The Silver Whip

This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Jess Harker" (Robert Wagner) finally getting the opportunity to prove his mettle by driving the local stagecoach which, in this particular case, is also transporting a valuable shipment of gold as part of its cargo. For that reason, another cowboy named "Race Crim" (Dale Robertson)--who happens to be Jess Harker's friend and mentor-has also been tasked to ride alongside the stagecoach as well. Not only that but Race's girlfriend named "Waco" (Lola Albright) just happens to be riding in the stagecoach as a passenger. So, making sure the stage arrives safely and on time is extremely important to both Jess and Race. However, this becomes quite problematic once news of the gold shipment gets out as some local bandits quickly a devise a scheme to ambush the stage and steal the gold. Unfortunately, while carrying out their plan, they not only steal the gold but also accidentally kill Waco in the process. As might be expected, this infuriates Race who immediately off in search of these bandits with the intention of killing each and every one of them. The problem, however, is that the local sheriff named "Tom Davisson" (Rory Calhoun) wants them all brought back alive to stand trial. That being the case, this not only puts Race at odds with Sheriff Davisson, but it also places Jess in an awkward position as well. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a solid 50's Western which benefited by good performances by all of the aforementioned actors. Admittedly, it is somewhat tame by today's standards but, even so, I enjoyed this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.