A bus, with four passengers, gets caught in the snow as it crosses Nevada's Alkali Flats. Those on board take shelter in a remote church they see in the distance. A man named Bill is already there and he doesn't seem too pleased to have company. The passengers include Billie, a female fugitive; Dan Egan, the detective taking her back to jail; a young woman going to see her boyfriend in Chicago; and a banker... there is also the driver who's overconfidence got them into the predicament. Tensions rise somewhat when Bill starts paying more attention to the ladies than Dan would like... it seems Dan has his suspicions about Bill. Not knowing when they might get out the characters divide their limited food and even joke about who will get eaten first!
Considering this film is now ninety years old I think it has aged reasonably well. It probably helps that even though it was set in the present, for the time, it has a western feel... the travellers stuck in a remote building in the American West during a snowstorm, not to mention a lawman and his female prisoner, immediately reminded me of 'The Hateful Eight' even though other aspects are obviously very different. The film established the setting well and did a solid job of introducing the characters on the bus before putting them in peril. Once in the church there is a decent sense of mystery about Bill and the tension feels genuine. The setting is effective; it certainly looked as if we were in a frozen landscape miles from anywhere. The acting might feel a bit stagy by modern standards but I thought it was pretty decent considering it was one of the earlier films where actors' voices were heard. Overall I'd say that this is well worth watching if you enjoy old films... if you don't like it you'll only waste just over an hour.
