To the Last Man (1933)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Zane Grey (story)
Jack Cunningham (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 September 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Two families at war . . . to the last man!

Plot:

In Kentucky just after the Civil War, the Hayden-Colby feud leads to Jed Colby being sent to prison for 15 years for murder. The Haydens head for Nevada and when Colby gets out of prison he heads there also seeking revenge. The head of the Hayden family tries to avoid more killing but the inevitable showdown has to occur, complicated by Lynn Hayden and Ellen Colby's plans to marry.

Plot Keywords:

Feud | Showdown | Zane Grey | Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Cast

Randolph Scott	...	Lynn Hayden
Esther Ralston	...	Ellen Colby
Jack La Rue	...	Jim Daggs
Buster Crabbe	...	Bill Hayden
Barton MacLane	...	Neil Stanley
Noah Beery	...	Jed Colby
Gail Patrick	...	Ann Hayden Stanley
Egon Brecher	...	Mark Hayden
Muriel Kirkland	...	Molly Hayden
Fuzzy Knight	...	Jeff Morley
James Eagles	...	Eli Bruce (as James C. Eagles)
Eugenie Besserer	...	Granny Spelvin
Harlan Knight	...	Grandpa Chet Spelvin
Jay Ward	...	Lynn Hayden - as child

Also Known As:

Law of Vengeance (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

During a scene that called for Shirley Temple to hold a tea party in a barn, a mule in the barn began eating the sugar cubes on the table. Director Henry Hathaway recalled, "Shirley was irritated and tried to shoo him away. Then this mule got irritated. He turned around, and with his two back legs he hauled off at her with a kick. Shirley ducked and he missed, but instead of stopping or running away, she strode over and kicked the mule back."

Quotes:

Ellen Colby: I ain't used ta bein' polite at!

Movie Connections:

Version of To the Last Man (1923)

Creaky oater

This tale of fussin' and a feudin' is showing its age in spades, but at least it benefits from a memorable cast: Randolph Scott, Buster Crabbe, John Carradine, and little Shirley Temple, whose doll gets its head shot off. Jack La Rue plays the villain and is in desperate need of a moustache to twirl.