During California's gold-rush, an undercover marshal, posing as a gunfighter, investigates the murder of another marshal who had been assigned to the region.During California's gold-rush, an undercover marshal, posing as a gunfighter, investigates the murder of another marshal who had been assigned to the region.During California's gold-rush, an undercover marshal, posing as a gunfighter, investigates the murder of another marshal who had been assigned to the region.
Photos
Bill Elliott
- Marshal Sam Nelson
- (as Wild Bill Elliott)
Harry Morgan
- Alf Billings
- (as Henry Morgan)
I. Stanford Jolley
- Everett
- (as Stanford Jolley)
Victor Adamson
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
Gregg Barton
- Card Player
- (uncredited)
George Bell
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
- Barfly Restraining Billings
- (uncredited)
Thomas Carr
- Charlie - Western Union Clerk
- (uncredited)
James Conaty
- Judge
- (uncredited)
Leonard P. Geer
- Defense Attorney
- (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert
- Prosecuting Attorney
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome contemporary reviewers noted this film's narration style was similar to that of Dragnet (1951).
- GoofsThe weapons in this film are 15-25 years in the future. The year setting was stipulated as 1849, but most gunmen carry the 1873 Colt Single Action Army (aka; The Peacemaker), while the lead carries two 1875 Remingtons. The long arms include an 1873 Springfield Rifle and an1873 Springfield Carbine. Least offensive is the Remington Model 95, a pocket over and under Derringer, that went onto the market in 1866 (only 17 years premature!).
Featured review
Working The Middle Man
The Forty Niners may be a western, but it has the tone and documentary approach of a film like Calling Northside 777 or The House On 92nd Street modern crime dramas. It could also be compared to Dick Powell's Station West, a noir like western.
Wild Bill Elliott did this one for Allied Artists and it's a no frills western with accent on characterization as opposed to action, though we have enough of that. Elliott is a US Marshal working undercover to find out who killed one of his peers. It was a modern contract killing and they've got the guy who paid to have it done. He gave up the name of the middle man who arranged the contract and Elliott searches for him to lead him to the killers.
That middle man is Harry Morgan, a small time crooked gambler who has other sidelines. The rather strange bond that forms between Elliott and Morgan is what drives The Forty Niners. In fact in a way Morgan gets the girl here in the person of Virginia Grey who is married to one of Elliott's suspects.
The Forty Niners which title fixes the year and place the story takes place in is a good western with some really good characterizations. It was one of Harry Morgan's best screen roles and if you see it I'm sure you will agree.
Wild Bill Elliott did this one for Allied Artists and it's a no frills western with accent on characterization as opposed to action, though we have enough of that. Elliott is a US Marshal working undercover to find out who killed one of his peers. It was a modern contract killing and they've got the guy who paid to have it done. He gave up the name of the middle man who arranged the contract and Elliott searches for him to lead him to the killers.
That middle man is Harry Morgan, a small time crooked gambler who has other sidelines. The rather strange bond that forms between Elliott and Morgan is what drives The Forty Niners. In fact in a way Morgan gets the girl here in the person of Virginia Grey who is married to one of Elliott's suspects.
The Forty Niners which title fixes the year and place the story takes place in is a good western with some really good characterizations. It was one of Harry Morgan's best screen roles and if you see it I'm sure you will agree.
helpful•61
- bkoganbing
- Jun 30, 2011
Details
- Runtime1 hour 11 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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