Freighters of Destiny

The title of this RKO western refers to the wagons which bore settlers Westward during the mid-19th century. Following in his father's footsteps, Tom Keene guides a wagon train through perilous territory, facing constant danger at the hands of a scurrilous outlaw gang. The bad guys are in the employ of a "respectable" banker, who wants to get his mitts on the freighter franchise and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Barbara Kent is the eminently protectable heroine, while Billy Franey, a fixture of the Tom Keene westerns of the early 1930s, provides comedy relief. Costing a paltry $39,000, Freighters of Destiny earned back its cost more than tenfold. The film was partially remade in 1940 as the Tim Holt western Wagon Train. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi