Masterson of Kansas (1954)

In Kansas, fearing another Indian War, Sheriff Bat Masterson, Marshal Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday join forces to defuse tensions over grazing lands between Indians and greedy cattlemen.

Director:

William Castle

Writers:

Douglas Heyes (story), Douglas Heyes (screenplay)

Stars:

George Montgomery, Nancy Gates, James Griffith

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Montgomery	...	Bat Masterson
Nancy Gates	...	Amy Merrick
James Griffith	...	Doc Holliday
Jean Willes	...	Dallas Corey - aka Mrs. Bennett
Benny Rubin	...	Coroner
William Henry	...	Charlie Fry (as William A. Henry)
David Bruce	...	Clay Bennett
Bruce Cowling	...	Wyatt Earp
Gregg Barton	...	Sutton - Henchman
Donald Murphy	...	Virgil Earp
Gregg Martell	...	Mitch Connors
Sandy Sanders	...	Tyler - Henchman
Jay Silverheels	...	Yellow Hawk
John Maxwell	...	Amos Merrick

Storyline

Dodge City Sheriff Bat Masterson is out to prove that a group of cattlemen have framed Merrick for murder because he negotiated a treaty granting the Kiowas a reserve in the grass country that the cattlemen wanted for their own grazing land. Knowing that the tribes will wage war again if Merrick is executed, Masterson begins a search for Clay Bennett who testified he saw the murder. Joining him in the hunt is Marshal Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, both for different purposes. Although Masterson and Holliday have a long standing feud, the latter is persuaded by Merrick's daughter Amy to help.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to tombstone arizona | reference to arizona | bat masterson character | doc holliday character | dodge city kansas | 

---

Taglines:

Toughest of All Lawmen!

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bat Masterson, Bad Man

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Doc Holliday was a doctor of dentistry not medicine as implied.

User Reviews

Forced into alliance by exigent circumstances

Although the friendship of Marshal Wyatt Earp and gunfighter/gambler Doc Holiday is frontier legend and the subject of several movies, Dodge City's other famous lawman Bat Masterson and Holiday did not have the same feelings. That is the premise on which Masterson Of Kansas is built around, although the two are forced into alliance by exigent circumstances.

George Montgomery is in the title role and James Griffith plays Doc Holiday. The exigent circumstances are a threatened Indian war when John Maxwell who has worked for peace is accused of murdering the commanding officer at Fort Dodge on perjured testimony of David Bruce.

It all doesn't smell right to Montgomery who finds proof enough in the Indian village of Jay Silverheels the Comanche chief. At least proof enough for him if not the white man's court. After that he's on a mission to clear Maxwell and maybe win his daughter's hand who is played by Nancy Gates.

And if Montgomery and Griffith don't have enough to fight about the sight of Gates puts them both in heat. Bruce Cowling as Wyatt Earp has enough on his hands to keep these two from killing each other.

Masterson Of Kansas is a nice no frills B western directed by William Castle in a straightforward style that does not portray his penchant for gimmicky horror films. Doc Holiday is always an interesting character and James Griffith joins a respectable pantheon of players who have played Holiday over the years like, Cesar Romero, Victor Mature, Jason Robards, Jr., Kirk Douglas, and Val Kilmer. Griffith yields to none of them.

Fans of westerns and George Montgomery westerns will have little to complain about with Masterson Of Kansas.