Sheriff of Redwood Valley
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
R. G. Springsteen
Wild Bill Elliott
Bobby Blake
Bob Steele
Alice Fleming
Peggy Stewart
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1895, stagecoach robber The Reno Kid escapes from San Quentin and begins his journey home to Redwood Valley. The news troubles the citizens of the valley, who are feuding with their neighbors in nearby Indian Gap over a proposed railroad spur line. If they can send the railroad enough money to tunnel through Whitehorse Mountain, the valley residents will get the line, but they are worried that Reno will rob the stage of the outgoing shipment. At a town meeting, prominent citizen Bidwell suggests using the stage as a decoy while the money is carried by the sheriff aboard a wagon. Unknown to the townspeople, Bidwell and crooked lawyer Harvey Martin are the leaders of a gang bent on bringing the railroad to Indian Gap and obtaining a huge profit by selling illegally gotten land rights to the railroad company. The next day, Bidwell drives the sheriff's wagon, while rancher Red Ryder and his Indian ward, Little Beaver, guard the stage. Two of Bidwell's henchmen, Jackson and Strong, attack the wagon and are given the money by Bidwell after they wound the sheriff. Bidwell then tells Red that a man answering Reno's description attacked them, and the sheriff appoints Red as his successor. During his pursuit of Jackson and Strong, Red is injured, but his horse Thunder and Little Beaver succeed in taking him to an isolated shack for help. At the shack is Reno, who has just returned home to his wife Molly and their young son Johnny. Molly wants to send them away, but Reno insists on helping the injured Red. Red deduces Reno's identity but sympathizes with him when Reno describes how the "real" Reno was innocent of any crime but was so badly misrepresented by Martin that he was convicted. Reno had signed over the deed of his ranch to Martin as payment for his services, and consequently, Molly and Johnny now live in poverty. Little Beaver brings the Duchess, Red's aunt, to the shack to tend to Red's wound, and she declares that the little family must come to her ranch, where the worn-out Molly and ailing Johnny can recuperate. As the others travel to the ranch, Red and Little Beaver double back to look for Reno, who he suspects is searching for the loot he supposedly still possesses. At the same time, Jackson, Strong and Pete, another henchman, are looking for Reno on orders from Martin, who fears that Reno is gunning for him. As Red and Little Beaver reach the shack, the outlaws attack Reno, but he escapes and goes to Indian Gap, where he orders Martin to sign over the deed to his old ranch to Molly. Jackson and the others arrive, however, and Reno is trying to escape when Red catches him. Martin tries to claim Reno, but Red states that he has prior jurisdiction for the shooting of the sheriff. Red allows Reno to go to the Duchess' ranch to say goodbye to Molly and Johnny, and then escorts him to jail. Bidwell identifies Reno as the robber who wounded the recovering sheriff, but the suspicious Red decides to investigate Martin. When Bidwell learns of Red's plans, he arranges for Reno to break out of jail with the intention of killing him. Reno escapes, however, and rides to Indian Gap. There, Red is interrogating Martin, who admits that Reno's ranch was the key piece of land in his scheme. As Martin and Red struggle for a gun, a masked man enters. Believing that it is Reno, Martin shoots him, but it turns out to be Bidwell, who wanted to kill Red and blame the murder on Reno. The real Reno has just arrived outside and prevents Martin from escaping. Later, the recovered Molly and Johnny dine with Reno at the Duchess' house and share a laugh with her as Red tricks Little Beaver into eating Johnny's spinach.
Director
R. G. Springsteen
Cast
Wild Bill Elliott
Bobby Blake
Bob Steele
Alice Fleming
Peggy Stewart
Arthur Loft
James Craven
Tom London
Kenne Duncan
Bud Geary
John Wayne Wright
Tom Chatterton
Budd Buster
Frank Mccarroll
Frank Linn
Jack Kirk
Crew
Allan Alperin
Thomas A. Carman
Richard Cherwin
Ralph Dixon
Herbert Kirkpatrick
Reggie Lanning
Howard Lydecker
Theodore Lydecker
Bob Mark
John Mccarthy Jr.
Lewis Physioc
Sidney Picker
Fred A. Ritter
Gordon Schaefer
Earle Snell
Fred Stahl
John Stransky Jr.
Don Verk
Howard Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although some contemporary reviews announced that Sheriff of Redwood Valley would mark Wild Bill Elliott's last appearance as "Red Ryder," Elliott's last film in the series was actually Conquest of Cheyenne, which was released in July 1946. Modern sources include Tex Cooper in the cast. For more information about the "Red Ryder" series, please consult the Series Index and see the entry below for Tucson Raiders.
