Dawn on the Great Divide (1942)

Best wagon train scene ever!
I haven't seen this copy, so I don't know if they will publish this review, but I already have the movie. The almost-ten-minute wagon train scene near the beginning is priceless. It's constantly, slowly moving and done so well you really get the feel for what such a trip must have been like. A variety of people from that era are characterized rather well for a B western. There is tragedy at the beginning which leads to Mona Barry doing a rendition of "Rock of Ages" acapella which, along with her short commentary about herself after, will break your heart. I've never heard anything like it. Tears flow every time I watch it. Great stuff Mona, wherever you are.

Again Buck gets to hold a baby and call him "little shaver". I love that. Buck does a solid job as always. This was his last movie before dying in the Cocoanut Grove fire in '42. The story line is good and there is the occasional nifty quote - "I've got to hand it to you Easterners, you sure are slick with the...

WHEELS OF FATE
This movie was taken from a story by James Curwood entitled "Wheels of Fate", and for me that title fits much better than "Dawn on the Great Divide". The years 1941 and 1942 saw several of the Rough Riders films made and though this movie is good, it doesn't have the jump that many of the others have. This was the last film for Buck Jones, and it is not his best performance, as he looks somewhat tired and it affected his performance.

His leading lady, co star actually, was a gal born in England, trained in Australia, named Mona Barrie. Before dying in 1964 she racked up quite a few movies, as well as stage performances, and she truly turns in a very memorable performance in this film. For me, she saves this movie.

The cast of stock characters is good with the usual suspects on board, especially Roy Barcroft, and Raymond Hatton, did they ever make a western without Roy Barcroft. And an extra treat is a very young Tris Coffin who plays Mona's husband but ends up...

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Dawn of the Great Divide (1942)"
VCI Entertainment and Monogram Pictures present "Dawn of the Great Divide" (1942) (digitally remastered), although The Rough Riders had a short run, they turned out some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee screen...our story is the final of eight in the Rough Riders series is a better than average oater...Buck Jones (Buck Roberts) and Raymond Hatton (Sandy Hopkins) continue with the same characterization...Tim McCoy was placed on active duty in WWII, replaced by Rex Bell (Jack Carson) as the third member of the trio...Buck and Sandy are leading a wagon train loaded with railroad supplies to expand the West...our favorite villain Harry Woods with Roy Barcroft, Robert Frazer, I. Stanford Jolley, Reed Howes and Bud Osborne are up to no good...disguised as Indians during the attacks they plan to stop Buck at all costs...the three Buck, Sandy and Rex Bell are working undercover and have the situation well in hand, if you don't believe it check with the Monogram...

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