Wagon Wheels West (1943)

As a boy, Frankie Wilson witnesses his father's murder, which was ordered by general store owner Phineas Hook. He vows to return as a man and bring the murderers to justice. Years later he ... See full summary »

Director:

B. Reeves Eason

Writers:

Ed Earl Repp (screenplay), William Jacobs (original story)

Stars:

Robert Shayne, Nina Foch, Charles Middleton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Shayne	...	U.S. Marshal Frankie Wilson
Nina Foch	...	Jan Colburn
Charles Middleton	...	Phineas Hook
Addison Richards	...	Frank Wilson Sr. (edited from "Song of the Saddle") (archive footage)
Lou Marcelle	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

As a boy, Frankie Wilson witnesses his father's murder, which was ordered by general store owner Phineas Hook. He vows to return as a man and bring the murderers to justice. Years later he comes back as a deputy U.S. marshal. He enlists the help of Jan Colburn, a childhood friend, to help him trap Hook, who is now the town banker.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | banker | marshal | santa fe trail series

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Genres:

Western | Short

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1943 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

18 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vitaphone production reel #A1147

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Connections

Version of Song of the Saddle (1936)

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Soundtracks

"Underneath a Western Sky"
(uncredited)
Music by M.K. Jerome and Ted Fio Rito
Lyrics by Jack Scholl
Sung by George Ernest

User Reviews

Well Told Western Tale

A Warner Brothers Short Subject.

At Hooksville - the last town on the route West - an evil banker engages in robbery & murder to prey upon unsuspecting travelers.

WAGON WHEELS WEST is a dandy little Western, with good performances and plenty of action packed into its few minutes. As always, Charles Middleton makes a thoroughly despicable villain. Robert Shayne is fine as the grim faced hero; Nina Foch has a tiny role playing the pretty rancher's daughter who catches his eye.

Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.