Head railroad man Dan is as ugly as he is honorable. When he spots a drifter who'd hopped a freight held up by a landslide, Dan offers the man a job; then he finds the man was a railroader, too, and takes him under his wing. Engaged to Mary, Dan doesn't notice the growing attraction between his protégé and his intended but focuses instead on running the railroad.
Practical Effects
Real locomotives, real stunts, real danger—no fakery here.
Acting
Wolheim's craggy face tells the whole story.
Cinematography
Glorious location shooting in Montana wilderness.
Director
George B. Seitz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot on location at the Milwaukee Road in Montana with real railroad workers as extras—some hadn't seen a camera before.
Louis Wolheim died just months after release; this was among his final performances, making Dan's weathered resignation hit different.
US
