SANTA FE
DIRECTED BY IRVING PICHEL
PRODUCED BY HARRY JOE BROWN
SCOTT-BROWN PRODUCTIONS
COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Plot Summary
After the Civil War four brothers who fought for the South head west. Yanks are building the Santa Fe Railroad and one of the brothers joins them. The other three still hold their hatred of the North and join up with those trying to stop the railroad's completion. The one brother unsuccessfully tries to keep the other brothers out of trouble but eventually has to join the posse that is after them.
Written by Maurice VanAuken
Cast
Randolph Scott ... Britt Canfield
Janis Carter ... Judith Chandler
Jerome Courtland ... Terry Canfield
Peter M. Thompson ... Tom Canfield (as Peter Thompson)
John Archer ... Clint Canfield
Warner Anderson ... Dave Baxter
Roy Roberts ... Cole Sanders
Billy House ... Luke Plummer
Olin Howland ... Dan Dugan (as Olin Howlin)
Allene Roberts ... Ella Sue Canfield
Jock Mahoney ... Crake (as Jock O'Mahoney)
Harry Cording ... Moose Legrande
Sven Hugo Borg ... 'Swede' Swanstrom
Frank Ferguson ... Marshal Bat Masterson
Irving Pichel ... Harned
Harry Tyler ... Rusty
Chief Thundercloud ... Chief Longfeather
Paul E. Burns ... Uncle Dick Wootton
and many more...
Directed
Irving Pichel
Writing Credits
Kenneth Gamet ... (screenplay)
James Vance Marshall ... (novel) (as James Marshall)
Louis Stevens ... (story)
Produced
Harry Joe Brown ... producer
Music
Paul Sawtell ... (musical score)
Cinematography
Charles Lawton Jr. ... director of photography
Trivia
After the Indian Chief ran the train, Scott told the Chief someday they will name a train after him. They did: the Santa Fe Super Chief.
The cards that Luke and Dan are playing with were made by the Bicycle Card Company founded in 1885, some 20 years after the time setting for the movie.
The Santa Fe locomotive shown is #1, the C.K. Holliday. It's named after Cyrus K Holliday, the first President of the railroad.
Opening credits: The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely accidental and coincidental.
Goofs
Anachronisms
The story is set post-civil war, but all the major characters carry Colt Peacemakers with 4 3/4 inch barrels. This model was developed for the US Army in 1873. Civilian sales started in 1875, and the 4-3/4 barrel length wasn't available until 1877.
The train is equipped with knuckle couplers and Westinghouse air brakes, neither of which existed at the time.
Factual errors
The narration says Lincoln said "with malice toward none, with charity towards all" at Gettysburg. The quote is from his second inaugural address delivered at the capitol.
The film shows the railroad being completed into Santa Fe, NM. The AT&SF railroad never went to Santa Fe (despite the name). Although the main line did not reach Santa Fe, a branch line was constructed to stop there.
In the first few scenes, modern 3 phase electric power lines are visible.
That kind of power had not been invented then.
A locomotive is shown with the marking "Denver Rio Grande" on its side.
It should have been "Denver & Rio Grande"
Filming Locations
Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA
Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA
Sonoita, Arizona, USA
Patagonia, Arizona, USA