The Marshal of Mesa City
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
David Howard
George O'brien
Virginia Vale
Leon Ames
Henry Brandon
Harry Cording
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Schoolteacher Virginia King leaves the town of Mesa City, Arizona, to escape the unwelcome attentions of Sheriff Jud Cronin. To prevent her departure, Cronin sends his gang to hold up Virginia's stage, but his plan is thwarted by the appearance of Cliff Mason, a retired lawman who orders the outlaws back to town. Because the stage has been disabled in the raid, Cliff accompanies Virginia back to Mesa City, where he learns that the town is at the mercy of the corrupt Cronin. When Pete Henderson, one of Cronin's men, shoots Marshal Thompson in cold blood, Mayor Sam Bentley offers Cliff Thompson's badge. Cliff accepts and arrests Pete, but after the local judge releases him with a minimal fine, Cliff returns the badge. Cronin's threats prompt Cliff to reconsider, and he urges the citizens' committee to pass an ordinance banning all firearms. To eliminate Cliff, Cronin sends for Duke Allison, a notorious gunfighter, but his plan backfires when Duke joins forces with the new marshal. After appointing Duke his deputy, Cliff rides after Henderson and brings him back to town. As he turns Henderson over to Cronin, Cliff accuses the sheriff of being a crook. Cronin decides to eradicate his problems by framing Cliff and Duke for Henderson's murder, and after killing his henchman, he arrests the lawmen for the crime. When the mayor sends for the U.S. Attorney to investigate, Cronin sets fire to the jail to prevent Cliff from testifying, but Cliff and Duke escape the flames to face Cronin and his gang in a shootout. Duke perishes in the gunfire, but before dying, he shoots Cronin. With law and order restored, Cliff and Virginia decide to leave Mesa City and head south together.
Director
David Howard
Cast
George O'brien
Virginia Vale
Leon Ames
Henry Brandon
Harry Cording
Lloyd Ingraham
Slim Whitaker
Joe Mcguinn Henderson
Mary Gordon
Frank Ellis
Cactus Mack
Carl Stockdale
Wilfred Lucas
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
I know that breed. They don't like to fight unless they have the drop on someone.- Cliff Mason
Trivia
Notes
The characters played by Slim Whitaker, Mary Gordon, Harry Cording, Joe McGuinn and Frank Ellis were misnamed in the Variety review. Modern sources add Richard Hunter and Sid Jordan to the cast. Modern sources also note that this was a remake of the 1935 RKO film The Arizonian, although the films were written by different writers.
