The Man from Hell's Edges (1932)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury

Writer:

Robert N. Bradbury (writer)

Release Date:

15 June 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A cowboy after the man that killed his father goes to prison to get in with his gang.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Undercover Detective | Bartender | Fistfight | Gunplay

Cast

Bob Steele	...	Bob Williams aka 'Flash' Manning
Nancy Drexel	...	Betty
Julian Rivero	...	Lobo
Robert Homans	...	Sheriff
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Shamrock Cassidy (as George Hayes)
Gilbert Holmes	...	Half Pint (as Pewee Holmes)
Earl Dwire	...	Henchman Morgan
Dick Dickinson	...	Tall Drake Brother
Perry Murdock	...	Joe Danti

Runtime:

USA:57 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

Trem Carr Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV)

Pre-Production Code Shenanigans!

"Man From Hell's Edges" was a routine Bob Steele western for producer Trem Carr except for a couple of things. First there is a scene where Steele's two sidekicks, Shamrock (George "Gabby" Hayes) and Half Pint (Gilbert (Pee Wee) Holmes) skip-pity hop arm in arm down the middle of the street. As they are doing this a townsman makes eyes at the pair and waves feminine like to them. A scene like this with its homosexual overtones would never had made it past the censors one the industry Production Code was adopted in 1934.

The other thing that sets this one apart is the apparent stunt work of Yakima Canutt. Although I couldn't verify that it was Canutt's work, several of the stunts bear his mark. First there are several horsetails then a high dive off a cliff followed by a horse and rider doing likewise. It could have been stock footage but I'm sure that Canutt was involved.

The story has Flash Manning (Steele) escaping from prison trying to find the boss of his cell mates, whose identity he does not know. It seems that the gang had been responsible for a $100,000 robbery and the location of the money is known only to one of Steele's cell mates. To learn the identity of the leader, Manning (as Bob Williams) takes the job of sheriff and takes an interest in heroine Betty (Nancy Drexel). He also suspects local gunman Lobo as being the leader of the gang. Well, the rest of the gang is released from prison and they all meet up and.............

The production team on this series was also responsible for the John Wayne "Lone Star" series of 1933-35.