Coming up next is 1940's "Santa Fe Trail", a story about US abolitionist John Brown and his methods, which ultimately began the Civil War. Along for the ride are two West Point graduates who are in love with the same woman.
The film's cast includes Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Raymond Massey, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale, Van Heflin, Henry O'Neill, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Moroni Olsen, and Susan Peters.
At West Point, a scuffle has broken out amongst the cadets. The instigator, Carl Rader, has been distributing pamphlets that advocate the policies of abolitionist John Brown, who uses violence as part of his plans to end slavery. Rader initiates a fight. Cadets Jeb Stuart and George Armstrong Custer stand up to him, along with several of their fellow cadets.
Stuart and Custer and their friends are brought before the leaders of West Point, who tell them that pursuing ideological causes is against what a US soldier stands for. He tells them they are to be severely punished. Following their graduation, they are to be sent to Fort Levenworth in Kansas Territory, which is the most dangerous posting available. Since that's what they wanted in the first place, the cadets don't argue.
Carl Rader is dismissed from West Point for his part in inciting the fighting and distributing the controversial pamphlets. It won't be the last the cadets see of this man.
The men graduate from West Point a couple of weeks later. They are ready to proudly serve their country.
On the way to Kansas Territory, Jeb and George meet Miss Kit Carson Holliday, and both fall madly in love with her. It gets to be sort of a competition. They each try and win her affections.
Once at Fort Levenworth, Jeb, George, and the rest get their orders. They find out that they are in mighty dangerous territory. They couldn't be more thrilled at the prospect of serving there.
Elsewhere, John Brown is sending word to his allies that anyone who opposes him or his methods will die.
He proclaims himself the right hand of God, ready and willing to do what must be done to end slavery.
Soon enough, Jeb and George meet up with Brown, and also their old acquaintance Carl Rader. Brown initially says he doesn't have any ill feelings toward the soldiers, but he will deal severely with those who stand in his way.
Back at the fort, the men are ordered to seize John Brown, alive if at all possible.
Jeb and George each bid farewell to Kit as they head off to complete their mission.
As they ride through Kansas Territory, the regiment sees the devastation wrought by John Brown and his followers. However, he is always one step ahead of them and always evades capture.
At a regimental dance, Kit admits to George that she is in love with Jeb. Naturally, George is crushed.
Three years later, George and Jeb are back in Washington D.C. It's believed that Brown's forces have been crushed. Kit introduces George to a lovely young woman. George is very happy, and forgets his infatuation with Kit. Of course, Jeb is glad that he no longer has any competition.
Quietly, John Brown has been mustering forces and is ready to launch an attack an arsenal in Lee's Ferry, Virginia. His ultimate aim is to start a war.
Jeb is notified by a deserter of Brown's army of the rebellion, and he launches a successful counterattack.
Brown is captured and tried for treason. He is hanged for his crimes of violence and rebellion.
At the hanging, Kit has to look away. With John Brown's death, she foresees something much more terrible coming to the country.
For now, happy times are ahead. Kit and Jeb are married on a train bound for Kansas Territory.
Cast rundown:
Errol Flynn....................................Jeb Stuart
Olivia de Havilland.........................Kit Carson Holliday
Raymond Massey...........................John Brown
Ronald Reagan...............................George Armstrong Custer
Alan Hale......................................Tex Bell
Van Heflin.....................................Carl Rader
Henry O'Neill.................................Cyrus Holliday
Moroni Olsen..................................Robert E. Lee
Susan Peters..................................Charlotte Davis
And that's it for Santa Fe Trail. This was the seventh film that featured Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland together. There are a variety of opinions about John Brown and what he stood for. Some thing him a mentally ill zealot, others a hero. This film depicts him as the antagonist, though it shows that his principles regarding slavery were right. However, the methods by which he set about achieving slavery's end were wrong.
As this film is in the public domain, it is available to view in its entirety here.
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