Dawn on the Great Divide (1942)

the audience applauded

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

This is Buck Jones' last film. Sadly, the guy would die soon after this in a fire--along with a lot of other innocent folks. While it's not among his best films, it is a solid B movie and a decent way for him to end his career.The film does NOT start off well. It has many moments where folks give long expositions instead of talking naturally or allowing things to happen normally. Often, folks just start talking to their friends--giving them back story that the friend SHOULD already know but which is provided for the audience. It's very unnatural and is a case of bad writing. Fortunately, the rest of the film is a bit better. The plot is the standard greedy baddie who wants to destroy and steal-- all hiding in the guise of his men dressed up as American Indians. So why did I still give this one a 5? Well, there are more than the usual number of scenes which are sentimental and show character development. Plus, the story has a few nice moments. Worth seeing if you are a Buck Jones fan.

This 63 minute Monogram Pictures western is based on a story by James Curwood, Wheels Of Fate. Buck Jones made six movies in 1942 and DAWN on the GREAT DIVIDE is the last before his death. Buck Roberts(Jones)finds himself leading a slow moving wagon train that not only is full of folks looking for a new start; but there is also railroad supplies that are not a well kept secret. Jim Corkle(Harry Woods)and his band of "no gooders", dressed as Indians, are poised to rob the wagon train of the supplies needed by the railroad, but are out of luck when Buck separates the wagons in two directions before the raid.Tragedy, heartbreak and gunfights...all the things you go to the Saturday matinée to see. Not one of Jones' better efforts, but staid and solid as a rock as always. Major filming location was the Walker Ranch in Newhall, California and as most wagon train movies...some awesome scenery. The apt supporting cast features: Mona Barrie, Robert Frazer, Raymond Hatton, Rex Bell, Warren Jackson and Maude Eburne.

Buck Roberts (Buck Jones) and Sandy Hopkins (Ray Hatton) guide a wagon train loaded with railroad supplies through Indian territory on the way to Oregon. Jack Carson (Rex Bell) rounds out the good guy trio in a role that keeps one guessing who's side he's on as he trades in his buckskins for a new set of gambling duds. Carson is out to get the goods on the boss of Beaver Lake, Jim Corkle (Harry Woods); it's his gang that masquerades as Indians and takes out part of the wagon train that split up to protect the railroad goods.The film hosts a pair of good looking young ladies. Mona Barrie portrays Sadie Rand, who in a clever bit of blackmail gains the gambling concession at Boss Korkle's saloon. On the sweeter side, Christine McIntyre is a settler heading West with her mother (Maude Eburn). Her contribution to the story consists of two song standards - "Rock of Ages" and "Beautiful Dreamer". I don't know how the convention started, but why is it that when a wagon train or stagecoach is attacked and chased by outlaws or Indians, and the driver or his partner is shot from behind, he always goes down clutching his chest? It happens twice in this story. The film was intended to be a Rough Riders movie; prior ones teamed Buck and Ray with cowboy star Tim McCoy. However the opening credits of the version I saw made no mention of the Rough Riders connection.Speaking anecdotally, every Western ever made had one of three actors in it - Stanley Andrews, Glenn Strange or Roy Barcroft. Barcroft appears in this one, as a Korkle henchman named Loder. In the movie's one on one gunfight, Buck gets the drop on Loder, in what would be his final showdown. Sadly, Buck Jones died in an infamous fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove Night Club in Boston on November 28th, 1942. Nearly five hundred people lost their lives in that tragedy. For an excellent account of that incident, I would direct readers to the following site: http://www.surfnetinc.com/chuck/terms15.htm

"Dawn On the Great Divide" was to be another entry in Monogram's popular Rough Rider series which had starred Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton. At that time McCoy was called into active service in WWII and he was replaced by Rex Bell who had starred in a couple of poverty row series in the early 30s. Jones and Hatton continued to play the same characters namely Buck Roberts and Sandy Hopkins respectively. Bell, who was no McCoy, played Jack Carson the third member of the trio.The story (which appears to have a larger budget than usual) has Jones and Hatton guiding a wagon train of settlers and railroad supplies across the plains. Meanwhile Jim Corkle (Harry Woods) and his gang have been raiding the wagon trains disguised as Indians, to protect their interest in the town of Beaver Lake. Bell is working under cover within Wood's organization. Naturally, good triumphs over evil in the finale.Unfortunately, this would be the last of the Rough Rider series as Buck Jones would die tragically in a fire in Boston in November, 1942 before this film was released. It was however, a better than average film for him to end his illustrious career, that had dated back to the early days of silent films.The picture is also blessed with a great cast of familiar supporting players. Mona Barrie plays Sadie, the gambling lady, and Christine McIntyre plays Mary the good heroine who gets to sing a couple of songs. Roy Barcroft who was just coming into his own, has the honor of being the last villain that Jones ever gunned down. Others in Woods' gang include Robert Frazer, Bud Osborne, I. Stanford Jolley and Dennis Moore. Robert Lowery and Tris Coffin appear in other roles.Rex Bell was more famous for being married to silent film "It" girl Clara Bow. Except for a couple of insignificant minor parts, this would also be his final film. Bell would go on to become the Lieutenant-Governor of Nevada in the late 50s.I have to admit that I had a lump in my throat as I watched old favorite Buck Jones ride off into the sunset for the last time.