The Last Wagon on AllMovie

Richard Widmark once again essays a character who could be either hero or heel in the rugged western The Last Wagon. After cold-bloodedly shooting down the three men responsible for the death of his wife, Widmark is captured, chained up, and thrown into a wagon heading eastward. Soon afterward, the wagon train is attacked by Indians; the only survivors are Widmark and a group of orphaned children. Freed from his shackles, Widmark proves he's made of the right stuff by shepherding the children to safety. Marred only by a too-pat ending, The Last Wagon is one of the best of the Delmer Daves-directed westerns, as well as an excellent showcase for such "new talent" as Felicia Farr, Susan Kohner, Tommy Rettig, Nick Adams and James Drury.