Replacing George O'Brien as RKO's resident B-Western star, Tim Holt truly looked the part: young, handsome, and athletic. The studio probably didn't do the newcomer any favors by filming Wagon Train back-to-back with The Fargo Kid (1940), but only the latter film seems to have suffered from the strain. In fact, Wagon Train remains not only one of Holt's best Westerns, but one of the best series openers of all time, fast-paced, well-plotted, and featuring an above-average supporting cast. The studio could have spared one of the two sidekicks -- maybe Ray Whitley, whose musical interludes tend to slow the pace -- but leading lady Martha O'Driscoll is ravishing and young Malcolm McTaggart (aka Bud McTaggart) makes a tough-looking rival for her affections. Emmett Lynn's "Whopper" character was a carryover from the George O'Brien series where the grizzled sidekick had been played by Chill Wills.