Cheyenne (1947)

Cheyenne - 1947

Next on our list of films is 1947's "Cheyenne", starring Dennis Morgan and Jane Wyman.  A gambler in trouble with the law cuts a deal with authorities to track down and bring in a stagecoach robber.  Only trouble is, he's very close to the robber's wife, though he doesn't know it.

The film's supporting cast includes Janis Paige, Bruce Bennett, Alan Hale, and Arthur Kennedy.

We begin our story in Wyoming Territory in the 1860s.  A stagecoach thief named "The Poet" has been robbing them blind, leaving only a note in the strongbox with a poem on it.  James Wylie (Morgan) is in trouble with the law.  The authorities tell him that if he'll help them catch The Poet, then they'll forget all about him.  They don't give him many leads, except that they know The Poet is forming a gang in Cheyenne.  They don't give Wylie much of an option.  Either he helps them or goes to jail.

Wylie agrees to help them.  When he hears one of the poems written by The Poet, Wylie jokes, "That poem alone is enough to hang the fella."

The next morning Wylie finds a bathtub has been set up in the washroom.  He eagerly gets in it, unaware that the tub belongs to Ann Kincaid (Wyman).  She orders him out of the tub and throws his clothes over the screen.

As she leaves, she tips the screen over and it comes crashing down on Wylie's head.

Downstairs at breakfast, Wylie meets Emily Carson, whom he mistakes for the lady he upset in the bathroom.

He later comes to realize his mistake when one of the hotel employees gives Ann back her tub.

They all ride together on the same stagecoach to Cheyenne.  Jim and Emily strike up an animated conversation, while Ann remains aloof and cold in her answers to any questions.

Trying to be friendly, Emily offers Ann some of her perfume "Lily of the Valley".  Not caring for the scent, Ann declines.

On their way to Cheyenne, the stage is robbed by a guy named Sundance and his gang.  Wylie notices a particular tattoo on one of the robbers.  When the strongbox is opened, it's revealed that a note from The Poet is inside.  Sundance and his gang leave quite upset.

Once at Cheyenne, Emily takes a job at the saloon as a singer.  She's in Cheyenne to meet a gentleman friend, but she won't say who.  She's a hit with the paying customers, though.

Wylie notices the tattoo from the holdup on a guy and follows him to Sundance's hideout.  When Sundance confronts him, Wylie tells him he's The Poet.  Sundance says he's not sure, but there is one person who will be able to tell him the truth.  He asks for someone to come out and join them: The Poet's wife.

To Wylie's surprise, Ann steps out.  Ann smiles at Wylie and says he's her husband.  Satisfied after watching Ann and Wylie kiss, Sundance lets the two of them slip away, but only after making "The Poet" promise to cut them in on his next job.

For appearance sake, Wylie and Ann must now live together.  Ann is still as cold as ever, but Wylie makes the best of it.  Sundance has put a couple of men on their tail to make sure they are who they say they are.  Ann tells Wylie that she's tired of the way her husband has treated her, and she wants to help Wylie put him behind bars.

The next morning, Emily meets up with Wylie at breakfast.  She's sporting a new necklace and ring, presents from her gentleman friend.

Meanwhile, Ann goes to meet her husband, Ed, the real poet.  He's also the inspector for all the Wells Fargo strongboxes.  He tells her he's done with being "The Poet", and in a few days they'll be on their way to San Francisco.  Ann wants to believe him, but isn't sure if she can take him at his word.

Ann tells Wylie that The Poet wants them to meet at a place called South Forks.  Wylie isn't sure whether or not to believe that Ann really wants to bring The Poet in.

When they arrive at South Forks, they find that it's abandoned and run-down with nobody in sight.

Inside the abandoned building, Sundance and his gang are waiting.  They still think that Wylie is "The Poet" and want to help him on his next job.  Wylie manages to convince them that he and Ann are on a honeymoon, and that they should sleep in the next room for the night.  They reluctantly agree.

Wylie accuses Ann of leading him into a trap.  She manages to placate his fears.

Early the next morning, Sundance and his gang holdup a stagecoach, eager to get their hands on the strongbox.  Two of the gang are killed while trying to overtake the coach.

When they open the strongbox, all they find is a poem from The Poet.  Furious at Wylie for not cutting them in on a $10,000 job, they head back to South Forks to confront him and have it out once and for all.

A gunfight ensues.  Wylie has to quickly ensure his and Ann's safety.  He successfully kills Sundance and the rest of his gang.

Still unsure of Ann's role in everything, he takes one of Sundance's horses and leaves Ann at South Forks.  He wants to work things out with some distance between them.

Wylie goes to the Wells Fargo office and meets Ed, who is very surprised to learn that a stagecoach has been robbed and that Sundance and his gang are dead.  He begins to be very suspicious of Wylie.

When Ann finally gets back to town, she goes to Ed's office.  She smells a familiar perfume, Lily of the Valley.  Suspecting that Ed is having an affair, she starts to hurl insults at the owner of the perfume, knowing it will flush her out.  As expected, Emily comes out of a closet raging.

Wylie and Ann meet up again.  She says she can't trust her husband at all now, and wants to go through with the deal to help Wylie catch him.  Wylie still doesn't trust her, and says no thanks.

Wylie explains his theories to a local sheriff.  He tells the sheriff to not let anyone rent a horse or buggy so they can't get out of town.  When he goes to the stable, he finds the stable hand exasperated because of a colt that's making a lot of noise.  He says he sold the mother to a lady.  The stable hand says it's one of the ladies that Wylie came to Cheyenne with.  Hatching a plan, he buys the colt for ten dollars.

Ed tries to turn the tables on Wylie, convincing the sheriff that Wylie is actually "The Poet".  The sheriff gets a posse together to help stop Wylie.

Wylie lets the colt find its mother, which will allow him to find out who bought the horse and is trying to get out of town.

He takes up a position in the doorway of the saloon so he can keep his eyes on the goings-on in both places.

The sheriff catches up with Wylie, but he escapes.  Meanwhile, Emily is on the stagecoach after saying goodbye to Ed.  He's got some last minute business that needs tending to, and will join her the next day.  When the sheriff tries to arrest Wylie, it's the diversion Ed needs to get away on the horse.

Also leaving town is Ann, who is fed up with Ed and the whole situation.  When Wylie finds out the identity of Emily's gentleman friend, he puts two and two together and realizes that Ed is The Poet.  He joins the girls in the stage, putting them right back where they started at the beginning of the film.  As they travel, the sheriff and his posse stop the stage to arrest Wylie, but he escapes on one of their horses, riding into the night.

Ed let Emily go alone because he wants to rob the stage of the ten thousand dollars it's carrying in the strongbox.  He manages to stop it.

Wylie arrives just in the nick of time.  Ed is about to shoot the driver when Wylie rides up.  He makes Ed go back to the stagecoach.

Of course another gunfight is expected.  Ann takes sides with Wylie, as Ed tries to hold Emily hostage.  With some fast thinking, Wylie manages to wound Ed in the gun battle.

As luck would have it, the authorities are driving by in a passing stagecoach.  They take Ed off Wylie's hands and tell him if he can track down the money Ed stole $20,000 of it is his.  Ann saw Ed throw it on the stage back in Cheyenne, so she now possesses all of it.  Ann and Wylie finally get together as the stage drives on.

Cast rundown:

   Dennis Morgan...........................James Wylie

   Jane Wyman..............................Ann Kincaid

   Janis Paige.................................Emily Carson

   Bruce Bennett............................Ed Landers

   Alan Hale...................................Fred Durkin

   Arthur Kennedy..........................Sundance

And that's wrap on Cheyenne.  It's a very entertaining western.  Janis Paige does some good musical work, and Jane Wyman is a joy to watch.  This film was re-released as "The Wyoming Kid" during its television syndication so that it wouldn't confuse people who were interested in a TV series called Cheyenne.

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