The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938)

A short plot summary finds Wild Bill Hickok (Bill Elliott), the U.S. Marshal in Abilene, Kansas, opposing the Phantom Raiders, a gang of renegades raiding the cattle drives over the ... See full summary »

Directors:

Sam Nelson, Mack V. Wright

Writers:

John Peere Miles (story), George Rosener (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Elliott, Monte Blue, Carole Wayne

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Elliott	...	Wild Bill Hickok (as Gordon Elliott)
Monte Blue	...	Mr. Cameron
Carole Wayne	...	Ruth Cameron
Frankie Darro	...	Jerry, aka Little Brave Heart
Dickie Jones	...	Buddy
Sammy McKim	...	Boots
Kermit Maynard	...	Kit Lawson
Roscoe Ates	...	Oscar Snake-Eyes Smith (as Rosco Ates)
Monte Collins	...	Danny (Printer) (as Monty Collins)
Reed Hadley	...	Jim Blakely
Chief Thundercloud	...	Chief Gray Eagle [Chs. 3, 14] (as Chief Thunder Cloud)
Mala	...	Little Elk [Chs. 5-6]
Robert Fiske	...	Morrell - Phantom Raider Chief
Walter Wills	...	Joshua Bruce
J.P. McGowan	...	Henchman Scudder

Storyline

A short plot summary finds Wild Bill Hickok (Bill Elliott), the U.S. Marshal in Abilene, Kansas, opposing the Phantom Raiders, a gang of renegades raiding the cattle drives over the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene. Hickok organizes the boys of the town into the "Flaming Arrows" to assist him. Finally, in the 15th chapter, "Trail's End", Hickok, the "Flaming Arrows" and army scout Kit Lawson (Kermit Maynard) combine to put an end to the Phantom Raiders.

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Plot Keywords:

raider | chisholm trail | u.s. marshal | wild bill hickok | scout | 

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Taglines:

Look Out...Injun!

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wild Bill Hickok

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

CHAPTER TITLES: 1. Law of the Gun; 2. Stampede!; 3. Blazing Terrorl; 4. Mystery Canyon; 5. Flaming Brands; 6. The Apache Killer; 7. Prowling Wolves; 8. The Pit; 9. Ambushed!; 10. Savage Vengeance; 11. Burning Waters; 12. Desperation; 13. Phantom Bullets; 14. The Lure; 15. Trail's End.

User Reviews

Enter Wild Bill Elliott

After many years of bit roles Bill Elliott was given the lead in this serial with Wild Bill Hickok as the protagonist/hero. The Great Adventures Of Wild Bill Hickok not only gave Elliott a career, but a name for the billing marquee. Henceforth he would be always known and billed as Wild Bill Elliott.

Though even today some folks have a taste for these old time serials,I'm not one of them. Nevertheless this serial established Elliott as a cowboy hero for the juvenile trade. Later on Elliott did some more adult oriented westerns that weren't half bad.

Elliott as Hickok is appointed United States Marshal in Abilene, Kansas and at the same time Texas cattle herds are attempting to drive up the Chisholm Trail to Abilene and the projected railroad head. There'a gang called the Phantom Raiders who are a bunch of carpetbaggers running Texas who want to keep the cattle there so the owners can sell at the carpetbagger prices. When they start to move the Phantom Raiders stop at nothing to keep that first big herd from making the drive.

Which includes disguising themselves as Indians, stirring up real Indians, trying both to sabotage the railroad coming west and the cattle drive coming north. All in all they keep Elliott in the saddle continually for 15 chapters.

As serials go this is not bad, but these things with the ever present cliffhangers can eventually prove wearying.