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.
Coming up next we have 1954's "The Long, Long Trailer", a comedy about a young couple who starts their married life in a trailer. The adventure tests them beyond anything they think possible.
The film's cast includes Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Marjorie Main, Keenan Wynn, Gladys Hurlbut, Moroni Olsen, Madge Blake, and Walter Baldwin.
Nicky and Tacy are an engaged couple who are looking at options for a home. Since Nicky's job requires him to be on the road a lot, Tacy suggests that they buy a trailer so that she can provide a home for him wherever he is required to be.
At a trailer show, Tacy finds the biggest and most expensive model and decides that it's the one for them. Nicky goes along with the idea. Both have them have no idea what they're in for.
To begin with, it necessitates their getting a new car that is heavy enough to pull a trailer. In addition to the expense of this purchase, they must also outfit it with the equipment necessary to haul their new home.
Nicky's worries about all of it fade away on their wedding day. After a ceremony and reception surrounded by all of their friends and family, the two hit the road. Their ultimate destination is Denver, and they've decided to take their time in getting their in order to have a honeymoon.
As they hit the open road, Nicky nervously navigates the highways. Quite a line of traffic forms behind them.
They are all smiles once Nicky gets accustomed to handling the rig. Their drive up the California coastline is beautiful.
At their first overnight stop, Nicky plans to carry Tacy over the threshold. However, a well-meaning fellow "trailerite", Mrs. Hittaway, mistakes this for a busted-up ankle. She and her neighbors bundle Tacy off to the bedroom and give her a sleeping pill so that she'll rest easy.
It seems like the entire trailer court shows up to call on Nicky while Tacy is being attended to. Near midnight, Mrs. Hittaway tells everyone it's late and they should be going home. Leaving Nicky with the dishes, she says, "I’d like to know what a trailerite is good for if
it’s not to help another trailerite!"
The next morning Nicky has quite an experience as he gets used to the shower in the trailer. It's quite a fight, and I think the shower wins.
After the effects of the sleeping pill wear off, Tacy tells Nicky they should find a place that night where it will be just the two of them.
Well, that turns out to be a disaster. On an old logging road in the woods, the trailer gets stuck at an angle. Tacy has to cook dinner for the both of them (eggs running everywhere), and she gets covered in mud when she loses her balance and flies out of the trailer because of the steep angle it's resting at.
Things don't improve when they visit some of Tacy's family. Trying to back the trailer onto the family property, Nicky ruins some prize roses and destroys their carport.
They forget their worries and sing along with the car radio as they drive through beautiful Yosemite National Park.
During the trip, Tacy begs Nicky to let her drive. Reluctantly, he agrees. Soon, he realizes that he's made a mistake. When he tells her that she's driving to fast, she brushes him off by saying it's alright because she's only driving thirty-five miles per hour. With eyes wide on the road, Nicky says, "It's alright for you, but I am sitting on the suicide seat!"
Wanting to save time and have food ready when they stop for the night, Tacy decides to cook while the trailer on the road. This turns out to be a colossal mistake. Once it's on the road, the trailer moves all over the place, and so does she! Food flies everywhere, and poor Tacy is shaken by the time the trailer comes to a stop.
Once they hit the mountainous road to Denver, it's Nicky's turn to be upset. Tacy has loaded down the trailer with rocks she's collected and jars of preserves she's put up. It's the final straw for Nicky, and once he's parked the trailer for the night, he takes the car and drives off.
A well-meaning older married man talks some sense into Nicky, and he and Tacy make up in the middle of a rain storm.
Walter Baldwin.............................Uncle Edgar
And that's it for The Long, Long Trailer. It first the movie studio wasn't sure that this film would be a hit. Desi Arnaz bet the studio $25,000 that it would be. He was right and eventually won the bet. Audiences loved being able to see "Ricky and Lucy" in color. In fact, the characters of Nicky and Tacy are remarkably like their television counterparts.
