Ambush Valley (1936)

When Clay Morgan kills Joel Potter, Marshal Manning has to arrest the brother of the girl he plans to marry. When the Morgans effect Clay's escape, the Potters take Ann Morgan as a hostage.... See full summary »

Director:

Bernard B. Ray (as Franklin Shamray)

Writers:

Bennett Cohen (original story), Forrest Sheldon (dialogue)

Stars:

Bob Custer, Victoria Vinton, Vane Calvert

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bob Custer	...	Marshal Bruce Manning
Victoria Vinton	...	Ann Morgan
Vane Calvert	...	Ma Potter
Eddie Phillips	...	Clay Morgan
Hal Taliaferro	...	Joel Potter (as Wally Wales)
Oscar Gahan	...	Diggs (as O. Gahan)
Ed Cassidy	...	Nester
Victor Adamson	...	Morgan Rider (as Denver Dickson)
Wally West	...	Nester
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Father (as Jack Anderson)
Jack Gilman	...	Son
Oklahoma Rangers	...	Musicians

Storyline

When Clay Morgan kills Joel Potter, Marshal Manning has to arrest the brother of the girl he plans to marry. When the Morgans effect Clay's escape, the Potters take Ann Morgan as a hostage. Manning is now caught in the middle and the two sides are about to fight it out.

---

Taglines:

An Action Drama Of Scheming Snipers And Scorching Six-Gun Justice!

---

Genres:

Western

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Vale das Sombras

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reliable Pictures Corporation (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

57 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is one of over 200 titles in the list of independent feature films made available for television presentation by Advance Television Pictures announced in Motion Picture Herald 4 April 1942. At this time, television broadcasting was in its infancy, almost totally curtailed by the advent of World War II, and would not continue to develop until 1945-46. Because of poor documentation (feature films were often not identified by title in conventional sources) no record has yet been found of its initial television broadcast. Its earliest documented telecasts took place in Cincinnati, where it was shown in two parts, Wednesday-Thursday 27-28 April 1949 on freshly launched WKRC (Channel 11), in Atlanta Saturday 16 September 1949 on WSB (Channel 8), in Philadelphia Thursday 8 December 1949 on WFIL (Channel 6), in New York City Wednesday 14 December 1949 on WPIX (Channel 11), and in Los Angeles Tuesday 21 March 1950 on KTSL (Channel 2).

---

Connections

Version of The Man Trailer (1934)

User Reviews

Audiences Ambushed

Silent film cowboy Bob Custer whose career foundered when sound came in shows us part of the reason in Ambush Valley. I swear I could have done his dialog better.

And that's a pity as far as this film is concerned. It's quite a bit above the usual Saturday matinée fare. It was the story of a range feud started by some killings.

Big rancher Jimmy Aubrey has lovely daughter Victoria Vinton who is engaged to local sheriff Bob Custer and one punk of a son in Eddie Phillips. Before he shoots a young homesteader in the back we see him murder two others. Since he did that second one in front of witnesses, the sheriff even with impending ties to the family has his duty clear.

But Aubrey and friends make it real hard for Custer to bring Phillips in. And the homesteaders led by the dead boy's mother Vane Calvert have had just about enough.

Calvert gives the most interesting performance in the film. In a bigger budgeted film which this story deserved, I could see her part being played by Jane Darwell.

All this one needed was a better lead.