The Kansan (1943)

Director:

George Archainbaud

Writers:

Harold Shumate (screenplay)
Frank Gruber (from the story "Peace Marshal")

Release Date:

10 September 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

AN EPIC OF THE BOISTEROUS, BRAWLING OLD WEST! (original poster)

Plot:

Wounded while stopping the James gang from robbing the local bank, a cowboy wakes up in the hospital to find that he's been elected town marshal...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Rancher | Gambling | Drunkenness | Historical Fiction

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Richard Dix	...	John Bonniwell
Jane Wyatt	...	Eleanor Sager
Albert Dekker	...	Steve Barat
Eugene Pallette	...	Tom Waggoner
Victor Jory	...	Jeff Barat
Robert Armstrong	...	Malachy
Beryl Wallace	...	Soubrette
Clem Bevans	...	Bridge-Tender
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Josh Hudkins
Francis McDonald	...	Gil Hatton
Willie Best	...	Bones
Douglas Fowley	...	Ben Nash
Rod Cameron	...	Kelso
Eddy Waller	...	Ed Gilbert
Ray Bennett	...	Messenger (as Raphael Bennett)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gertrude Astor	...	Blonde Townswoman (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Judge Lorrimer (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Ralph Bucko	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Barbara Clark	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Lorraine Clark	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Eleanor Counts	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
Ken Darby	...	Singer, King's Men Quartet (uncredited)
Jon Dobson	...	Singer, King's Men Quartet (uncredited)
June Earle	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Art Felix	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Rancher Walter McIntire (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Rancher Ed Tracy (uncredited)
Robert Frazer	...	Saloon Gambler (uncredited)
Beatrice Gray	...	Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Herman Hack	...	Charley, Cowhand (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Fred Kohler Jr.	...	First Gate Guard (uncredited)
Bud Linn	...	Singer, King's Men Quartet (uncredited)
Pierce Lyden	...	Hatton Henchman (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	...	Hatton Henchman (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Sylvia McKay	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Milburn Morante	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Lew Morphy	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Mulhall	...	Walter, the Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	The Saloon Drunk (uncredited)
Cliff Parkinson	...	Townsman (uncredited)
George Reeves	...	Jesse James (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Bank Teller (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Rad Robinson	...	Singer, King's Men Quartet (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Saloon Thug in Brawl (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Second Gate Guard (uncredited)
Forrest Taylor	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Barfly (uncredited)

Directed by
George Archainbaud

Writing credits
Harold Shumate		(screenplay)
Frank Gruber		(from the story "Peace Marshal")

Produced by
Lewis J. Rachmil	....	associate producer
Harry Sherman	....	producer

Original Music by
Gerard Carbonara

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carroll Lewis		(as Carrol Lewis)
Sherman A. Rose		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Ralph Berger

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Glenn Cook	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack Noyes	....	sound

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lew Morphy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Parkinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Earl Moser	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Irvin Talbot	....	music director
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Herman Hand	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John Leipold	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Victor Young	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Eddie Prinz	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Harry Sherman Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Prisma (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Masterpiece Productions (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Masterpiece Productions (1950) (USA) (TV)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Liberty Home Video (video)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Treeline Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #9178)

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

Harry Sherman Productions

Soundtrack:

Lullaby of the Herd

Good One.

This probably doesn't deserve the "B Movie" sobriquet. The production values are pretty high and it is quite heavy on the movie stars. This looks to me like it would have taken the A spot on a bill. Dix is good but Victor Jory nearly steals the show. The high point is likely one of the most over-the-top barroom brawls I've ever seen on celluloid. The script is also fine, although nothing too original. The low point in the movie....aside from a really unfortunate racial caricature.... is probably represented by a really ghastly World War II style showgirl routine based around "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". All in all, a satisfying show.