Bad Man of Deadwood
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Joseph Kane
Roy Rogers
George "gabby" Hayes
Carol Adams
Henry Brandon
Herbert Rawlinson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Professor Mortimer "Gabby" Blackstone, his daughter Sally and singer Bill Brady bring their medicine show to the lawless town of Deadwood, where honest citizens live in fear of outlaw Ripper and his gang. Theater owner Jake Marvel, angry over competition from the show, orders Sheriff Jordan to run Gabby out of town. Jordan does so, but later that evening Bill intervenes when Ripper's gang attacks general store owner Seth Belden. A woman helps them escape and advises them to go to Laramie Gap, where they meet Clem Littlejohn. Clem explains that he and his friends were also run out of town by Ripper, and that the woman who helped them was Linda Barrett, a reporter for crusading newspaper editor Ted Carver. The next day, Bill goes to the newspaper office to thank Linda, and she tells him she knows that he is a reformed gunslinger once known as Brett Starr. Meanwhile, Jake orders his henchman, Monte Burns, to get rid of Bill. Monte's attempt fails, and when Bill takes Monte to jail, he meets Judge Gary, who informs Bill that he can never convict the local bandits because Sheriff Jordan does not supply him with the needed evidence. While Bill is returning to the secret hideout in Laramie Gap, Jake meets with the Deadwood civic league, a group of prominent businessmen who have secretly hired Ripper to get rid of their competitors. Later, Gabby learns that he has inherited $36,000 from an uncle, and when he collects the money from the Deadwood bank, Monte reports the incident to Jake. After Gabby treats himself and Sally to new clothes, he is robbed by Ripper's thugs. Bill realizes that if Jake deposits the money into his bank account, they can use the records as evidence against him, and so he and Gabby steal the deposit records. There is no notation of a deposit into Jake's account, however, which leads Bill to conclude that Jake is shipping the money on the next day's guarded "treasure coach." Gabby concocts a noxious gas to frighten off the guards, and Bill gets the express box. Some of Gabby's money is contained in envelopes made out to Jake and the civic league members, thereby proving their connection to Ripper, but the greatest amount is in Carver's name. When Bill tells Linda, she is mystified, for Carver has been an outspoken proponent for law and order in Deadwood. Bill instructs Linda to take the money to Judge Gary, but Monte, who has followed her, sees both the secret entrance to Laramie Gap and Linda giving the cash to the judge. Gary sends for the cavalry, then is robbed by Monte and Jake, who prepare to leave town. Carver, who is the secret head of the civic league, shoots Monte and Jake for attempting to double-cross him, then gets the gang to attack Laramie Gap. Bill, Gabby and the others are hard-pressed in their defense of the gap, but the cavalry arrives just as they are running out of ammunition. Carver is shot by Bill during the mêlée, and the sheriff and the others are rounded up by the soldiers. Gary then appoints Bill sheriff, and Bill promises to settle down with Linda.
Director
Joseph Kane
Cast
Roy Rogers
George "gabby" Hayes
Carol Adams
Henry Brandon
Herbert Rawlinson
Sally Payne
Hal Taliaferro
Jay Novello
Horace Murphy
Monte Blue
Ralf Harolde
Jack Kirk
Fred Burns
Ernie Adams
Tom London
George Lloyd
Karl Hackett
Harry Harvey
Eddie Acuff
Trigger
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although a Hollywood Reporter news item noted that Philip Trent and Johnny James were to go into "featured roles" in this film, their appearance in the released picture has not been confirmed. Modern sources include the following actors in the cast: Yakima Canutt, Curley Dresden, Lynton Brent, Lloyd Ingraham, Robert Frazer, Archie Twitchell, Jack Rockwell, Jack O'Shea, George Morrell, Wally West, Bob Woodward, Pascale Perry, Horace B. Carpenter and Harrison Greene.
