Sheriff of Tombstone (1941)

The mayor has sent for a gunslinger who, though appearing to clean up the town, is really to be the mayor's means of taking the town over. When Roy and Gabby arrive in Tombstone, Roy is ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

James Webb (original story), Olive Cooper (screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Elyse Knox

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roy Rogers	...	Brett Starr
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Judge Gabby Whittaker
Elyse Knox	...	Mary Carson
Addison Richards	...	Mayor Luke Keeler
Sally Payne	...	Queenie Whittaker - aka Queenie LaTour
Harry Woods	...	Shotgun Cassidy
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Granny Carson
Hal Taliaferro	...	A.J. Slade
Jay Novello	...	John Anderson - aka Joe Martinez
Jack Ingram	...	Bill Starr

Storyline

The mayor has sent for a gunslinger who, though appearing to clean up the town, is really to be the mayor's means of taking the town over. When Roy and Gabby arrive in Tombstone, Roy is mistaken for the gunslinger. Just as Roy is ready to expose the mayor, the real gunslinger shows up.

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roy Rogers also played a character with the same name in the same year in Bad Man of Deadwood (1941).

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Shotgun Cassidy barges out of the telegraph office with a message in his hand]
Brett Starr: It must be important, Cassidy. Now if you could only read it...
Shotgun Cassidy: You keep your pryin' nose out of my business.
Brett Starr: That's what I'm doin'. I'm goin' to retire officially now.
Shotgun Cassidy: Yeah? Well, I'm retirin' myself. Leastways I'm leavin' town.
Brett Starr: Me, too. Dodge City's goin' to be kind of lonesome without us.
Shotgun Cassidy: I'll be glad to take a partin' shot at you to liven things up!
Brett Starr: When I go into shootin' just to take the quiet out of the...

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Connections

Remade as Thunder Over Arizona (1956)

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Soundtracks

Ridin' On a Rocky Road
Written by Sol Meyer and Peter Tinturin
Sung by Roy Rogers

User Reviews

A Different Gabby Hayes

By 1941 the formula for low budget series westerns had long been perfected, but results varied. Sheriff of Tombstone is an excellent choice for an introduction to the genre of B westerns.

The best actor of the bunch, as usual, was George "Gabby" Hayes. His character may have had the same name from one movie to the next, but not the same purpose in the story. He could be a wise old cow puncher, an old ranch foreman, aloof sidekick, or even an outlaw. For a pleasant change he was made into a lawyer, "Judge Whitaker" for this picture. Add to that a wife and daughter, which is unusual for not only Gabby, but sidekicks in general. Not bumbling around as a helpless sidekick in this one, he was instead a strong backup gun for Roy's character, Brett Starr.

A fine touch on a well made movie comes during an interchange between Gabby and Granny Carson when she answers Gabby with a snappy, "You're dern tootin'!" The reaction on Gabby's face is one of surprise at being the recipient of one of his own signature lines.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Sheriff von Tombstone

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

54 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1