Pony Express Days

I recognized some stock footage of Dodge City in this short subject about the Pony Express Days. I also got the impression that the film was supposed to be a feature, but for one reason or another was cut down to a short subject and cast with many of Warner Brothers B list players.

The famous legend of the Pony Express bringing the news of Lincoln's election to California is shown here. That the existence of this mail and communication service to our West Coast did a lot to keep California in the union is simply accepted. The Pony Express knew it was on a short term existence, the telegraph was in existence for a decade and a half and it would move sooner or later across the plains as did the railroad, but only after the Civil War.

Before he was Superman, before he played Sir Galahad in a serial, George Reeves takes on the part of the Pony Express's most famous alumnus William F. Cody. Probably Stephen Baldwin in The Young Riders was a lot closer to the real Cody, but Reeves does all right with the part. That it was in fact Cody who brought the word of the election returns I'm not sure of.

Still it's a nice story about young Buffalo Bill.