The Miracle Rider (1935)

Texas Ranger tries to stop takeover of Indian lands.

Directors:

B. Reeves Eason, Armand Schaefer

Writers:

Barney A. Sarecky (original story) (as Barney Sarecky), Wellyn Totman (original story)

Stars:

Tom Mix, Charles Middleton, Joan Gale

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Mix	...	Tom Morgan - Texas Ranger
Joan Gale	...	Ruth
Charles Middleton	...	Zaroff
Robert Frazer	...	Chief Black Wing [Ch. 1] (as Bob Frazer)
Niles Welch	...	Metzger
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Carlton (as Jason Robards)
Bob Kortman	...	Longboat
Edward Earle	...	Christopher Adam - Indian Agent
Edward Hearn	...	Emil Janss
Tom London	...	Sewell - Henchman
Edmund Cobb	...	Vining - Henchman
Ernie Adams	...	John Stelter [Chs. 2-7]
Max Wagner	...	Morley - Henchman
Charles King	...	Hatton - Henchman
George Chesebro	...	Crossman - Janss Hand [Ch. 1, 3, 8, 11-12]

Storyline

In 1930s Texas, following the murder of his father, Tom Morgan joins the Texas Rangers to avenge his father's death and to follow in his path as a proponent of Indian rights. His task as a Ranger is to stop the evil Zaroff and his gang, who are smuggling the elements for a powerful explosive from a mine on Indian land.

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Plot Keywords:

falling downhill | looking at oneself in a mirror | texas | texas ranger | murder | 

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Taglines:

Idol of every Boy in the World - Greatest Western Star In The History Of Motion Pictures!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Indian Ranger

Filming Locations:

Mystery Adobe Ranch, Calabasas/Agoura, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mascot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

306 min (15 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (International Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mascot pretty much pioneered the two-director approach to serials with this film, a system much copied by other studios (Republic, Columbia, Universal) for their own serial output. One director, an action specialist (in this case B. Reeves Eason), would shoot all the outdoor action and stunt scenes. A second director, more suited to handling dialogue scenes (in this case, Armand Schaefer), would simultaneously shoot all the interiors and dialogue scenes. In this way production time was halved, at considerable savings. Levine's main concern was keeping star Tom Mix's time spent filming to a minimum, as he was paying Mix $10,000 a week. Because of Levine's efficient production methods, he was able to keep Mix's shooting schedule down to four weeks.

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Goofs

While Ruth is being chased by outlaws, you can see the shadow of a camera truck/car visible on her outfit.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daniel Boone: We'd better take the north trail.

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Connections

Edited from The Last of the Mohicans (1932)

User Reviews

serial review

This last film by former silent great Tom Mix ,is a mixture of western/science fiction.Production values are good by Mascot standards,chapter endings are ,for the most part satisfactory,but continuity is sometimes confusing,making the serial drag in spots.Mix is doubled in many of the scenes,but is otherwise satisfactory.Charles Middleton is good as the head villian,likewise,Jason Robards as his aide. Summary;Takes a long time to unfold,but an ok effort from Mascot Pictures.