“Gold is only yellow gravel!”. That’s the philosophy of frontiersman-cum-entrepreneur “Logan” (Dana Andrews) as he tries to establish a thriving freight business amidst the backwoods of Oregon. He’s helped by the pragmatic “Clenchfield” (Halliwell Hobbes) which is just as well because there are plenty like “Bragg” (Ward Bond) who want to see him fall flat. He’s also a bit conflicted on the romantic front too.  “Lucy” (Susan Hayward) is hitched to his best pal, the unreliable “George” (Brian Donlevy) and then there’s the younger “Caroline” (Patricia Roc) too. Things really begin to hot up when “George” is accused of murder and then "Bragg” manages to goad the local Indian population, already irritated by the encroachment of the settlers and their cabins, into a murderous series of raids that raze fires and pile up corpses all over the territory. With chaos reigning, perhaps it might be time for “Logan” to rethink his plans? On the face of it, the story itself isn’t so very innovative nor is Andrews especially charismatic as the lead, but there is something visually impressive about this picture. For a start, there isn’t a town as such - more a collection of rudimentary log cabins amidst some pristine mountain scenery that looks like a far more convincing representation of pioneering life. Even the relatively wealthy “Logan” lives from the same fields, streams and in the same community as the subsistence farmers clearing rocks from their fields. I usually enjoyed Andy Devine’s characters, and though perhaps he ought not to have engaged in his brief spell of crooning here, he leads a solid supporting cast of sleeves-rolled-up personalities who embody the spirit of 19th century America. There’s also a little from Hoagy Carmichael as a latter day “Will Scarlett”, a-wandering with his ukulele in hand cheering up the settlers. What also works better here is the role of the natives. There’s no scalping, head-dresses and Winchesters, instead we see a society that genuinely felt threatened by these new arrivals who claimed ownership of just about everything they could see, and tried to pay up with the odd basketful of apples. There's nothing certain about how this might end, and I felt that fitting as this episode in expansion leads, inevitably, to the next.

**_Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, and Brian Donlevy in 1856 Oregon_** This captures the spirit of Ernest Haycox’s lyrical storytelling with developed characters and outstanding location shooting. Andrews stars as an ambitious businessman whose plans are interrupted by his compassion for afflicted hombres. Hayward is on hand as his potential romantic interest, along with Patricia Roc, while Donlevy plays an indebted gambler, also with eyes for Hayward. Several other characters are fleshed out, such as a burly ne’er-do-well (Ward Bond), a bemused minstrel (Hoagy Carmichael), a cynical gambler (Onslow Stevens), a young hothead (Lloyd Bridges) and a genial farmer (Andy Divine). On top of all of this is the inclusion of interesting historical bits, such as the Rogue River Wars, which involved uprising Indians, as well as the fact that Jacksonville, Oregon, was founded as a gold mining camp around 1852 and so utilizing sacks of gold dust to purchase things is relevant. Speaking of the Indians, they’re well-depicted and not phony. It runs 1h 31m and was shot around Diamond Lake in southwest Oregon. The two mountains often seen in the background are Mt. Thielston, the pointy one to the east of the lake, and Mt. Bailey, which is west of the lake. Some scenes were filmed at Crater Lake National Park, which is south of the Lake. Other stuff was done at Universal Studios, north of Hollywood, including the backlot town. GRADE: B+