Rating: 
Summary: Flynn romances de Havilland on the eve of the Civil War
Review: "Santa Fe Trail" is a fine action film giving viewers another chance to watch Errol Flynn romance Olivia de Havilland, with Ronald Reagan playing the best friend who loses out on the gal. Just to make things interesting in this 1940 film directed by Michael Curtiz, Flynn plays James Elwell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart and Reagan plays George Armstrong Cuter (Olivia is Kit Carson Halliday, but she's not THAT Kit Carson). Screenwriter Robert Buckner takes some of the better known generals from the Civil War--Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Pickett, Hood--and turns them into a young band of brothers out to bring order to the frontier at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The true Civil War history buff will marvel every time the film gets something right (e.g., Stuart really did graduate from West Point in 1954), and the film ends on an ominous note with Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) commanding the troops that capture John Brown (Raymond Massey) at Harpers Ferry. I am not complaining because I saw a movie version of "Moby Dick" where Ahab kills the whale, so I certainly do not expect much from Hollywood at that point in time. So when the characters never actually make it as far as the Santa Fe Trail, I am not overly surprised. As the tagline for "Santa Fe Trail" declared: "They carved a path through the wilderness... then paved it with bullets and lives!" Flynn gets the girl, Reagan helps him get the bad guys, and Alan Hale provides some comic relief as legendary scout Tex Bell. For my money the action sequences are better in "Santa Fe Trail" than when Flynn gets his chance to play Custer in "They Died With Their Boots On."
Rating:
Summary: Flynn romances de Havilland on the eve of the Civil War
Review: "Santa Fe Trail" is a fine action film giving viewers another chance to watch Errol Flynn romance Olivia de Havilland, with Ronald Reagan playing the best friend who loses out on the gal. Just to make things interesting in this 1940 film directed by Michael Curtiz, Flynn plays James Elwell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart and Reagan plays George Armstrong Cuter (Olivia is Kit Carson Halliday, but she's not THAT Kit Carson). Screenwriter Robert Buckner takes some of the better known generals from the Civil War--Stuart, Custer, Sheridan, Longstreet, Pickett, Hood--and turns them into a young band of brothers out to bring order to the frontier at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The true Civil War history buff will marvel every time the film gets something right (e.g., Stuart really did graduate from West Point in 1954), and the film ends on an ominous note with Robert E. Lee (Moroni Olson) commanding the troops that capture John Brown (Raymond Massey) at Harpers Ferry. I am not complaining because I saw a movie version of "Moby Dick" where Ahab kills the whale, so I certainly do not expect much from Hollywood at that point in time. So when the characters never actually make it as far as the Santa Fe Trail, I am not overly surprised. As the tagline for "Santa Fe Trail" declared: "They carved a path through the wilderness... then paved it with bullets and lives!" Flynn gets the girl, Reagan helps him get the bad guys, and Alan Hale provides some comic relief as legendary scout Tex Bell. For my money the action sequences are better in "Santa Fe Trail" than when Flynn gets his chance to play Custer in "They Died With Their Boots On."
Rating: 
Summary: John Brown a Role Model
Review: An undercurrent theme of the movie is a man who would give his life so black men may be free from slavery. Such a man must be insane. John Brown was a religious zealot. Who believed serving God was man's ultimate purpose. That meant God before family members. That meant training his children to give up their lives so other men may become free.
This movie depicts Mr. Brown as a mad man. The Earl Flynn character says he is against one man taking the law into his own hand. Yet he is depicting Jeb Stuart who joined the Confederate Army who were in open rebellion against the United States of America, because he did not like the election result. In support of nullification of a National election. I will take John Brown's treason over Jeb Stuart's anyday. This movie is sympathetic to one of the worst causes ever fought.
Rating:
Summary: Action, Romance, Comedy, Politics
Review: Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan star as soldiers out to thwart abolitionist John Brown in this action film set in the years just prior to the start of the Civil War. The U.S. is divided on the issue of slavery, and Brown has managed to stir the pot quite a bit. Flynn's best leading lady Olivia de Havilland is along again, this time as the tomboy that both Flynn and Reagan love. Van Heflin is a former fellow cadet of theirs who works for Brown, and Alan Hale is along for another ride with Flynn, providing the comic relief as usual. The performances are all good, with particular praise going to Raymond Massey as Brown, giving an insane, Jesus-like turn as the man whose motives are right, but whose means are very, very wrong. The script mixes a lot of action with humour and romance, plus a few political speeches. The happy ending seems tacked on, but other than that, it works well enough. A lot of people comment on the historical inaccuracies of this film (it's even mentioned on the video box description!), but my reaction has always been that you don't watch a Hollywood movie for a history lesson. Dramatic necessities will always lead to changing history to suit the film's needs. Instead, just sit back, enjoy the action, the chemistry of Flynn and de Havilland, the humour, the great score, and simply take away the idea of what the time must have been like, rather than the facts.
Rating:
Summary: Santa Fe Trail
Review: For all those DVD owners who are Errol Flynn fans or just plain love movies of the 30's and 40's, Santa Fe Trail is a fine film. Never mind political correctness or historical accuracy (none to be found), just smile and emerse yourselves in great entertainment by great stars...Errol Flynn (JEB Stuart), Raymond Massey (an awesome John Brown), Ronald Reagan (Custer), Olivia de Havilland, Alan Hale, et al. Solid performances by all.The Roan Group did a good job transferring the movie to DVD...the sound is good and the picture clear. One can only hope that more of Flynn's movies will be transferred to DVD. To date none of his truly great movies, The Adventure's of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, Gentleman Jim, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Dodge City, Captain Blood, and Objective Burma are no where to be seen on the DVD horizon. A real travesty for all fans of Hollywood's Golden Age.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Great Shoot-em'-Ups
Review: I am a die hard western fan and these are two darn good Shoot-em'-ups. The print of Santa Fe Trail is the best print of it I have ever seen. The "B" title... Abilene Town is pretty darn good too.
Rating:
Summary: CHARGE
Review: I am a die-hard western fan and Santa Fe Trail is one of my favorite movies... even if it is not historically accurate. Abilene Town was a nice team-up from Marengo Films. Santa Fe Trail is the best print I have ever seen of this movie and Abilene town is probably the best I have ever seen of it and may be the only DVD of this film... so I highly recommend this DVD as a great bargain.
Rating:
Summary: John Brown should be the hero
Review: I've always liked Sante Fe Trail even though it may not be the most accurate and is definately not PC. Whenever I see this movie I can't help rooting for John Brown to succeed. The quality of the movie is very good. There are only a frames that are not crisp. I didn't notice any hiss. The quality is Abilene Town is not great, but it is very watchable. The image is mostly dull and blurry, but there wasn't any hiss. This movie suprised me because of the plot and acting. Both are good. The love intrest does not follow the normal formula. This DVD is worth purchasing. Another reviewer stated that he hadn't ever seen Abilene Town on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: John Brown should be the hero
Review: I've always liked Sante Fe Trail even though it may not be the most accurate and is definately not PC. Whenever I see this movie I can't help rooting for John Brown to succeed. The quality of the movie is very good. There are only a frames that are not crisp. I didn't notice any hiss. The quality is Abilene Town is not great, but it is very watchable. The image is mostly dull and blurry, but there wasn't any hiss. This movie suprised me because of the plot and acting. Both are good. The love intrest does not follow the normal formula. This DVD is worth purchasing. Another reviewer stated that he hadn't ever seen Abilene Town on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Sorry Errol
Review: If you're an Errol FLynn fan let me warn you, Flynn hardly ever even gets to touch a sword in this film! He's very cramped in this roll; and even much of his ordinary charm, doesn't come through.
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