Some good performances overcome the scripted cliches in Dakota Incident. In the tradition of
Stagecoach, the film offers a disparate group of travellers whose lives are imperiled when their coach heads deep into Indian territory.
Linda Darnell plays Amy Clarke, the requisite you-know-what with a heart of gold.
Dale Robertson costars as hard-bitten outlaw John Banner, who is willing to let a fellow passenger, bank clerk Carter Hamilton (
John Lund), take the fall for a recent robbery.
Ward Bond is Senator Blakely, whose "live and let live" policy regarding the Indians is a smokescreen for his corrupt activities.
Regis Toomey is the obligatory drunk, here named Minstrel. And
Whit Bissell is Mark Chester, the seemingly mild-mannered greenhorn who reveals hidden reserves of strength when the going gets rough. A clue as to who will survive the inevitable Indian attack is offered by the order of billing in the opening credits of Dakota Incident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide