named Joey (15-year-old Brandon de Wilde, whose character in the classic Western "Shane," released four years earlier, was also, strangely enough, named Joey; they could almost, with a slight exercise of the imagination, by the same boy), who just happens to be running away from the Harbin gang....OK, I'm not gonna lie to you..."Night Passage" is certainly a lesser film than any of the other six previously mentioned. For one thing, it just feels less "tough" than those others, and is lacking the social relevance of the first and the psychological depth and grit of the Mann outings. The Stewart character here is hardly as driven or conflicted as he was in such films as "Winchester '73" and "The Man From Laramie." Still, the picture has much to offer. Stewart and Duryea are as ingratiating as ever, and the presence of a raft of fine character actors (such as Ellen Corby and "Dennis the Menace"'s Herbert Anderson, plus Western stalwarts Jack Elam and Paul Fix) proves most welcome. The film, largely shot around Durango, Colorado, looks just fine, with ample scenic beauty, never more breathtaking than the sequence in which Mac and Joey ride atop the railroad while the forests, mountains and rivers of the Rockies flash by; I could have gazed at this sequence for five times as long, the wilderness vistas are so stunning. Dimitri Tiomkin has provided still another rousing score for this picture, often interpolating two songs that Stewart actually sings and plays himself (!) during the course of the film. And those two songs--the jiglike "You Can't Get Far Without a Railroad" and the sweeping "Follow the River"--turn out to be guaranteed "earworms" that will be bouncing around in your head for days afterward. "Night Passage" (an odd, elusive title, actually) also dishes out an exciting climactic shoot-out between Mac and the Harbin gang, and a surprising revelation concerning Mac and his previous history with the Utica Kid that DID catch this viewer off guard. (Do not watch the film's trailer before watching the film, as this revelation is spoiled not once, but several times!) Inevitably, the work that director James Neilson (who was more known for his work on television) turned in here has been unfavorably compared to that of Anthony Mann's, but the truth is, he does a creditable job, especially with the action sequences (the train robbery, that shoot-out). It is not his fault that the film feels a bit scattered, both in terms of its numerous locations and characters. Still, as I say, it is well worth any viewer's time, especially those, like me, who had read about this Stewart anomaly for years and are eager to see something a bit different. Fans of this great actor back when would have to wait another four years to see Jimmy in another Western--John Ford's 1961 offering "Two Rode Together"--so "Night Passage" had to hold them for a while. But really, where else could they have gone to see Stewart play accordion and sing?

Somewhat obscure and unheralded,NIGHT PASSAGE is not one of James Stewart's better known westerns.It apparently was not a particularly pleasant production either,with Stewart's long time directorial collaborator Anthony Mann resigning his post early on after concerns over the script and main co-star (Audie Murphy).It is very sad and regrettable that relations between Mann and Stewart never recovered over the various disputes and rifts,and the two reportedly never spoke again.A shame as this cinematic partnership usually produced some very impressive results,especially in the western genre (WINCHESTER 73 and THE MAN FROM LARAMIE being the best of them).With such friction behind the scenes,how does replacement James Neilson manage? The answer is in fact not too badly,though Neilson clearly lacks Mann's cinematic style and depth,and directs in an efficient if straightforward manner.NIGHT PASSAGE's main asset is it's striking colour photography by William Daniels,with some Colorado locations shown to spectacular effect.Along with the ever-reliable Stewart,there are many familiar western character actors involved such as Paul Fix,Jay C.Flippen,Robert J.Wilke,Jack Elam and Chuck Roberson,though Mann's concerns over the script are justified in some aspects as the story (about a stolen payroll from a train) ,dialogue and characterisations are mostly mundane and unremarkable,though the above-mentioned cast and scenery at least manage to keep interest to a decent level.Juvenile Brandon De Wilde's role here is nowhere as notable as it was in the classic SHANE four years earlier,and Dan Duryea overplays his hand as the main villain involved.Audie Murphy appears as Stewart's younger brother and Duryea's partner in crime,and actually acquits himself rather well.An underrated actor (not least by absent director Mann himself),Murphy's underplaying carries far more menace than Duryea's amplified histrionics,though in the end he turns good again and works alongside his elder brother Stewart in a fairly well-staged gunfight finale. Jimmy Stewart also has an opportunity to show his real-life prowess on the accordion throughout the film (although it was allegedly dubbed over by someone else afterwards), and vocalise as well,which he does adequately if nothing else.The title itself seems rather ambivalent and unclear,and aspects of the plot pre-date a similar storyline (about sibling relations and inter-conflicts) in a western Stewart made 11 years later with Dean Martin (BANDOLERO!).NIGHT PASSAGE has certain points of merit,but is not as memorable or notable as you would usually expect from a James Stewart western.One can only speculate how more conspicuous the final result could have been had Anthony Mann ironed out his concerns and differences with the script,Murphy,and Stewart himself;the world of cinema was a poorer place after their parting of the waves.RATING:6 and a half out of 10.

Best known as the film that ended the great Anthony Mann/Jimmy Stewart partnership. Mann either got in an argument with Stewart, hated the script or hated co-star Audie Murphy, or all of the above. No-name director James Neilson replaced him, and the results are, well, not as good as something Mann would have directed, one would imagine. But they're not as bad as many have said. I think the script is the weakest element of the film, mostly because it takes a while to get moving, it's a little cliché and predictable, and, worst of all, it doesn't give Stewart much to work with. Between Mann's Westerns and Hitchcock's films, Stewart was really broadening his horizons in the '50s, moving from a dependable "aw shucks" kind of guy to a seasoned thespian. His role here is closer to the "aw shucks" period than it is to the darker side of Stewart. It starts to lean a little bit toward that darker side when the film hits its stride, a little too late. If Audie Murphy was Mann's biggest problem, I have to say, except for the miscasting (he's young enough to be Stewart's son), I very much enjoyed his performance. I had never seen one of his films before, but I look forward to seeing more. The two bad guys, the second one being the always dependable Dan Duryea, are more interesting than the hero here. Also making an appearance, Jay C. Flippen, always a great Western character actor. Even if this doesn't compare with the Mann/Stewart Westerns, it's a fine one itself. You can find it in Universal's new James Stewart: The Western Collection. It looks great, but the sound was kind of muffled.

I wish people would quit second guess what could have happened if another director would have directed the film. This is a good movie. A film that has all the elements of a good western, Jimmy Stewart, Audie Murphy and Dan Dureya (spell check). There's good vs. evil. Right vs. wrong. A passionate man who plays music while teaching his young friend some valuable lessons about choices. Just sit back and enjoy the movie. Of course we all know Anthony Mann didn't direct it. That point is moot. The cast is wonderful and if you just want to enjoy a fine family film this is a good one. There are too many people who look at films from the 1950's with a 2007 eye.They didn't have the technology them. Possibly things could have been done differently, but we will never know, will we? I wish people would quit second-guess what could have been and enjoy the fine film it is! Look at the scenery! Listen to the music. Read between the lines and quit picking it apart. You might find you like it. I hope so. Maybe you've seen too many films with computer enhanced parts in it so that's what your used to.