King of the Bullwhip
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Ron Ormond
"lash" Larue
"fuzzy" St. John
Jack Holt
Tom Neal
Anne Gwynne
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the Arizona countryside, a masked man signals a gang of bandits, and they ambush two men in a stagecoach, killing one of the men and stealing the gold shipment they are carrying. Later, in nearby Tioga City, bank president James Kerrigan informs a group of businessmen that the U.S. Marshal is sending two men to help them catch the masked bandit, who is called El Azote because of his prowess with a bullwhip. Before these men, Lash LaRue and Fuzzy Q. Jones, reach town, however, they are ambushed by the gang, but narrowly escape. Upon arriving in Tioga City, Lash is angry to see a poster announcing that a marshal and deputy are coming to combat El Azote, and he and Fuzzy wonder if their arrival was publicized in order to set them up for an attack. Meanwhile, saloon owner Benson berates the gang for their unsuccessful ambush, and when Lash and Fuzzy enter the saloon, they are provoked into a fight by two of Benson's men, Rio and Thurman. Benson eventually puts an end to the fight, and Lash tells him that he and Fuzzy came across the bodies of a murdered marshal and his deputy on the way into town. Later, Rio and some of the gang try to lynch Lash and Fuzzy, but Kerrigan and his cashier, Joe Chester, intercede, and Benson orders Rio to leave. Lash and Fuzzy later call on Benson, who proposes a scheme in which Lash, who is also highly skilled with a bullwhip, will dress like El Azote and commit highway robbery, with Rio and Benson's other employees posing as El Azote's gang. Lash goes along with the plan, believing that his impersonation will force the real El Azote out of hiding, and he assures Fuzzy that it will be easy to get the money back from Benson once they have completed their mission. El Azote strikes again, and when the newspaper account mentions a henchman matching Rio's description, Lash realizes that Rio is working for both Benson and El Azote. Lash confronts Benson, and while they are fighting, Rio comes in with a gun and says he knows Lash's real identity. After tying up Lash and Fuzzy and knocking Benson out, Rio and the gang rob the Tioga City bank. Fuzzy cuts their ropes with his spurs, and uses a slingshot to disperse the gang's horses while Lash goes into the bank and captures the bandits. El Azote appears and disarms Lash, then escapes past a confused Fuzzy. Lash rides off in pursuit, finally catching up with El Azote on a rocky ridge, where the two men fight a savage duel with their bullwhips. Lash prevails and unmasks his opponent, who turns out to be Joe. Later, Lash explains to Kerrigan and his daughter Jane that the cashier intended to break all of the banks in the county and then set up a banking empire of his own. In the next room, Fuzzy is boasting about his legendary friends when Lash enters with Buffalo Bill, and Fuzzy collapses in amazement.
Director
Ron Ormond
Cast
"lash" Larue
"fuzzy" St. John
Jack Holt
Tom Neal
Anne Gwynne
George Lewis
Michael Whalen
Dennis Moore
Mary Lou Webb
Willis Houck
Cliff Taylor
Frank Jaquet
Tex Cooper
Hugh Hooker
Jimmie Martin
Roy Butler
Ray Hughes
Crew
Alfred Berke
Mary Chaffee
F. O. Collings
Archie Dalzell
Harry Eckles
Glen Glenn
Walter Greene
Joy Houck
Jack Lewis
Ray Mercer
Ernest Miller
Theodore Offenbecker
Ron Ormond
Fred Preble
Ira Webb
Ira Webb
Gloria Welsch
J. Francis White Jr.
Hugh Winn
Film Details
Technical Specs
