Manthast Absolutely amazing

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Yazmin Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 6 September 1940 by Edward Small Productions, Inc. Released through United Artists. Presented by Edward Small. New York release at Loew's State: 14 November 1940. U.S. release: 30 August 1940. Australian release: 29 May 1941. Sydney release at the Plaza: 23 May 1941. U.S. length: 11 reels. 8,676 feet. 96 minutes. Australian length: 8,714 feet. 97 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809-1868) leads a wagon train through hostile Indian territory, encountering all the usual obstacles along the way.COMMENT: I don't know where Fenin and Everson get the idea that the Indians are sympathetically treated in this film. Certainly it's shown they are put up to their attacks by the Mexicans, but otherwise there's not a single hint that Indians are anything but savages.However, Fenin and Everson are right about the terrific Indian-attack action sequence in the middle of the film and the obvious running-out-of-money in the final reel where the action is truncated just as it begins to get under way. Fortunately, there's a nice bit of action at the beginning of the film and 2nd unit director Arthur Rosson has contrived some striking compositions of the wagon train moving slowly across the floor of Monument Valley.When it comes to the efforts of the main unit, the film is much less interesting. The soundtrack is over-cluttered with banal dialogue and director Seitz indulges the actors from static camera positions while they ham away mightily. This fault is aggravated not only by the extremely mundane and clichéd nature of all the talk, but by the uninteresting players who are doing all the gum-washing. Hall just rattles off his lines like a mechanical automaton, Miss Bari is likewise a talking doll, and the third member of the triangle, Dana Andrews is as customarily stiff as a post (even though this was but his third outing before the cameras). Bond, Huber and Hatton overact in their usual ripe fashion, while other character actors like Stanley Andrews and particularly Edwin Maxwell (who is seen merely in the background though he is portraying the famous Sutter of Sutter's Gold) have little to do. Charley (sic) Stevens gives his usual account of a villainous renegade and C. Henry Gordon soldiers away enthusiastically - but to little account as his lines have no point and are just so much padding.In many ways, Kit Carson is a typical Edward Small production which promises more than it delivers. The producer has an obvious liking for the period historical epic filmed on a somewhat constrained budget. This one could easily be re-edited down to a reasonably lively 60 minutes. But at its present length, with the narrative sagging so badly in the last half-hour - such a let-down after the splendid, vigorously-staged action in the middle of the film - it offers in sum little more than passable entertainment. 2nd unit direction and photography are impressive, but other credits (including Edward Ward's music score derived from Stephen Foster's "I Dream of Jeannie" et al) are no more than routinely competent.

Ed-Shullivan Well they just don't make them like this anymore. I for one would enjoy new releases of this calibre of the western genre. The original western cowboy and the officer and a gentleman vying for the heart of the classy lady who is travelling across the prairies heading for California to re-unite with her wealthy cattle rancher father. The only problem is there are hundreds of Indians behind the tall hills who do not want the Americans settling on the land that they already are sharing with the Mexicans who also have aspirations of taking the beautiful state of California land as their own.The rugged frontiersman is a real life cowboy named Kit Carson (played by Jon Hall) who has teamed up with two of his best friends and loyal followers whose names appropriately are Ape (Ward Bond), and Lopez (Harold Huber). These three amigos agree to be the lead scouts for the wagon train that the unmarried damsel named Dolores Murphy (Lynn Bari) has secured their services for a wheel barrel full of cash. The wagon train also has a flank of American soldiers at their side led by Captain John C. Fremont (Dana Andrews).What is different about this western/romance is that the two alpha males who are vying for Ms. Murphy's affections act more like the courteous animated chipmunks Chip and Dale then two adversaries. Both are true gentlemen and only want Ms. Murphy to be happy with her choice for her future husband.This film is filled with action, light humor, cowboys and Indians, chivalry, romance and a pretty darn good ending for a black and white film released 78 years ago. I liked it a lot and I give it a sound 7 out of 10 rating.

MartinHafer Aside from the novelty of seeing Jon Hall and Harold Huber in a western (as neither were the type to usually do westerns), there isn't a whole lot distinctive about this western. It's one of a billion (give or take 5) that are completely fictional stories about real life westerners. In this case, it's Kit Carson--an interesting guy but also someone where about 98% of what you read and see in movies about his is complete fiction. In this case, it's pretty much more of the same.Kit (Jon Hall) and his friends (Harold Huber and Ward Bond) have just finished an adventure which includes the hilarious pastime of killing Indians and scalping them. So, when the cavalry officer (Dana Andrews) asks them to guide a wagon train west to California, Kit is not interested. However, when Kit gets a gander at a feisty lady, he completely changes his mind and leads the settlers. The problem is that an evil Spanish megalomaniac is planning on turning California into is own little fiefdom and plans on wiping out the settlers. Can Kit and the cavalry stop this nut-job and make America safe for more white folks wanting Indian scalps? Bad history but somewhat entertaining. Not a great film but a decent one if you adore the genre. Not much more I want to say about this rather forgettable film.

bkoganbing The western film Kit Carson, an independent release from United Artists in 1940 presents a rousing action filled portrayal of one of the greatest of American frontier characters. But the real Kit Carson was so much more interesting that it's almost a shame that this one is his screen epitaph. Jon Hall plays Carson in proper frontier style with Mesquiteer like mountain men companions Ward Bond and Harold Huber. Dana Andrews is John C. Fremont noted explorer and surveyor of the west who eventually became the first Republican party presidential candidate. One thing I should dispel right away, they never quarreled over any woman, even one as beautiful as Lynn Bari. Fremont was already married to Jessie Benton, daughter of US Senator Thomas Hart Benton and Carson after living among the Indians and fathering two illegitimate children married the daughter of the governor of New Mexico when it was still in old Mexico. He even took instructions in the Roman Catholic faith to make such a marriage. The action of about two years is compressed into approximately a few months with Fremont's expedition being the catspaw of the US government to check out California to see if it was ripe for the taking. Fremont never took a wagon train to California or anywhere else, especially since he was mapping and surveying the territory that Carson and other mountain knew about before. He had enough trouble getting him and his men over the Rockies and Sierras without women and kids along.Both Hall and Andrews certainly do right by their characterizations of both men and I wish I could rate the film higher. Sad to say though its accuracy is so bad that it's almost on the level of a B western where they use some real life western figure and build a fictitious plot around them. Plenty of action though with Indian fights and then fights with the Mexican army in California. Kit Carson must have done well with the Saturday matinée crowd back in the day.