Riders of Death Valley
6.5
283 minutes
7/1/1941
Overview
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.
Cast List
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