In this western, Jimmy Stewart and Audie Murphy star as brothers on the opposite side of the law. It's not quite as formulaic as it sounds, for Stewart fell in disfavor with his fellow lawmen, and Murphy just might not be the feared leader of his band of train robbers that he seems to be. Yet, in spite of the excellence of the cast, one can't help but feel Night Passage is just going through the motions. Good for western fans, great for fans of the stars, but not a classic.

Anthony Mann, who directed Jimmy Stewart in numerous westerns prior to this, must have sensed as much, for he bailed after the first day of shooting, much to Stewart's supreme dismay. James Neilson took over the director's chair, and Stewart and Mann never made another film again, despite later making up.