Back in the days when the West was young and bandits roamed the land, one great institution held Young America together: the stagecoach. Movie producers through the years have immortalized the long trip west, the peril of Indians and the fear of evil gunmen. Now, in the story of the saga Overland Stage, the saga of the men who made the trip possible has been told.

In "Rawhide," Tyrone Power is a stable hand for one of the small mountain pass outposts. But he doesn't like the job, until lovely Susan Hayward is forced to remain in the way station with him because the bandits are loose further east.

Of course, the bandits aren't further east at all. They've just broken out of jail. Headed by Hugh Marlowe, they're bound for the station, now housing Ty, Susan, a little baby and an old man. Those bandits are a rough lot an they need the gold that is coming in one the next stage; and so, for an hour and a half they torment the quartet and wait for the stage.

As one might guess, it's difficult to keep things going in the little out-of-the-way shack where they all gather. One of the bandits in a pretty sadistic character who chases Sue and takes pot shots at the little baby. But the bad men finally are killed. And all in all, "Rawhide" is pretty good fun, although it may tire non-devotees of the horse opera.

"Fighting Coast Guard," the second feature stars Brian Donlevy and Ella Raines. It's about two Semper Parati who fight over a girl, and the whole business is improved by some excellent battle shots of the Pacific War.