Man with the Steel Whip (1954)

Director:

Franklin Adreon

Writer:

Ronald Davidson (written by)

Release Date:

19 July 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

EXPLOSIVE ACTION! as "El Latigo" rides through the land of savagery and gleaming gold to deal out his kind of justice!

Plot:

Saloon owner Barnet wants the Indian reservation land on which he knows there is gold, and organizes a gang...

Plot Keywords:

Saloon Owner | Gold | Gang | Tribe | Indian Reservation

Cast

Dick Simmons	...	Jerry Randall / El Latigo (as Richard Simmons)
Barbara Bestar	...	Nancy Cooper
Dale Van Sickel	...	Crane - Barnett Henchman
Mauritz Hugo	...	Barnett
Lane Bradford	...	Tosco
Pat Hogan	...	The Indian Chief [Chs. 1, 2, 7]
Roy Barcroft	...	Sheriff [Chs. 8, 10-12]
Stuart Randall	...	Harris
Edmund Cobb	...	Lee, Buckboard Driver [Chs. 2, 3]
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Sloane - Assayer, Ch. 12
Guy Teague	...	Price [Chs. 3, 4, 9, 11]
Alan Wells	...	Quivar [Chs. 1, 5-6]
Tom Steele	...	Tom - Henchman at Cascade Rocks, Ch. 4 / Henchman Gage - Ch. 8
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gregg Barton	...	Stanton (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Stage Driver (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	...	Harker (uncredited)
Roy Bucko	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Bob Clark	...	Mack (uncredited)
Ray Corrigan	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Art Dillard	...	Barn Henchman (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Clem Stokes (uncredited)
Herman Hack	...	Homesteader with Stokes (uncredited)
Chick Hannan	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Jim Kirkwood (uncredited)
Charles Haywood	...	Barn Henchman (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	Orco (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	...	Townsman (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sammy McKim	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Chris Mitchell	...	Sam (uncredited)
Tom Monroe	...	Worker (uncredited)
George Plues	...	Barfly (uncredited)
George Sowards	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Blackjack Sam (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Mike (uncredited)
Tex Terry	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Homesteader with Stokes (uncredited)

Directed by
Franklin Adreon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ronald Davidson		written by

Produced by
Franklin Adreon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
R. Dale Butts

Cinematography by
Bud Thackery		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Cliff Bell Sr.		(as Cliff Bell)
Joseph Harrison

Art Direction by
Frank Arrigo
Ralph Oberg		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.
George Milo

Makeup Department
Bob Mark	....	makeup supervisor
Peggy Gray	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Roy Wade	....	unit manager
Lewis T. Rosso	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur J. Vitarelli	....	assistant director (as A.J. Vitarelli)

Sound Department
T.A. Carman	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker	....	special effects
Theodore Lydecker	....	special effects

Stunts
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunt double: Dick Simmons (uncredited)
Guy Teague	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Yrigoyen	....	stunts (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (archive footage) (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adele Palmer	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jerry Roberts	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
John E. Baker	....	vice president of studio operations (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Republic Pictures (I)

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (I) (1954) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  optical processing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

167 min (12 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #16926)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Chapter Titles - 1. The Spirit Rider - 2. Savage Fury - 3. Mask of El Latiago - 4. The Murder Cave - 5. The Stone Guillotine - 6. Flame and Battle - 7. Double Ambush - 8. The Blazing Barrier - 9. The Silent Informer - 10.Window of Death - 11.The Fatal Masquerade - 12.Redskin Raiders

Movie Connections:

Edited from Daredevils of the West (1943)

Stock footage rides again...and again...and again.

And this still comes off as one of the best in Republic's declining years, and having the voice and presence of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, in the form of Richard Simmons, didn't hurt it any, especially when compared to those with Harry Lauter or Myron Healy as the lead.

Most of the "El Latiago" riding scenes and cliffhangers featuring the character came from 1944's "Zorro's Black Whip", which means Linda Stirling's double in that serial, Babe De Freest, doubled Simmons (via stock footage) about as much as his assigned double on this serial, Tom Steele. With the exception of a couple of short instances (when footage from "The Painted Stallion" was utilized,) all the Indian attacks on wagon trains, wagon chases, town-street establishing shot, and Cavalry scenes came from 1943's "Daredevils of the West", especially in Chapter Two when that serial's doubles for Allan Lane, Kay Aldridge and Eddie Acuff occupy most of the running time.

Chapter 10 serves as this serials "cheater" chapter when Richard Simmmons catches Sheriff Roy Barcroft up on events (saloon fight) in Chapter One and earlier chapters.

All in all, this would have made a better serial to end Republic's string than the two that followed.