Pony Express Rider

Pony Express Rider (1861P)

Pony Express Rider
Premiere date	1976
Genre	Western
Rating	G
Runtime	1h 40m
Directed by	Robert Totten
Written by	Dan Greer, Hal Harrison, Robert Totten
Music by	Robert O. Ragland
Produced by	Lyman Dayton
Series
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Movie Overview

Pony Express Rider is a 1976 Western set in 1861 during the years of the Pony Express. It follows a young Texas farmer Jimmy Richardson (Stewart Petersen) who wants to marry Rose of Sharon (Maureen McCormick). Her big brother Bovey Kingman (Buck Taylor) does not approve. The Kingman family, which includes father Trevor Kingman (Henry Wilcoxon) are wealthy ranchers of the Triple Axe Range and Trevor is seeking a career in politics as the Governor of the newly established Nevada Territory. Before leaving, Trevor puts his son in charge of the Triple Axe with instruction to negotiate with Jimmy's father, poor goat-herder Jed Richardson (Ken Curtis), and the movement of steers through the Triple Axe. The negotiations however ended with a fist fight between Jed and Bovey in which Jed came out on top. Bovey then shoots Jed in the back, killing him. After burring his father, Jimmy sets his sights on the Nevada Governors Mansion on a mission of vengeance and justice. In an attempt to get to Carson City, Nevada as fast as possible, he takes a job as a Pony Express Courier and meets several different characters along the way (along with some of the best western character actors of the period) including Pony Express Employee Bob Jay (Slim Pickens), Crazy Charlie Plum (Jack Elam), and saving a young girl whose family was killed who was the niece of Washroom Attendant Boomer Riley (Dub Taylor). Unbeknownst to Jimmy, Bovey was not in Nevada, but on his trail to Nevada in order to stop him. Upon reaching the Nevada Governors Mansion, Trevor Kingman finishes holding court to a Confederate Sympathizer who wants Nevada to support the Southern Cause. Trevor refuses and decides to return to Texas with his daughter Rose when he is surprised by Jimmy who holds him at gunpoint, acquiring the whereabouts of Bovey. After Jimmy explains his fathers murder, Bovey shows up and is apprehended for the murder of Jed Richardson. The movie ends in Nevada with Rose and Jimmy contemplating their next move.

This movie is mainly Jimmy Richardson vs Bovey Kingman with a series of guest stars acting expectedly. The film is shot in a very similar style to the TV show "Gunsmoke" and has certain historical inaccuracies. In the opening credits there is an advertisement for "Zang's Beer" which didn't really exist in that form until 1888. More importantly the Pony Express never came close to Texas, nor Oklahoma and barely Kansas. Jimmy would have had to travel about 300 miles out of his way to link up with the Pony Express in order to get to Carson City Nevada. They did, however get a few things right. The movie establishes that the President of the United States was James Buchanan before Abraham Lincoln and that Nevada became a territory in 1861.

Historical inaccuracies with the Pony Express

Pony Express Additional Southern Route

The Pony Express operated for 18 months in 1860 and 1861 and was a route between St. Joseph Missouri and San Francisco, passing through Fort Kearny, Nebraska; Fort Laramie, Wyoming; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Carson City, Nevada. In the Val Verde Cinematic Universe, a second route must have been introduced in 1861 from San Antonio, Texas to California, passing though Sweetwater, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Linking up with the original route at Pacific Springs, Wyoming, passing over the Big Sandy River in Wyoming; through Elko, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada (see map). Our evidence in the film comes from the following;

1. In the scene after Jimmy D. gets sworn in as a Pony Express Rider, he passes a Pony Express poster reading "Pony Express Letters, Office 64 Broadway"; Broadway is a road in San Antonio however at this time it was known as Avenue C. It wasn't officially adopted as Broadway Street until 1913, however the term "Broad Way" simply referred to a large street at that time and Avenue C was known as the "Broad Way" unofficially. 64 Broadway while doesn't exist today, (the road picks up at 100) would be located in downtown, San Antonio, and would have been populated during this time. The road essentially served the function of a highway, certainly a thoroughfare that the Pony Express would want to use to get in and out of the town quickly.
2. When Bovey talks to Bob Jay, Bob Jay says that Jimmy D. was laying over at Sweetwater Station, which would make sense as Sweetwater, Texas is Northwest of San Antonio.
3. In the opening credits of the movie there is an advertisement for Zang Beer - Philip Zang (1826 - 1899) was the founder of Zang's beer. He was a German born brewer who got his start in Louisville, Kentucky with Phoenix Brewery in 1859. In 1869 he sold his business and moved to Denver, Colorado. He bought the Rocky Mountain Brewing Company and renamed it to Philip Zang & Co. in 1871 at which point he began selling "Zang's Beer," around 1888, thirty years after the events of "The Pony Express Rider." We can extrapolate two things from the Zang's Beer Advertisement that appears during the opening credits of the film. First, in the Val Verde Cinematic Universe, Philip Zang moved to Denver before 1861 and started selling Zang's Beer at least 30 years before he historically did and that in the Val Verde Cinematic Universe, the Pony Express ran through Denver, home of Zang's Beer.
4. When Jimmy D. runs into Yankee Bill, they are in Wyoming and on the way to Pacific Springs followed by the Big Sandy River. Pacific Springs was a stop on the Oregon Trail in Wyoming and the Big Sandy River, a tributary of the Green River in Wyoming, is South West of Pacific Springs.
5. Rebecca states that she is trying to find Boomer Riley in Elko, Nevada, which is where Jimmy D. is heading on his route.
6. The Nevada Governor's Mansion would be in or around Carson City.

If Jimmy D.'s first stop was in San Antonio, then we can also make the assumption that the Triple Axe Ranch is somewhere in the vicinity of San Antonio.

Val Verde Cinematic Universe Connections

Strong Connection

1. Dub Taylor plays the same character named Boomer Riley in The Pony Express Rider, Bandalero!, and Back to the Future III.

Plot (P)

The year is 1861. The United States is heading toward civil war. Our story begins on the Triple Axe Ranch located South of San Antonio, Texas. Jimmy D. Richardson, a farm boy who works on the property, is in love with Rose of Sharon, daughter of Trever Kingman, owner of the Triple Axe. He meets Rose on the farm as she is taring a log cabin that they are building together and teases her. She eventually has enough and she throws tar on Jimmy D. in a playful manner. Jimmy D. then chases down Rose and they fall to the ground in love, talking about marriage. Unsuspectedly, Bovey Kingman, Rose's brother, rides up on horseback, lassoes the couple, and drags them behind his horse through the meadow. Bovey then stops and the two complain that the rope is too tight, Bovey loosens the rope for his sister but insists that Jimmy D. not move. After telling Rose to head back home, Bovey tells Jimmy D. that a farm boy can not date his sister who is a Kingman. Jimmy D. escapes the ropes and he and Bovey start fist fighting. Bovey gets the best of Jimmy D. and wins the fight before following Rose of Sharon back to his father's ranch house.

At the Triple Axe Ranch Headquarters, Trevor Kingman is holding court with his political allies and local goat herder Jed Richardson, Jimmy D.'s father. Trevor is set to depart for Nevada to become the new Governor of that territory but is delayed by Jeb who is having an argument over the movement of a Triple Axe Cattle Heard to calf in the goat's bottomland. Trevor and Jeb have been friends for twenty years, but this decision will jeopardize the livelihood of Jeb's heard and his is upset that he has no input on this decision. Bovey then returns from his fight with Jimmy D. and Trever asks Jeb to help run the Triple Axe with his son Bovey. Jeb explains that he has little experience with longhorn cattle and does not want anything to do with them, but Trevor insists and tells him to either move his goats or vacate his house on the Triple Axe. Jeb tells Trever that he is no Governor and he has forgotten that his just a cowboy and departs for his home. Bovey is upset that Trever lets Jeb talk to him in such a manner, but Trevor encourages Bovey to help Jeb come around and to work with him on the futures of the Triple Axe. Bovey agrees and Trever departs with his daughter Rose of Sharon for Nevada to meet with President Buchanan's men. They stop at the Kingman company store on the way out of town where they meet with their official U.S. escort under the command of Capt. Billings. Puddin, a Texas Ranger, is also on the escort as appointed by Trever Kingman and the company decides to work together, although with some reservations.

Back at the Richardson's house, Jimmy D. and Jeb have a meaningful talk about the fight that occurred earlier that day and Jimmy D. intentions of marrying Rose of Sharon before dinner that Marquette, Jimmy D.'s mother, prepared for the family including Jimmy D.'s little brothers David and Bobby Charles. At dessert time, Marquette leaves abruptly. She is worried that the Kingman's are going to kick the Richardson's out of their home. While Marquette and Jeb talk, Kingman ranch hand Button Forehand arrives on the property with a message from Bovey to meet with him at the Triple Axe Ranch Headquarters to discuss when the Richardson's plan to leave because the Longhorns will be headed through the lowlands in the morning. Jeb agrees and heads to the Headquarters with Button in the middle of the night.

Button and Jeb arrive at the Triple Axe Ranch Headquarters and find Bovey throwing a party at the Triple Axe Ranch with his girl Glee Ann and friends. Bovey tells Jeb that he is not interested in teaching Jeb how to work with Longhorn Cattle, and that in the morning his cattle will be driven down to the bottomland. Bovey wants to get rid of Jeb one way or another and the conversation ends with Jeb telling Bovey to "go to hell." A fist fight ensues between the two in which Jeb handedly wins, however when Jeb goes to the bar for some whisky after the fight, Bovey pulls out a pistol and shoots Jeb in the back, killing him.

The following day, the Richardsons bury their father and as soon as the ceremony ends Jimmy D. rides off to find Bovey and seek revenge. He comes across the longhorn cattle as they are herded to the lowlands and asks the cowhands if they have seen Bovey, but they haven't. That night he arrives at the Kingman Company Store and asks Geech, the store clerk about Bovey's whereabouts. Geech advises Jimmy D. that Bovey is probably heading to see his father in Nevada after he murdered a man. Jimmy D. heeds his advice and starts on the road to the new capitol of the Territory of Nevada, Carson City. He ventures north to San Antonio from the Triple Axe Ranch and comes across a slain courier named Holiday. Little Holiday was courier for the newly adopted southern rout of the Pony Express that begins in San Antonio. Apparently Holiday was shot in the back with a Comanche Arrow.

Outside of San Antonio Captain Bob Jay and Bullfrog, two employees of the Pony Express, await the return of Holiday and grow nervous that he has been killed in the line of duty by the Comanche Indians. They are about to backtrack to find the boy, when Jimmy D. rides up with the Pony Express satchel he acquired from Holiday. Bob Jay and Bullfrog morn the death of Holiday, but offer up his job as a Pony Express Courier to Jimmy D. which he accepts as long as the route takes him west. After being sworn in by freighting firm of William H. Russell, Alexander Majors and William B. Waddell, Jimmy D. heads Northwest toward Sweetwater, Texas.

Meanwhile, Bovey received a message from Glee Ann that Jimmy D. was seeking revenge on the Kingman family and was riding to Carson City. Bovey then mounts up to attempt to catch him before he gets to Nevada. He stops in San Antonio and catches up with Bob Jay at the Pony Express station. Posing as Jimmy D.'s brother, Bovey talks to Bob Jay and gets him to reveal Jimmy D.'s new position as a courier and the route he is taking.

Some time passes and Jimmy D. has made it into Wyoming. He stops at a station for the night and is introduced to Yankee Bill, one of the toughest riders in the company. Jimmy D. asks Yankee Bill where he rides and Yankee Bill says he rides up to Pacific Springs, Wyoming and he used to go to the Big Sandy River until the company cut his route shorter; about an 80 mile ride. Jimmy D. wants to take that route for Yankee Bill, but Bill warns Jimmy D. that he will be going through Paiute Country, and it can be dangerous. Bill agrees to let Jimmy D. have the run and Jimmy D. indeed runs into trouble with the Paiute Indians who chase him down until he shoots one of their warriors with a pistol, scaring them off. This conflict re-directed Jimmy D., putting him behind schedule by a day.

Bovey is still hot on Jimmy D.'s tail and closes the gab between the two to about 12 hours. He inquires about him at the Wyoming Camp, again posing as Jimmy D.'s brother, and is told what direction to ride, toward Pacific Springs. Bovey then rides hard and passes Jimmy D., beating him to Elko, Nevada. Jimmy D. comes across a house near the Big Sandy River that the Paiute Indians attacked and finds an 8 year old girl who the Indians missed named Rebecca Davidson. She tells Jimmy D. that the Indians killed her parents and she is trying to get to Boomer Riley in Elko, Nevada. Jimmy D's horse went lame and he tells Rebecca that she can come with him on the walk to Elko.

The couple comes across a brick house with horses, and they intend to take one. Jimmy D. checks the house and is surprised by and a striking character named Crazy Charlie Plum who is a wanted man. With a gun to Jimmy D.'s head Charlie interrogates the young man until he recognizes him as a friend. Its apparent that Crazy Charlie is indeed crazy as he refers to his gang that is imaginary and shoots his guns off in the house. He offers Jimmy D. some food but takes his Pony Express satchel believing that is has booze in it. Meanwhile Bovey settles into an Elko Hotel, coincidentally the same one that Boomer Riley is employed as a bath attendant and barber. Bovey instructs the woman at the front desk named Charlotte to wake him up when the Pony Express Boy comes, and she reluctantly agrees.

Crazy Charlie passes out upstairs in the house, and Jimmy D. goes to retrieve his Pony Express Satchel and Mail that Crazy Charlie removed. In the process, he wakes up Crazy Charlie and tells him that an important governmental person is there to see him at the front door. Charlie believes this man to be there to decorate him and his men. While Crazy Charlie is distracted, Jimmy D. jumps off the second story balcony and grabs the horse that Rebecca has been saddling and the two ride toward Elko. Boomer Riley is attending the baths in Elko and talk about wanting to get out of town as one of the tenants exits the stall. Boomer seems somewhat disgruntled with his job as Jimmy D. and Rebecca ride into town. When Ms. Charlotte discovers Jimmy D. has a young girl with him, she decides not to tell Bovey about Jimmy D., and when Jimmy D. enters the hotel he reacquaints Boomer with his niece. Boomer promises to look over the child as his own and is greatful to Jimmy D. seeing her safely to Elko. Ms. Charlotte encourages Jimmy D. to leave quickly, and Jimmy D. reluctantly leaves Elko for Carson City while Bovey sleeps upstairs. Ms. Charlotte then wakens Bovey and tells him that Jimmy D. had just left. Upset that Ms. Charlotte didn't tell him sooner, Bovey leaves immediately in pursuit.

Jimmy D. makes it to about 10 miles from the Carson City Governors Mansion when he arrives at his last Pony Express Outpost at which point he drops the mail off, grabs a new horse and proceeds to the Mansion, promising to return the horse later. At the Governors Mansion, Governor Kingman is receiving a guest by the name of Mr. Price. Mr. Price brings news of the Southern Succession of the Union and that Civil War is brewing in the Southern States. He proposes that the State of California and Territory of Nevada should be split off from the Union and join the Southern cause, and it is in this plan that Trevor Kingman was appointed Governor of the Territory. Trevor sees this move as being treasonous, and is angered that he may have been put in as a Puppet Governor. He commands that Mr. Price and Mr. Blackmore, Kingman's council, to leave the premises. Storming upstairs he tells Rose of Sharon to pack her bags as they are going to return to the Triple Axe when he is suprized when Jimmy D. climes through the window with a pistol in hand. Texas Ranger Puddin is in the room and draws on Jimmy D. who tells Puddin to holster his weapon or he will shoot Trevor Kingman. Jimmy D. asks for Bovey, and says he is going to kill him, but Trevor and Rose of Sharon don't know his whereabouts. Jimmy D. then tells them that Bovey killed his father, and Trevor is stricken with anguish at the news. Suddenly Bovey enters the house but is restrained by the U.S. Officers before being let up to see his father by Puddin who takes Bovey's sidepiece. Upon entering the room, Bovey sees Jimmy D. with a drawn gun on him as Trevor Kingman questions him: "who is running the ranch?" Trevor asks Bovey if he shot Jeb Richardson and Bovey tells Trevor that he did as his father instructed, to move Jeb or get rid of him. Bovey continues saying that he was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. With Bovey's confession, Ranger Puddin arrests Bovey as his father says that he never wants to see him again, ever. Bovey is then locked in the stables and is planned to return to Texas to hang.

In the end, Jimmy D. is reunited with Rose of Sharon, and the Kingman party makes plans to return to the Triple Axe. Trevor asks Puddin "What the devil am I?" and Puddin replies "Well Mr. Kingman, I figure you already know the answer to that." "Well sir you're just a Texas cowboy."

Aftermath

Trevor Kingman's entourage prepare for their return journey back to the Triple Axe. He insists that Jimmy D. and Rose of Sharon accompany them. Jimmy D. has to tie up some loose ends. On the ride home he returns the Pony Express's Horse and collects his paycheck. They travel back through Elko to thank Ms. Charlotte, Boomer, and Rebecca. After an invitation from Trevor Kingman, Boomer Riley and Rebecca decide to join the Kingman party and move to Texas for a brighter and more secure future. Upon returning to the Triple Axe, Trevor attempts to make amends to the Richardsons. He grants their house and land to them and approves the marriage of Jimmy D. and Rose of Sharon. Finally, Bovey is hung for the murder of Jeb Richardson.

Despite a heavy subsidy, the Pony Express was not a financial success and went bankrupt in 18 months, when a faster telegraph service was established. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system of communications could be established and operated year-round. When replaced by the telegraph, the Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the Old West. Its reliance on the ability and endurance of hardy riders and fast horses was seen as evidence of rugged American individualism of the frontier times.

Cast

• Stewart Petersen as Jimmie D. Richardson
• Henry Wilcoxon as Trevor Kingman
• Buck Taylor as Bovey Kingman
• Maureen McCormick as Rose of Sharon
• Ken Curtis as Jed Richardson
• Joan Caulfield as Charlotte
• Slim Pickens as Bob Jay
• Dub Taylor as Boomer Riley (=)
• Ace Reid as Bullfrog Fry
• Jack Elam as Crazy Charlie
• Larry D. Mann as Blackmore
• James Almanzar as Puddin
• Bea Morris as Marquette Richardson
• Tom Waters as Button Forehand
• Cliff Brand as Capt. Billings
• Bleu McKenzie as Yankee Bill
• George Roland II as Mr. Price
• Scott Petersen as David Richardson
• Harold Lee Thompson as Buddy Rhodes
• Delmer Buddy Totten as Bobby Charles Richardson
• Donna Jamison as Glee Ann
• Dennis Lehane as Cpl. Ross
• Bill Conklin as Smiles