A Holy Terror
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Irving Cummings
George O'brien
Sally Eilers
James Kirkwood
Rita La Roy
Humphrey Bogart
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After Tony Woodbury's wealthy father Thomas is mysteriously killed, Tony and his lawyer, Tom Hedges, discover that Thomas changed his surname from Bard to Woodbury twenty-five years before. As they are going through Thomas' papers, they also find out that he has had a Wyoming rancher named William Drew under surveillance since he changed his name. Determined to discover if Drew has anything to do with his father's death, Tony flies his plane from New York to Wyoming, where he crash lands in the hotel owned by Jerry Foster. Tony registers under the name Tony Bard, quickly becomes friendly with Jerry, and begins looking for Drew. Tony finds out that Drew bought a train ticket to New York shortly before his father was killed, after which he questions Drew's foreman, Steve Nash, and finds out that Drew is in El Paso. Steve, who conducts illegal business with his partner, Butch Morgan, while Drew is gone, is suspicious of Tony and, with Butch's help, attempts to injure him by giving him a wild horse to ride. Tony, who is a champion polo player, tames the horse and wins the respect of the community. Afterward, Steve learns Tony's true identity from his girl friend, Kitty Carroll, one of Jerry's employees. When Drew returns, Steve tells him about Tony, and Drew orders him to bring Tony unharmed to the ranch. Steve returns to town, where he finds Tony and Jerry together at a dance hall. Steve convinces Tony to accompany him to Drew's ranch, but Butch meets them on the way, and after Butch roughs him up, Tony realizes that they are kidnapping him. He escapes on horseback by jumping Devil's Gulch, after which Steve goes to the ranch and tells Drew what happened. Drew is furious that Steve and Butch have endangered Tony's life, but is mollified when Tony arrives unharmed. Meanwhile, Kitty, who was dumped by Steve before he left with Tony, tells Jerry that Tony has been kidnapped. While Jerry is rushing to the ranch, Drew instructs one of his men, Jim Lawler, to impersonate him. Tony comes in and questions Lawler about his father's death. The ruse is uncovered, however, when Jerry enters. Drew tells Tony that he did not murder Thomas, and he is about to tell Tony the whole story when he sees Butch about to shoot Tony in the back through the window. He pushes Tony to safety and is wounded himself, after which his men chase Butch while Tony and Jerry tend to him. Drew tells them that he and Thomas had been best friends for years and had fallen in love with the same woman, who married Drew and had a son with him. Thomas stole her and the baby away, however, and twenty-five years later, Drew finally went to Thomas to confront him and retrieve his son, Tony. Tony is delighted to know that Drew is his real father, and he and Jerry promise to take care of Drew together.
Director
Irving Cummings
Cast
George O'brien
Sally Eilers
James Kirkwood
Rita La Roy
Humphrey Bogart
Stanley Fields
Robert Warwick
Richard Tucker
Earl Pingree
Jay Wilson
Charles Whitaker
Crew
Ralph Block
Alfred A. Cohn
Irving Cummings
Ralph Dixon
Myron C. Fagan
W. D. Flick
Wm. Fox
Aline Goodwin
Edmund Grainger
David Hall
Cliff Lyons
George Schneiderman
R. L. Selander
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Wyoming Wonder. Max Brand's novel first appeared as a serial in All-Story Weekly (1 November-6 December 1919). According to the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, Alphonse Ethier was originally selected for the role of "Jim Lawler." An earlier film based on the same source was made by Fox in 1921. It was directed by Lynn F. Reynolds and starred Tom Mix and Eva Novak (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.5815.)
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1931
Released in United States 1931
