Sagebrush Trail (1933)

Director:

Armand Schaefer

Writer:

Lindsley Parsons (story)
(more)

Release Date:

15 December 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Romance rides in a drama of thundering hoofs and blazing guns!

Plot:

Imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, John Brant escapes and ends up out west where, after giving the local lawmen the slip...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Ambush | Wrongful Arrest | Revenge | Informer

Cast

John Wayne	...	John Brant
Nancy Shubert	...	Sally Blake
Lane Chandler	...	Joseph Conlon (alias Bob Jones)
Yakima Canutt	...	Ed Walsh
Henry Hall	...	Dad Blake
Hal Taliaferro	...	Deputy Sheriff (as Wally Wales)
Art Mix	...	Henchman
Bob Burns	...	Sheriff Parker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ted Adams	...	Taggart (uncredited)
Silver Tip Baker	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Henchman (uncredited)
William Dyer	...	Blind Pete (uncredited)
Wally Howe	...	Store Customer (uncredited)
Julie Kingdon	...	Town Girl (uncredited)
Tex Palmer	...	Posse Rider (uncredited)
Tex Phelps	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Hal Price	...	Bud - Train Engineer (uncredited)
Archie Ricks	...	Stage Driver (uncredited)
Robert Walker	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Blackjack Ward	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Slim Whitaker	...	Henchman Dick (uncredited)

Directed by
Armand Schaefer

Writing credits
Lindsley Parsons		(story)
Will Beale		story (uncredited)
Lindsley Parsons		screenplay (uncredited)

Produced by
Trem Carr	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Paul Malvern	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Archie Stout		(photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Pierson		(edited by)

Sound Department
John Stransky Jr.	....	recordist (as John A. Stransky Jr.)

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Jack Jones	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Other crew
E.R. Hickson	....	technical director

Production Companies

• Lone Star Productions (I) (presents) (A Paul Malvern Production)
• Monogram Pictures

Distributors

• Monogram Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pathé Pictures International (1935) (UK) (theatrical)
• Monogram Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Lorber (1985) (USA) (VHS) (For Sony Corporation with added soundtrack)
• Burbank Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Sinister Cinema (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Classics (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Foothill Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Spotlite Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• BFS Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Films Around the World (II) (2002) (USA) (TV) (altered version)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Treeline Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• VidAmerica (????) (USA) (VHS) (colorized)
• Voulez Vous Film (2010) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

54 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (colorized)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Mono (Balsley & Phillips Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S (1989) | UK:U (cut) (1934) (2004-) | UK:U (uncut) (1987-2004) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lone Star Productions (I)

Goofs:

Continuity: While the store proprietor reads a note written by John Brant, there is a sudden brief cut for no apparent purpose to the exact shot of Brant and Conlon riding into town which was used a few moments earlier, before their visit to the store.

Quotes:

[after eluding the sheriff by swimming underwater, John emerges on the far side of the lake at the feet of a tall gunslinger]
John Brant:Well, I guess you got me.
Joseph Conlon:[snorts] Come on out, stranger. I ain't the law. You're a pretty smart hombre and you got plenty of nerve. It strikes me that the boss could use somebody like you. What's your name?
[John glares at him]
Joseph Conlon:Smith, ain't it. That's the handle most of you fast travelers use. Aw, it's as good a name as any. Mine's Jones!
[they shake hands]
Joseph Conlon:Say, you're pretty near all in, ain't ya. Better come up with me to the hideout and meet the Big Chief. We're short a coupla hands.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Within a Minute: The Making of 'Episode III' (2005) (V)

The Best "Lone Star" Western! A landmark!

Many of these 30s low budget westerns start with the "hero wrongly accused of a crime" premise, finally discovering, catching up with and gunning down the real killer; but this one is clearly not only the best 'Lone Star' western, but is, in fact, an enjoyable, well made film, with themes, photography, locations, and stunt work you won't find in hundreds of other 'oaters.'

You'll find at least four different versions out, from the discount b/w (the VINA and who knows how many other $2.00 single film DVD copies; the Platinum "Great American Western" Volume 35 version -- which at least has three other westerns on one DVD) to the new colorized versions, including the excellent digitally restored 23-minute Sterling version with a new, modernized soundtrack -- which just zooms by). There's a reason for all this -- it's a landmark film!

Basically, the theme is not far from the mythic: the good guy (John Wayne) befriends the man who put him in prison (Lane Chandler with equal screen time), and helps him redeem himself. You get underwater photography of John Wayne escaping the sheriff; the zoom in shot of the Sheriff beside the wanted posters of Conlon and Brant, fading into a shot of them facing each other; the extensive location shots of Bronson Canyon and the Bronson 'Cave,' which has been seen in dozens of serial, western, horror and SF films (including the 1956 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers') that show all three entrances, as well as how to get up to the Canyon; the unbelievable stunt work by Yakima Canutt, including leaping up on a hitching post and over a horse to land on another horse, flying and running horse mounts; and the great acting of John Wayne -- I'm not kidding! Kudos to the director and screen writer!

A great introduction to, and high watermark of, 1930s westerns!