Raiders of Ghost City (1944)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Directors:

Lewis D. Collins
Ray Taylor

Writers:

Luci Ward (original screenplay) and
Morgan Cox (original screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 1944 (USA)

Genre:

History | Western

Plot:

During the latter stages of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates, headed by Alex Morel (Lionel Atwill)...

Plot Keywords:

Idaho | Confederate | Captain | Spy | California

Cast

Dennis Moore	...	Capt. Steve Clark
Wanda McKay	...	Cathy Haines
Lionel Atwill	...	Erich von Rugen, alias Alex Morel
Joe Sawyer	...	Idaho Jones
Regis Toomey	...	Capt. Clay Randolph [Chs. 1-6]
Virginia Christine	...	Countess Elsa von Merck, alias Trina Dressard
Eddy Waller	...	Doc Blair (as Eddy C. Waller)
Emmett Vogan	...	Count Manfried von Rinkton, alias Carl Lawton [Chs. 6-7]
Addison Richards	...	Col. Sewell
Charles Wagenheim	...	Hugo Metzger, alias Abel Rackerby [Chs. 8-9]
Jack Ingram	...	Braddock - Confederate Outlaw
Edmund Cobb	...	Henchman Rawhide
Jack Rockwell	...	Bart - Raider
Ernie Adams	...	Hans Plattner, alias Bill Jasper
George Eldredge	...	Henry / Hank, Saloon Owner

Runtime:

225 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Chapter Titles: 1. Murder by Accident (PCA No. 10141) 2. Flaming Treachery (PCA No.10142) 3. Death Rides Double (PCA No.10143) 4. Ghost City Terror (PCA No.10144) 5. The Fatal Lariat (PCA No.10145) 6. Water Rising (PCA No.10146) 7. Bullet Avalanche (PCA No.10147) 8. Death Laughs Last (PCA No.10148) 9. Cold Steel (PCA No.10149) 10.Showdown (PCA No.10150) 11.The Trail to Torture (PCA No.10151) 12.Calling All Buckboards (PCA No.10152) 13.Golden Vengeance (PCA No.10153)

Quotes:

[posing as Charles Mason, Captain Clark escapes an attempt on his life]
Countess Elsa von Merck, alias Trina Dressard: Mr. Mason, I just wanted you to tell you how glad I am that you're safe.
Captain Steve Clark: Why, thank you, Ms. Dessard. I feel pretty good about it myself.

Horror Star in Western

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Raiders of Ghost City is a decent western serial that has an interesting premise and the unusual casting of Lionel Atwill as the villain. The plot is set during the last days of the American Civil War where Union Army Captain Steve Clark (Dennis Moore) is dispatched under cover to Oro Grande California to stop a series of gold raids being perpetrated by Confederate Army Captain Clay Randolph (Regis Toomey), who was a West Point student with Clark. What no one knows, not even Randolph, is that the raiders actually work for saloon owner Alex Morel (Lionel Atwill), who is posing as a freelance spy for Randolph. In actuality Morel is a Prussian (ie German) secret agent who is secretly transporting the gold to his own country instead of to the Confederacy, his country wants to buy Alaska from Russia before anyone else knows it's on the market. This is a pretty complicated serial with lots of double crosses between Morel and Randolph and then Morel and his own men, who don't know he is a spy, plus a mystery informant hidden amongst the good guys who lets Morel know everything they do. There are also some great plot twists like the war ending after the half way point of the story and Randolph switching sides because even though he fought against the Union, he is still an American. The action is fast and furious with lots of shoot outs, fist fights and horse back chases. But the real draw is Atwill, who snaps out lines with cultured glee and contempt at every turn, a true high light is his scene where he uncouples a train car with the hero in it so that will slide back down a mountain and crash. He nonchalantly wipes grease off his hands while casually commenting to a fellow conspirator about the unfortunate accident that has just happened to their enemy. Nobody in film was ever cooler.