Kansas Pacific (DVD)

On the eve of the Civil War, southern rebels attack railroad builders in an attempt to stop the Kansas Pacific line from crossing the western frontier. Rugged U.S. Army Captain John Nelson (Sterling Hayden) is sent out to battle the ruthless renegades and make sure the tracks push westward.

Violence and treachery abound as the Captain pursues his bloody mission, but Nelson must continue fighting the relentless saboteurs, not knowing who masterminds the deadly assaults.

With chiseled good looks and strapping physique, Sterling Hayden appeared in many classic greats by legendary directors. The list includes John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) and Dr. Strangelove (1964), Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) and Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973). It is the title role in Nicolas Ray's Johnny Guitar (1954) that many consider to be Hayden's most memorable performance.

• western