By Glenn Erickson
Scarlet River
Brief Synopsis
During location shooting, a movie cowboy is called upon to act like the real thing.
Cast & Crew
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Otto Brower
Director
Tom Keene
Tom Baxter
Dorothy Wilson
Judy Blake
Creighton Chaney
Jeff Todd
Betty Furness
Babe Jewel
Rosco Ates
Ulysses Mope
Photos & Videos
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1 Photo
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Mar
10,
1933
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 2m
Sound
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels
Synopsis
Frustrated by the lack of good outdoor locations in the Los Angeles area, western film star Tom Baxter decides to move his movie crew out of Hollywood after he sees a photograph of the Scarlet River Ranch, which was sent to the studio by a would-be screenwriter named Ulysses Mope. Unknown to Tom, Jeff Todd, the ranch's foreman, has been plotting with banker "Clink" McPherson to ruin the ranch financially by burning hay and killing and rustling cattle. McPherson, who controls the loan on the ranch, wants to force owner Judy Blake into selling him the property so that he can then make a profit re-selling it to developers. After Tom and his crew arrive at Scarlet River and meet Judy and her young brother Bud, Tom develops immediate suspicions about Jeff, who is a boastful and uncooperative host. While ranch hand Ulysses is recruited to play a comic bit in the movie, Tom, who is attracted to Judy, offers to help her enroll Bud in a good private school. Soon after, Tom follows Jeff on his horse and catches him shooting a steer. Confronted, Jeff tells Tom that he had to kill the steer because it had drunk contaminated water. Sure that Jeff is lying, Tom announces that he is sending for a veterinarian to confirm Jeff's story, which prompts Jeff to plot with McPherson and his men to kidnap Judy and force Tom to leave. Tom, meanwhile, provokes Judy's ire when she catches him spanking Bud for smoking and talking back to him. To protect himself, Bud lies about the incident to Judy, but later apologizes to Tom and promises to make amends. McPherson then kidnaps Judy and sends Dummy, a mute, to deliver a note to Tom that stipulates that Judy will be released unharmed only when Tom and his crew leave Scarlet River. Disguised as Dummy, Tom infiltrates the gang's cabin and almost escapes with Judy but is captured. While McPherson plots Tom's "accidental" death, Tom and Judy plan another escape attempt, which is aided by the arrival of Bud and the movie crew. With the help of blanks, movie grenades and Tom's expert riding and fighting skills, Tom and the crew defeat McPherson and his gang and save Judy's ranch.
Director
Otto Brower
Director
Cast
Tom Keene
Tom Baxter
Dorothy Wilson
Judy Blake
Creighton Chaney
Jeff Todd
Betty Furness
Babe Jewel
Rosco Ates
Ulysses Mope
Edgar Kennedy
Sam Gilroy
Billy Butts
Buck Blake
Hooper Atchley
"Clink" McPherson
Jack Raymond
Benny
Yakima Canutt
Yak
Joel Mccrea
Himself
Myrna Loy
Herself
Julie Haydon
Herself
Bruce Cabot
Himself
Rochelle Hudson
Herself
Crew
Photo Collections
1 Photo
Scarlet River - Movie Poster
Scarlet River - Movie Poster
Film Details
Genre
Western
Release Date
Mar
10,
1933
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 2m
Sound
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels
Articles
Scarlet River
An amusing western about a movie company filming a western, 1933's Scarlet River was initiated by David O. Selznick during his stint as studio boss at RKO. Harold Shumate's smartly turned tale features cowboy star Tom Keene playing cowboy star 'Tom Baxter,' in search of a good film location for himself and his leading lady Babe Jewel (Betty Furness). The irony is that filming westerns around Los Angeles is getting tough because of all the new real estate developments and hot dog stands. Tom chooses the Scarlet River Ranch, owned by pretty Judy Blake (Dorothy Wilson). She authorizes the filming to raise needed income, not realizing that her foreman (Creighton Chaney, soon to become 'Lon Chaney, Jr.') and a crooked banker have been burning her stores and stealing cattle to force her to sell out to them. Director Otto Brower has fun with more Hollywood in-jokes, as when Myrna Loy, Bruce Cabot and Joel McCrea are seen in the studio cafeteria. He also receives terrific comedy relief from slow burn comedian Edgar Kennedy, as the director of the film-within-the-film. Add to this formula the stuttering comedian Roscoe Ates (Freaks, 1932) in a non-stuttering role as a cowpoke who wants to be a screenwriter, and famed stuntman Yakima Canutt as Tom Baxter's stuntman, and Scarlet River is a clever and satisfying entertainment. For a happy finale, the movie company rides to the rescue like the cavalry, and Tom proves himself a hero off the screen as well.
By Glenn Erickson
By Glenn Erickson
Scarlet River
An amusing western about a movie company filming a western, 1933's Scarlet River was initiated by David O. Selznick during his stint as studio boss at RKO. Harold Shumate's smartly turned tale features cowboy star Tom Keene playing cowboy star 'Tom Baxter,' in search of a good film location for himself and his leading lady Babe Jewel (Betty Furness). The irony is that filming westerns around Los Angeles is getting tough because of all the new real estate developments and hot dog stands. Tom chooses the Scarlet River Ranch, owned by pretty Judy Blake (Dorothy Wilson). She authorizes the filming to raise needed income, not realizing that her foreman (Creighton Chaney, soon to become 'Lon Chaney, Jr.') and a crooked banker have been burning her stores and stealing cattle to force her to sell out to them. Director Otto Brower has fun with more Hollywood in-jokes, as when Myrna Loy, Bruce Cabot and Joel McCrea are seen in the studio cafeteria. He also receives terrific comedy relief from slow burn comedian Edgar Kennedy, as the director of the film-within-the-film. Add to this formula the stuttering comedian Roscoe Ates (Freaks, 1932) in a non-stuttering role as a cowpoke who wants to be a screenwriter, and famed stuntman Yakima Canutt as Tom Baxter's stuntman, and Scarlet River is a clever and satisfying entertainment. For a happy finale, the movie company rides to the rescue like the cavalry, and Tom proves himself a hero off the screen as well.
By Glenn Erickson
Scarlet River
By Frank Miller
Scarlet River
This series Western from RKO has the courage to laugh at the genre, a feat it pulls off quite effectively thanks to Harold Shumate's witty script and Tom Keene's performance in the lead. At the time, Keene, perhaps better known for such independent classics as Our Daily Bread (1934) and Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959), was the studio's resident B Western star. But instead of playing a sheriff or heroic cowhand, this time around he's a movie star whose company is having trouble shooting their latest Western. After several attempts to film near Hollywood - which allows for cameos by such stars as Joel McCrea and Myrna Loy, playing themselves - they find a remote ranch whose owner, Dorothy Williams, desperately needs the location fees. Between scenes, Keene discovers the reasons for the ranch's problems. Ranch hand Roscoe Ates is too busy writing film scripts to tend to his job, while foreman Lon Chaney, Jr. (still being billed as Creighton Chaney) is plotting to steal the ranch for a crooked banker. Keene has to draw upon all his skills as a filmmaker to save the day.
By Frank Miller
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
In a scene set at a motion picture commissary, several RKO contract stars appear as themselves in cameo roles.
