Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)

Director:

Ray Enright

Writers:

Charles Grayson (original screenplay) &
Paul Girard Smith (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

31 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Music | Romance | Western

Tagline:

More ruthless than the James Boys...More daring than the Daltons!

Plot:

Belle Andrews' gambling hall burns down in the Chicago fire of 1871 and, now penniless, she accepts...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Casino | Montana | Wild Bill Hickok | Chicago Fire Of 1871

Cast

Constance Bennett	...	Belle Andrews
Bruce Cabot	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Warren William	...	Harry Farrel
Betty Brewer	...	Jane 'Janey' Nolan
Walter Catlett	...	Sylvester W. Twigg
Ward Bond	...	Sheriff Edmunds
Howard Da Silva	...	Ringo, the Prosecutor (as Howard da Silva)
Frank Wilcox	...	Jim Martin, Ned's Lawyer
Faye Emerson	...	Peg, Chorus Girl
Lucia Carroll	...	Flora, Chorus Girl
Julie Bishop	...	Violet, Chorus Girl
Russell Simpson	...	Edward 'Ned' Nolan
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Judge Henry Hathaway
Lillian Yarbo	...	Daisy, Belle's Maid
Cliff Clark	...	Vic Kersey

Runtime:

72 min (edited version) (re-release) | 82 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7721)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: Ray Teal is credited onscreen as "Beadle", but when he is sworn in as a witness, his name is "Jack Handley". Similarly, Dick Botiller is credited as "Sager" but is called "Mr. Knox", and Elliott Sullivan is credited as "Bart Hanna" but is called "Mr. Harris".

Soundtrack:

Gwine to Rune All Night (De Camptown Races)

A Fun Film!

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I just finished watching this on T.V.,about 2 hours ago,and decided to submit a review. Initially it really rather surprised me that this will be the first,and that no one else has submitted one.Possibly,this is the first time in quite a while that it has been broadcast.So,here goes,written in a spirit of appreciation and thanks.

My guess is that this was one of that great number of Western films that had written and produced for dozens of youngsters and adolescents to view on Saturday afternoons at the local movie theater.And,if this does happen to be the case,that it served it's purpose admirably.I don't think that anyone,including the producers,director,staff,or members of the cast would ever consider this to be great art.The plot is hurried,jumpy,and focuses on action rather than character and plot development.But,still,everybody does a splendid job with what they've got to do,and from a technical perspective,it equals anything that one of the classics from MGM could have done.Camera work,sound,make-up,props,etc.really can't be beat.So,watch this film in the spirit in which it was intended,and enjoy.