Rawhide (1938)

Baseball superstar Gehrig is one of several ranchers being coerced by a bunch of bandits. His sister and her lawyer/lover organize the ranchers.

Director:

Ray Taylor

Writers:

Daniel Jarrett (story), Daniel Jarrett (screenplay),

Stars:

Smith Ballew, Lou Gehrig, Evalyn Knapp

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Smith Ballew	...	Larry Kimball
Lou Gehrig	...	Lou Gehrig
Evalyn Knapp	...	Peggy Gehrig
Arthur Loft	...	Ed Saunders
Cy Kendall	...	Sheriff Kale
Dick Curtis	...	Butch - Saunders Henchman
Si Jenks	...	Pop Mason

Storyline

Baseball superstar Gehrig is one of several ranchers being coerced by a bunch of bandits. His sister and her lawyer/lover organize the ranchers.

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Plot Keywords:

rancher | lawyer

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Taglines:

RUSTLERS RAID THE RANGE...but baseball's greatest hero teams with your favorite singing cowboy and breaks up the most exciting game he's ever played!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fascino del West

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sol Lesser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
[Lou Gehrig, wearing a huge cowboy hat, holds a press conference before leaving for his remote ranch]
First Reporter: There's gold in them thar hills!
Second Reporter: Ride 'em, cowboy!

User Reviews

The Old Protection Racket In Montana

I noticed in the credits of Rawhide before the film started it listed that Lou Gehrig was appearing in the film due to the arrangement of Christy Walsh. Walsh was Gehrig's business manager, he got Gehrig as a client through his team mate Babe Ruth whose business affairs Walsh also managed. I guess this western was another money making project for Gehrig to do off season. In fact the film begins with Lou in New York's Grand Central Station telling reporters he's off to live with his sister who has a ranch in Montana and if likes it he's through with baseball.

Not exactly being a trained thespian, Lou played the only role he could have played, Lou Gehrig. When he arrives in Montana, Lou discovers his sister is being squeezed by the Cattleman's Association which in that neck of the woods is nothing more than a protection racket. In fact he's got the best line in the film when he tells the bad guys that hearing their operation and how it works he has a feeling he's back in New York right now.

Lou and sister Evalyn Knapp get a lawyer to fight them. But not just any lawyer, a singing cowboy lawyer in the person of Smith Ballew. Between the three of them, the villains are of course routed.

In real life Lou Gehrig was an only child and in real life he did go to spring training with the Yankees in 1939. But it was his last one because that disease that bears his name was starting to take its toll. In fact during the second half of the 1938 season and the World Series against the Cubs, Lou's statistics fell off dramatically.

As a western star, Lou Gehrig would not have given John Wayne any concern about a rivalry. But I would point out that in the film the Jackie Robinson Story where Jackie played himself, he was plainly ill at ease in front of the camera. And that was a project dreamed up by Branch Rickey who was running the Dodgers at the time.

Rawhide is a curiosity and certainly would have been long forgotten, but for the presence of a sports legend.