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Breakheart Pass

Play trailer Poster for Breakheart Pass PG 1975 1h 35m Western Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
When diphtheria breaks out at Fort Humboldt, a train is dispatched with medical supplies and relief troops. Also on board are Utah's governor (Richard Crenna), his mistress (Jill Ireland), a marshal (Ben Johnson) and his prisoner, outlaw John Deakin (Charles Bronson). As the train passes through the mountains, soldiers go missing, telegraph lines are cut, and it's discovered that there is no epidemic. There's a conspiracy afoot, and it's up to Deakin, actually a federal agent, to expose it.
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Breakheart Pass

Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray The Dissolve Aug 11, 2014
3.5/5
The movie offers an unusual spin on a classic Hollywood genre... by starting in a relatively civilized part of late-19th-century America and then rolling way out into the wilderness, becoming more of a Western as it goes. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Jan 30, 2024
4/5
...one of the best action films of the 1970’s, with spectacular, non-fake action in and around a moving train, plot twists and clever dialogue, plus an unfamiliar setting; a train supposedly packed with medical supplies, actually full of guns and ammo... Go to Full Review Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) May 5, 2023
A good old-fashioned shootout sets everything to rights. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 21, 2021
3.5/4
Crackerjack entertainment. Go to Full Review Joe Leydon The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS) Aug 16, 2021
Director Tom Gries serves up every cliché with refreshing exuberance, and his cast is just about perfect. Go to Full Review Jacoba Atlas Los Angeles Free Press Nov 18, 2019
The pity is that the level of achievement is so simplistic that boredom sets in rather quickly. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Emerson T @RT26925580 Jul 10, 2026 Charles Bronson movie. Any movie with him automatically gets elevated to a 3 star movie. But what pushes it up higher on the ranking is the other actors, the train cinematography and the overall murder mystery. The shots are done well on the train in my opinion. The other actors besides Bronson work well and do their part, but nothing extraordinary. No award-winning performances (besides my king Bronson). Other reviews say that the murder mystery was stupid, but I beg to differ. I thought it was pretty dang interesting and captivating. For a while I didn’t even know who the killer was, but eventually I figured it out just by process of elimination. It’s simple, yet enjoyable. And the twist at the end made me laugh. It’s so absurd and wild but works. Of course Bronson is a secret agent. Cause why not. See more Brad S. R @RT07389644 Mar 24, 2025 There's some nice train footage and scenery in it, but otherwise there isn't much to this western who-done-it mystery. See more Gene R @RT81778687 Dec 19, 2024 What I like about this movie, Breakheart Pass, is the raw feel of it and the almost haphazard progression of events. It lends an air of unscripted realism to a convoluted plot. Plus Bronson. And Ireland. Come on. See more James M @jimmypage Mar 16, 2024 A very amateur and boring movie that comes across more as a made for TV movie maybe even a soap opera during the daytime it's shocking that so many class actors such as Richard Crenna and Ben Johnson even Charles Bronson and others came across as total amateur actors. shocking, really how such a poor movie was made it seems cheap and everything seems sort of stilted, there's no flow to anything. I've never seen such wooden performances by all concerned. See more Michael L @RT67850023 Feb 17, 2024 Really good movie with great actors Twists and turns all the way Kinda Murder on the orient express set in the turn of century American west See more Peter G @RT14991058 Jan 10, 2024 Not sure why this movie gets such low ratings, but it was entertaining, had good acting, was realistic, and the music was great. See more Read all reviews
Breakheart Pass

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Cast & Crew

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Tom Gries

Director

Charles Bronson

Deakin

Ben Johnson

Marshal Pearce

Jill Ireland

Marica

Richard Crenna

Governor Richard Fairchild

Charles Durning

O'Brien

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Breakheart Pass

Breakheart Pass (1975) Breakheart Pass (1975) Breakheart Pass (1975) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When diphtheria breaks out at Fort Humboldt, a train is dispatched with medical supplies and relief troops. Also on board are Utah's governor (Richard Crenna), his mistress (Jill Ireland), a marshal (Ben Johnson) and his prisoner, outlaw John Deakin (Charles Bronson). As the train passes through the mountains, soldiers go missing, telegraph lines are cut, and it's discovered that there is no epidemic. There's a conspiracy afoot, and it's up to Deakin, actually a federal agent, to expose it.
Director
Tom Gries
Producer
Jerry Gershwin
Screenwriter
Alistair MacLean
Production Co
Elliott Kastner Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Western, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 35m
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