Riders of Death Valley

Riders of Death Valley

283 mins | Action, Western | July 1, 1941

The Saturday matinee crowd got two cowboy stars for the price of one in this lavishly budgeted western serial starring former singing cowboy Dick Foran and Buck Jones. The latter contributed deadpan humor to the proceedings, making Jones perhaps the highest paid B-western comedy relief in history. The two heroes defend the Death Valley borax miners from an outlaw gang headed by Wolf Reade. An extraordinarily strong cast -- for a serial, at least -- supported the stars, headed by Charles Bickford as Reade, Leo Carillo, Lon Chaney, Jr., and silent screen star Monte Blue. Leading lady Jeanne Kelly later changed her name to Jean Brooks and starred in the atmospheric RKO thriller The Seventh Victim (1943). Universal claimed to have spent $1 million on this serial and made sure to get their money's worth by endlessly recycling the action footage in serials and B-westerns for years to come.

Riders of Death Valley

283 mins | Action, Western | July 1, 1941

Riders of Death Valley
The Saturday matinee crowd got two cowboy stars for the price of one in this lavishly budgeted western serial starring former singing cowboy Dick Foran and Buck Jones. The latter contributed deadpan humor to the proceedings, making Jones perhaps the highest paid B-western comedy relief in history. The two heroes defend the Death Valley borax miners from an outlaw gang headed by Wolf Reade. An extraordinarily strong cast -- for a serial, at least -- supported the stars, headed by Charles Bickford as Reade, Leo Carillo, Lon Chaney, Jr., and silent screen star Monte Blue. Leading lady Jeanne Kelly later changed her name to Jean Brooks and starred in the atmospheric RKO thriller The Seventh Victim (1943). Universal claimed to have spent $1 million on this serial and made sure to get their money's worth by endlessly recycling the action footage in serials and B-westerns for years to come.
IMDb rating 6.6
Producers Universal Pictures
Original title Riders of Death Valley
Directors Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe
Writers Jack O'Donnell, Jacques Jaccard, Oliver Drake, Sherman L. Lowe, George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey

Cast

Dick Foran

as Jim Benton

Leo Carrillo

as Pancho Lopez

Buck Jones

as Tombstone

Charles Bickford

as Wolf Reade

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

as Borax Bill

Lon Chaney Jr.

as Henchman Butch

Noah Beery Jr.

as Smokey

Jean Brooks

as Mary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly)

James Blaine

as Joseph Kirby

Monte Blue

as Rance Davis

Glenn Strange

as Tex, a Benton Rider

Roy Barcroft

as Henchman Dirk

Jack Rockwell

as Henchman Trigger

Ethan Laidlaw

as Henchman Rusty

Richard Alexander

as Henchman Pete Grump

Frank Austin

as Chuckawalla Charlie Morgan [Ch. 1]

Charles Thomas

as Rimrock [Ch. 4]

William Hall

as Dan Gordon [Chs. 1, 8-10]

James Guilfoyle

as Judge Knox [Chs. 2, 13-14]

Ernie Adams

as Cactus Pete, Prospector [Ch.14]

Ted Adams

as Hank

Frank Brownlee

as Slim

Bob Burns

as Miner in Saloon

Rod Cameron

as Rider

Jack Rube Clifford

as Lafe Hogan

Edmund Cobb

as Salty

Art Dillard

as Miner

Jim Farley

as Graham

Chick Hannan

as Miner

Jerome Harte

as Richards

Al Haskell

as Barfly

Jimmie Lucas

as Saloon Waiter

Frank McCarroll

as Lyncher

Ivor McFadden

as Bragg

Leo J. McMahon

as Barfly

Jay Michael

as Cashier

Art Miles

as Green

Bud Osborne

as Stagecoach Driver

William Pagan

as Marshal

Tex Palmer

as Wagon Driver

Ed Payson

as Buck Hansen

Gil Perkins

as Fighter

Jack Perrin

as Stage Guard

Alonzo Price

as Mr. Wilson

Ruth Rickaby

as Kate

Don Rowan

as Blake

Dick Rush

as Saloon Waiter

Silver

as Tombstone's Horse

Smoke

as Jim's Horse

Richard Travis

as Joe Miller

Slim Whitaker

as Stable Owner

Ken Nolan

as Cashier