Cavalcade of the West (1936)

Director:

Harry L. Fraser

Writer:

Norman Houston (writer)

Release Date:

1 October 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

The Pony Express Rides Again In Cavalcade Of The West

Plot:

Two brothers are separated when young. One becomes the pony express rider Clint Knox and the other the outlaw Ace Carter...

Plot Keywords:

Pony Express | Brother | Brother vs Brother

Cast

Hoot Gibson	...	Clint Knox
Rex Lease	...	Asa Knox, aka Ace Carter
Marion Shilling	...	Mary Christman
Adam Goodman	...	Windy Harper (the peddler)
Nina Guilbert	...	Mrs. Martha Knox
Earl Dwire	...	George Christman
Phil Dunham	...	Reporter from St. Joseph
Robert McKenzie	...	Judge Beasley (as Robt. McKenzie)
Steve Clark	...	John Knox (the boys' father) (as Steve Clarke)
Jerry Tucker	...	Clint (in boyhood)
Barry Downing	...	Asa - in boyhood

Runtime:

59 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #2485)

Company:

Walter Futter Productions

Good Brother, Bad Brother!

The title, "Cavalcade of the West" as with most "B" oaters of the day has nothing to do with the story. The story is about two brothers and the introduction of the Pony Express.

The film opens with a pioneer family moving to catch up with a wagon train heading west. On the trail they meet long winded peddler Windy Harper (Adam Goodwin) who provides the comic relief in the picture. One day the family is attacked by bandits and the father John Knox (Steve Clarke) is killed. Their youngest son Asa (Barry Downing) is carried off by the bandits leaving the mother (Nina Gilbert) and the oldest son Clint (Jerry Tucker) to fend for themselves.

Fast forward twenty odd years and we catch up to Mother Knox and son Clint (Hoot Gibson). Clint is now a horse wrangler who wants to join the fledgling Pony Express being run by George Christian (Earl Dwire) as well as having an eye on his daughter Mary (Marion Schilling). Into town rides all in black gunman Ace Carter (Rex Lease) who tries to move in on Clint's territory and his girl.

Being rejected for the Pony Express job, Ace decides to set Clint up for a Pony Express and later a stagecoach robbery. Of course it's not to hard to figure out who Ace really is and Clint suspects something is going on. Later when Ace is about to be hanged, Clint comes to his aid and.........

Hoot Gibson had been a ridin' and ropin' champion in his youth having worked in several wild west shows of the day. He became a major star in the 1920's earning in excess of $14.000 per week. Alas poor old Hoot couldn't manage his money too well and soon lost his fortune and wound up in poverty row quickies in the 30s and 40s. This film was a part of his final starring series. He later re-surfaced in the Trail Blazer series with Ken Maynard and Bob Steele in the early 40s.

Earl Dwire was a fixture on poverty row in the 30s. He's probably best remembered for his many bad guy roles in John Wayne's Lone Star series of 1933-35. Rex Lease too was a fixture in the "B" movie industry having appeared in many serials and westerns of the period.

Not a bad little programmer.