Night Passage

Night Passage is a 1957 American Western film directed by James Neilson and starring James Stewart and Audie Murphy. Plot On the way to meet his former boss, railroad tycoon Ben Kimball, Grant McLaine rescues a young boy, Joey Adams, from Concho. Ben informs Grant that his payroll has been robbed three times already by a gang led by Whitey Harbin and the Utica Kid. If Ben's workers do not get paid soon, they will all leave the end-of-track work camp. Over the objections of Kimball's number 2, Jeff Kurth, Grant accepts the undercover job of carrying $10,000 to the crew by train. Kurth bets his job that Grant will fail. When the train is held up again, Grant hides the money in a shoebox carried by Joey. The ploy works, but the young boy turns out to be friends with the Utica Kid, who takes him along with him. When the robbers cannot find the money, Whitey kidnaps Ben's wife Verna to hold for ransom. Concho, a gang member, pistol-whips Grant, sending him tumbling down the steep embankment unconscious. The train leaves without him. When Grant wakes up, he trails the gang to an abandoned mining camp. He boldly asks to join up, revealing that he is the Kid's older brother. Utica is suspicious of his heretofore honest sibling, so Whitey (who dislikes the Kid) accepts him. Concho tries to shoot Grant unexpectedly, but Grant is faster on the draw. Afterwards, he tells the Kid where the money is in an attempt to reform his brother. It does not work. The Kid gives Grant ten minutes to leave before he tells the gang, but Grant calls his bluff.