Gunsmoke


49m 1946

Brief Synopsis

Rancher Marlowe (Nick Stuart) is shot in the back and killed by gunslinger Dirk Mattson (Craig Lawrence.) His son Brad (Nick Stuart), despite the pleas of his young sister Ginny (Larraine Jensen), sets out for revenge. He and Dirk have a shoot-out in Helldorado and Dirk is killed. Brad is wounded and is being pursued by a posse, and passes out in the desert where he is found by Carol Henderson (Carol Foran). She treats his wounds and rides for...

Film Details

Release Date
Jan 1946
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Standard Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
State Rights
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
49m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White

Synopsis

In a Las Vegas bar, an old cowboy informs his young drinking companion that he strongly resembles Brad Marlowe, a cowboy he knew years before, and relates the following story about Brad: In the 1880s, Brad's father is shot in the back by notorious gunslinger Dirk Mattson, and over the objections of his sister Ginny, Brad goes to challenge Dirk. Brad and Dirk face off in the street, and both draw and shoot their guns at the same time. Brad suffers a shoulder wound, while Dirk is killed. Fearing arrest, Brad flees town, then collapses in the desert. Carol, a young woman riding by, sees him fall from his horse and rushes to help him. After Carol makes crude bandages for his wound, she rides to an outlaw camp to inform her father about Brad. Carol convinces her father that they should bring Brad in that night, even if it means risking capture, and with help from a trusted cohort, Bill Jones, Brad is delivered to the camp. Six days later, Brad regains consciousness and learns that, after their land was stolen by a crooked politician, Carol and her father, who was forced to kill the politician, became fugitives and were taken in by a gang of murderous outlaws called Duke's Raiders. When Duke later sees Carol holding hands with Brad, he become jealous and threatens her. Brad angrily tells Duke that he looks just like a cowardly gunslinger he killed in Vegas, then realizes that Duke is Dirk's twin. Duke begins beating Brad in revenge, and although he knocks Brad out, he is impressed enough with Brad's fighting skills to invite him to join the gang. Seeing an opportunity to help Carol and her father escape from Duke, Brad accepts the offer, and for his first assignment, Duke orders Brad to steal cash from a nearby rancher. As Bill, who is also a reluctant gang member, watches, Brad knocks out the rancher and takes his money. Brad delivers the booty to Duke, who declares Brad a full-fledged member of the Raiders. Later, after she accepts Brad's proposal, Carol is accosted by a jealous Duke. Shorty, another sympathetic gang member, stops Duke's attack by acting drunk in front of him and is shot at by his angry boss. The next day, the sheriff, Stormy, arrives at the camp, demanding Brad, and Duke gladly turns him over. Intending to free his friend, Bill intercepts Stormy and Brad on the trail, but Brad explains that Stormy has cleared him of all charges and wants their help to rout Duke and his men. Bill agrees to Stormy's plan, and he and Brad return to the camp, claiming that Bill killed the sheriff. That night, Brad and Bill ask Shorty to join them, and their conversation is overheard by one of Duke's loyal men, who then alerts Duke. A gun battle ensues, and Duke and eleven other outlaws are eventually killed. As a reward for their efforts, Bill, Shorty and Carol's father are given pardons, while Brad looks forward to a happy future with Carol. Back in the bar, the old cowboy concludes his story, and after the young stranger reveals that he is Brad's son, the cowboy announces that he is Bill Jones.

Film Details

Release Date
Jan 1946
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Standard Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
State Rights
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
49m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Although the viewed print included a 1946 copyright statement, the film is not listed in the Copyright Catalog. No reviews or specific release date information for the picture were found. In addition, the exact duration of the film was not mentioned in any source, although the viewed print was feature-length. According to the file on the film in the MPAA/PCA collection at the AMPAS Library, the picture was approved for distribution in Pennsylvania on December 31, 1946, in Maryland on January 10, 1947, and Massachusetts on October 10, 1947. Modern sources note that the film was distributed in the south and southwest as Gunsmoke Killers.