The Raiders
Cast & Crew
Lesley Selander
Richard Conte
Viveca Lindfors
Barbara Britton
William Bishop
Hugh O'brian
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1849, after the discovery of gold, thousands trek to California seeking their fortunes. After prospector Jan Morell receives a letter from his uncle advising him that he has located good farming land in the Napa Valley, Jan decides to find enough gold to buy a farm and move there with his wife Mary. While Jan helps his brother Frank, prospecting in a nearby river bed, a gang of thugs led by Jack Welch and Hank Purvis kill Mary and take Jan's gold. Purvis also takes a cameo necklace Jan gave to Mary. Frank sees the gang ride off and Jan swears vengeance. After looking for the gang at a saloon, Frank is shot and killed and Jan wounded. Mexican Felipe de Ortega takes Jan to his home, where his sister Elena nurses him back to health. Later, Elena shows Jan all the land that once belonged to the Rancho de Ortega and which mayor Thomas Ainsworth, operating as the Sierra Land Co., stole from their father. She hopes that when California becomes a state, the courts will protect the family from further losses. Felipe tells Jan that Ainsworth's men killed Mary and Frank, as Ainsworth wanted to take over Jan's claim because the area is rumored to contain the mother lode. Meanwhile, Ainsworth instructs Welch and Purvis to continue taking over claims, but to use less violence, as the governor is sending a marshal to the area. Ainsworth also learns that the governor is planning a constitutional convention in Monterey, with delegates attending from all over the state. Most are in favor of statehood, but Ainsworth knows he will benefit most if California becomes an independent republic. After Jan confirms that Ainsworth has stolen his claim, Felipe introduces him to several local men, including cousins Juan and Ramon, who all have a score to settle with Ainsworth. They band together and begin their campaign against Ainsworth by rustling a large herd of his horses and killing two of his men. When they return from selling the horses, they find posters, signed by U.S. Marshal William Henderson, announcing a $5,000 reward for their capture. Elena, who is romantically interested in Jan, asks him to abandon their outlaw tactics. Although Jan and Felipe open the Sunset Land Co. in San Andreas to compete against Ainsworth, they continue clandestinely to attack his interests. When they hold up a Monterey-bound stagecoach carrying Ainsworth's daughter Elizabeth, Jan notices that Purvis, who is along as an extra guard, is wearing a fob made from Mary's cameo necklace. Although Purvis states that he bought it, Jan and Felipe take him prisoner. Later, Elizabeth, who is unaware of her father's criminal activities, tells him that the holdup's masked leader accused Purvis of killing a woman and was demanding the names of three accomplices. At his hideout, Jan beats Purvis and prepares to hang him, but Purvis finally gives him the names and tells him about Ainsworth's involvement. Purvis then breaks loose but is killed while escaping. Jan, looking for the other killers, goes to see Ainsworth and meets Elizabeth, who does not recognize him from their previous encounter. She tells him that Welch can be found at one of her father's mines. At the mine, Jan and Welch fight while the rest of the gang make off with a wagon full of gold. Welch is killed in error by his own men, and Felipe is also fatally wounded. As he dies at the home of the widow Cummings, whose husband was murdered by Welch and Purvis, Felipe asks Jan to promise to make Ainsworth give back his land and to take care of Elena. Later, Jan apologizes to Elena for Felipe's death and promises to take her away once he has dealt with Ainsworth, but she prepares to leave. Marshal Henderson begins to have doubts about Ainsworth's honesty and persuades him to go to the Sunset Land Co. to request a loan. The clerk takes Ainsworth's application to Jan's hideout and is followed by the marshal. Jan plans to trick Ainsworth into mortgaging all his land. When Henderson and Ainsworth attack Jan and the others as they leave the hideout, Jan escapes but Ainsworth recovers a satchel containing stolen gold and sends it to Monterey, where the gold is to be used to bribe delegates. Jan goes to Ainsworth's house and forces him to prepare a written confession. However, when Ainsworth draws a gun, Jan shoots and kills him. Henderson arrests Jan but arranges to represent him, as he is also a member of the bar and is now convinced of Ainsworth's guilt. However, the jury finds Jan guilty and he is sentenced to be hanged. In jail, Jan learns that California has joined the Union and the governor, under a general amnesty, pardons him. Henderson frees Jan, and he finds Elena waiting for him.
Director
Lesley Selander
Cast
Richard Conte
Viveca Lindfors
Barbara Britton
William Bishop
Hugh O'brian
Morris Ankrum
Margaret Field
Richard Martin
William Reynolds
Palmer Lee
John Kellogg
Frank Wilcox
Carlos Rivero
I. Stanford Jolley
Neyle Morrow
Francis Mcdonald
George Lewis
Terry Frost
Clayton Moore
Lane Bradford
Riley Hill
Rush Williams
Dennis Weaver
Miguel Fernandez
Virginia Mullen
Sydney Mason
Leo Curley
Edward Earle
Paul Newlan
Dennis Ross
Monte Montague
Enrique Valdez
Larry Hudson
Edwin Parker
Bill Fawcett
Max Wagner
Lee Morgan
Marvin Press
Edmund Cobb
Ethan Laidlaw
Clem Fuller
Paul Kruger
Philo Mccollough
Buddy Roosevelt
Leo Mcmahon
Bob Burrows
Jim Van Horn
Henry Wills
Frank Ellis
F. Patrick Henry
Boyd Stockman
Forrest Burns
Frank O'connor
Boyd Morgan
Stanley Blystone
Crew
William Alland
Glenn E. Anderson
John Austin
Hoyle Barrett
Frank Bjerring
Lillian Burkhardt
Leslie I. Carey
Dick Chaney
Leon Charles
Rosmond Demetropolos
Fred Frank
William Fritzsche
Russell A. Gausman
Joseph Gershenson
Carl Guthrie
Lillie Hayward
Bernard Herzbrun
John Holden
Dorothy Hughes
Percy Ikerd
Polly James
Lyn Crost Kennedy
Bob Laszlo
George Lollier
Jim Murray
Jimmy Phillips
Richard Riedel
Joan St. Oegger
Bill Thomas
Dick Towers
Al Trosin
Paul Uhl
Paul Weatherwax
Bud Westmore
Frank Westmore
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film's working title was The Riding Kid. The main title card of the print viewed read: "Riders of Vengeance-released theatrically as The Raiders." Although the CBCS lists Emile Avery as "Dick Logan," the character is actually played by actor Dennis Weaver, and Avery does not appear in the final film. Hollywood Reporter news items list Bill Bailey and Elmo Lincoln in the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed.
