Three bank robbers on the run happen across a woman about to give birth in an abandoned covered wagon. Before she dies, she names the three bandits as her newborn son's godfathers.
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Writers:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Charles Bickford | ... |
Bob Sangster
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| Raymond Hatton | ... |
'Barbwire' Tom Gibbons
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| Fred Kohler | ... |
'Wild Bill' Kearney
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| Fritzi Ridgeway | ... |
Mother
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Joe De La Cruz | ... |
José
(as Jo de la Cruz)
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| Walter James | ... |
Sheriff
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| Maria Alba | ... |
Carmelita
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| Buck Connors | ... |
Parson Jones
(as "Buck" Conners)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jim Corey | ... |
Barfly (uncredited)
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| Mary Gordon | ... |
Choir Member (uncredited)
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| Edward Hearn | ... |
Frank Edwards (uncredited)
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| John Huston | ... |
Church Member (uncredited)
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| Bert Lindley | ... |
Gambler (uncredited)
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| Tom London | ... |
Croupier (uncredited)
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| Bill Nestell | ... |
Barfly (uncredited)
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Directed by
| William Wyler | ||
Written by
| Peter B. Kyne | ... | (from the story "Three Godfathers" by) |
| Tom Reed | ... | (adaptation) |
| Tom Reed | ... | (dialogue) |
| C. Gardner Sullivan | ... | (supervising story chief) |
Produced by
| Carl Laemmle Jr. | ... | producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Sam Perry | ... | (uncredited) |
| Heinz Roemheld | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| George Robinson | ||
Editing by
| Del Andrews | ... | supervising film editor |
| Harry Marker | ... | film editor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Edward Sowders | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| C. Roy Hunter | ... | recording supervisor |
| William Hedgcock | ... | sound technician (uncredited) |
Music Department
| David Broekman | ... | synchronization and score |
| Max Winkler | ... | music compiler: silent version (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Carl Laemmle | ... | presenter / president: Universal Pictures |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Universal Pictures (1929) (United States) (theatrical) (as Universal Pictures Corporation)
- Canadian Universal Film Company (1930) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (1930) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Universal Film Manufacturing Company (1930) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures Corporation of Mexico (1930) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- La Universal (Cis Distribuidora de Peliculas) (1930) (Cuba) (theatrical)
- Deutsche Universal-Film (1930) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Archive Collection (2017) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2021) (United States) (tv) (digital)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America (acknowledgement)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
When three men (Charles Bickford, Raymond Hatton and Fred Kohler) rob a bank in New Jerusalem, a cashier (Edward Hearn) is killed and the three bandits escape into the desert where they lose their horses in a sandstorm. Finding a woman (Fritzi Ridgeway) who gives birth, they are made godfathers only to learn that the baby's father was the man they killed in the holdup. When the woman dies they head back on foot to New Jerusalem, but they have little water and it is 40 miles.
Written by Maurice VanAuken |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Certain of death at the end of a rope if he reached the town, the bad man fought his way thence against Death Valley heat and cruel thirst. (Print Ad-The Kyle News,((Kyle, Texas)) 25 April 1930) See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Wanting the film to have a gritty realism, William Wyler insisted on filming in the Mojave Desert and the Panamint Valley in August temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Remake of Action (1921). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Oh! Susanna See more » |
| Quotes |
'Wild Bill' Kearney:
That'll be dry till I get religion. See more » |