Yankee Fakir (1947)

"Yankee" Davis and his partner,"Shaggy" Hartley, a couple of carny-type traveling (usually just ahead of the law) pitchmen with their own tent to pitch from, arrive in a small Arizona town,... See full summary »

Director:

W. Lee Wilder

Writers:

Mindret Lord (story), Richard S. Conway (screenplay)

Stars:

Douglas Fowley, Joan Woodbury, Clem Bevans

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Douglas Fowley	...	Murgatroyd Bartholomew 'Yankee' Davis
Joan Woodbury	...	Mary Mason
Clem Bevans	...	Shaggy 'The Colonel' Hartley
Ransom M. Sherman	...	Professor Newton (as Ransom Sherman)
Frank Reicher	...	Banker H.W. Randall
Marc Lawrence	...	Duke
Walter Soderling	...	Sheriff
Eula Guy	...	Mrs. Irmatrude Tetley
Forrest Taylor	...	Border Guard Mason
Elinor Appleton	...	Duke's informer
Peter Michael	...	Border Guard Walker
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Scrubwoman
Ernie Adams	...	Charlie
Tom Bernard	...	Tommy Mason (as Tommy Bernard)

Storyline

"Yankee" Davis and his partner,"Shaggy" Hartley, a couple of carny-type traveling (usually just ahead of the law) pitchmen with their own tent to pitch from, arrive in a small Arizona town, close to the Mexican border. Davis falls in love with Mary Mason, daughter of a Border Patrolman. Mr. Mason is murdered, and Davis sets out to find the killer, and thinks the town's richest citizen might know something about it.

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Plot Keywords:

killer | arizona | mexican | medicine show | murder | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 April 1947 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

W. Lee Wilder Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Like a Poor Little Mouse in a Trap"
Music by Alexander Laszlo
Lyrics by J. Russel Robinson
Sung by Joan Woodbury

User Reviews

Fair mystery/western

The basics: official is killed and visiting traveling salesman helps uncover murderer.

Douglas Fowley, who usually played villains or sidekicks, is the hero here, minus his usual mustache. He's half of a traveling show that's visiting a small town. Fowley's "hustler" persona is used to good advantage here, but, he stays honest all the way through, even trying to prevent the sale of "snake oil remedy" that his partner hustles when ever Fowley's back is turned.

Fowley becomes interested in Woodbury, who runs the boarding house he's staying in. When her uncle is murdered, Fowley tries to help to uncover the killer.

A fair who-done-it with a western background. Fowley makes a good hero, but was really perfect as a slimy villain type. He just had that voice and sneer that made you dislike him, and want justice to prevail.

The rest of the cast fit their roles, and Bevans as the aged prospector who helps Fowley is wonderful in his role. He is kind of "comic relief", and a hoot in this role. Of course, he was always great in the "cantankerous" character role.

Not a great, or memorable movie, and not a terrible one. A fair "B" effort. Having Fowley as the hero is interesting. Worth a watch for that element.