Frontiers of '49
Cast & Crew
Joseph Levering
Bill Elliott
Luana De Alcaniz
Charles King
Hal Taliaferro
Charles Whittaker
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1849, a struggle for control of land in California rages between the forces of America and Spain. One of the primary agencies of inequity is the Lower California Company, an agency headed by Howard Brunton, which has been commissioned by the American government to administer laws and collect taxes in the region. Instead of engaging in these legitimate practices, however, Brunton and his outlaws are levying exorbitant taxes on Spanish granted land and selling property to their own bidders for a pittance. These practices eventually begin to wreak havoc in the territory, forcing the U.S. government to send troops to retain order. In command of these troops is Major John Freeman, who slips into the territory disguised as a settler, accompanied by his scout Kit. John rides to the hacienda of Don Miguel Cervantes, where an auction is in progress. Brunton has just seized the estate, and the bidding has just begun on its assets. When John outbids Brunton's hirelings, the auctioneer postpones the sale for a week. Struck by the plight of Don Miguel and his beautiful daughter Dolores, John assures them that he is their friend and decides to help them keep their land. Hoping to learn more about Brunton's misdealings, John pretends to sympathize with the Lower California Co. by volunteering his services to Brunton. Brunton sees John as a threat to his enterprise, and though he pretends to hire him, he immediately instructs Brad, a henchman, to run him out of town. Meanwhile, in order to obtain the necessary evidence to convict Brunton, John instructs Romero, a land holder who was evicted before his taxes were due, to ride to the town of Los Treos to have his last tax receipt notarized. On his way back, Romero is ambushed by Brunton's men and murdered. Enraged, John confronts Brunton and his gunman, Brad, but he is overpowered by Brunton's gang. Learning John's true identity, Brunton orders his men to rob the express office and make a getaway across the border. John escapes by cleverly outwitting his captors, and rides to his regiment, which has been waiting nearby. As the cavalry descends on the town of Los Treos, Brunton's men have just completed robbing the express office. Pursued by the troops, Brunton flees in a nearby stagecoach, in which Dolores has taken refuge from the shooting. John overtakes the coach, lassos Brunton and rescues Dolores.
Director
Joseph Levering
Cast
Bill Elliott
Luana De Alcaniz
Charles King
Hal Taliaferro
Charles Whittaker
Octavio Giraud
Carlos Villarías
Joe De La Cruz
Jack Walters
Al Ferguson
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
A working title for this film was California Cavalcade, and it was reviewed as such in Motion Picture Herald. Modern sources list actors Kit Guard, Bud Osborne, Jack Ingram, Lee Shumway, Ed Cassidy and Tex Palmer in the cast, but their appearance in the released film has not been confirmed.
