Code of the Prairie
Cast & Crew
Spencer Bennet
Smiley Burnette
Sunset Carson
Peggy Stewart
Weldon Heyburn
Tom Chatterton
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Retired marshal Bat Matson travels with his spirited daughter Helen to the lawless town of Canyon City, in the Texas Panhandle, to establish a newspaper. Before they reach town, however, they are attacked by three outlaws, and Bat, who has only one arm, is unable to fend the men off. Bat and Helen are saved by the arrival of Bat's protege, Sunset Carson, and his pal, Frog Millhouse, who were asked by Helen to join them in Canyon City. Frog and Sunset escort Bat and Helen into town, where they begin setting up their printing press. Unknown to the new arrivals, Professor Graham, an outlaw posing as an honest barber, hopes to thwart Bat's desire for law and order by having a man he can control elected as sheriff. Also in town is Jesse Thorpe, another one of Bat's former proteges, who, lured by Graham's promise of easy money, agrees to become his candidate for sheriff. Not knowing that Jesse has fallen in with a bad crowd, Bat is pleased to see his old friend, and cheerfully agrees when Graham suggests that Jesse and Sunset oppose each other in the election for sheriff. Bat's thugs terrorize the local citizens, however, to force them to vote for Jesse. On the day of the election, Bat receives a wanted poster, detailing the crimes of David Larson, Professor Graham's real name. Telling Helen only that he needs to speak to Jesse, Bat confronts Graham alone and is killed by the desperado. While Graham is removing Bat's body from the barber shop, his picture is taken accidentally by amateur photographer Frog, who does not realize what has happened. When Helen finds her father's body in the newspaper office, Sunset and Frog, knowing only that Bat was looking for Jesse, become suspicious of the newly elected sheriff. Jesse is devastated by Bat's death but realizes that he is under Graham's control and can do nothing for the time being. Sunset then learns that $150,000 in state funds is due to arrive soon for the homesteaders, but before he and Frog can escort the money safely into town, it is stolen by Graham's henchmen. The driver is shot during the robbery, and when Jesse arrives to investigate, the henchmen, who were deputized by him upon Graham's orders, state that Sunset and Frog are the culprits. Jesse is forced to arrest Sunset and Frog, although he later gets Loomis, one of the thugs, to reveal the extent of Graham's criminal activities. Upon learning that Loomis has talked, Graham realizes that he has to get rid of Jesse, and so doctors Frog's photograph to look as if Jesse was moving Bat's body. Sunset is infuriated when he sees the picture and immediately breaks out of jail in search of Jesse, who is arresting Graham for Bat's murder. Without waiting for an explanation, Sunset engages Jesse in a fierce fistfight and does not cease even when Frog, who discovers that the photo is a fake, pleads with him to stop. Sunset finally stops and joins forces with Jesse when Graham and his men attempt to shoot them, and Bat's two proteges easily best the outlaws. Afterward, Sunset and Jesse shake hands, and Helen congratulates Frog, who reveals that the photo is a phony because Jesse is wearing his sheriff's badge in it, even though he had not been elected and sworn in until after Bat's body was discovered.
Director
Spencer Bennet
Cast
Smiley Burnette
Sunset Carson
Peggy Stewart
Weldon Heyburn
Tom Chatterton
Roy Barcroft
Bud Geary
Tom London
Jack Kirk
Tom Steele
Rex Lease
Horace B. Carpenter
Herman Hack
Hank Bell
Nolan Leary
Frederick Howard
Charles King
Karl Hackett
Crew
Ed Borschell
Smiley Burnette
Anthony Coldewey
Albert Demond
Albert Demond
Joseph Dubin
Louis Gray
Harry Keller
William J. O'sullivan
Fred A. Ritter
Otto Siegel
Bud Thackery
George Webster
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
At the end of the film, after "Sunset" and "Jesse" have apprehended the criminals, "Frog" talks directly to the camera and asks the audience members if they can spot the evidence proving that the photograph of "Jesse" with "Bat" was doctored. "Frog" reveals the clue about "Jesse's" badge, then says, "You kids go home now. You been in here all day." Modern sources include the following actors in the cast: Bob Wilke, Frank Ellis, Henry Wills, Kenneth Terrell and Jack O'Shea.
