Sundown Valley
Cast & Crew
Benjamin Kline
Charles Starrett
Dub Taylor
Jeanne Bates
The Tennessee Ramblers
Jimmy Wakely
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When rancher Steve Denton returns to his family homestead after an extended absence, he is welcomed home by Sidney Hawkins, the owner of the neighboring spread and an old family friend. Sidney tells Steve that her grandfather, "Gun-Sight" Hawkins, a munitions designer, has come out of retirement to aid the war effort and has opened a small defense plant in town. When Sidney asks Steve to help her run the plant, he convenes a meeting of the ranchers and cowhands and asks them to go to work at the factory. A fight erupts when cowhand Hodge Miller refuses to cooperate, but after a thrashing by Steve, Hodge comes to his senses and signs up for work. When Cab Baxter, a cynical businessman, learns that the plant will draw a multitude of laborers to town, he decides to buy a partnership in the saloon owned by Joe Calloway and turn it into a gambling parlor, not caring that his activities may impede the work at the plant. As more and more men visit the casino, absenteeism begins to affect production. The problem becomes critical when Sidney receives a cable from her grandfather in Washington, ordering an urgent shipment of gunsights. When Steve discovers that Tom Carleton, one of his employees, has failed to come to work after a drunken night at the casino, he goes to confront Baxter. There, Bart Adams, Baxter's henchman, challenges Steve to a fight, causing Joe to apologize to Steve for his partner's behavior. To prevent the workers from frequenting the casino, Steve proposes establishing a recreational club at the plant, but is forced to postpone his plans when Hawkins calls with another large order. Disaster strikes when a transformer blows up, causing the plant to shut down. When Baxter seizes upon the misfortune to lure the idle workers to his casino, Steve decides to occupy the men by staging a wagon race. As the wagons near the finish line, Adams shoots and wounds one of the drivers. Steve catches Adams, who is on the verge of confessing when a shot rings out from the hills and silences him forever. Soon after, Hawkins arrives with a new transformer and work resumes. After days of unceasing labor, the deadline is met and the appreciative Hawkins agrees to fund the recreational club for the workers. While Baxter is out of town, Steve establishes the club at the casino. Upon his return, Joe informs Baxter that he has sold his 51% interest in the club to the Hawkins plant. When Baxter protests, a fight ensues, and after overpowering Baxter, Steve escorts him to jail. In recognition of their contribution to the war effort, the Hawkins employees are then awarded a flag and a proclamation.
Director
Benjamin Kline
Cast
Charles Starrett
Dub Taylor
Jeanne Bates
The Tennessee Ramblers
Jimmy Wakely
Jessie Arnold
Clancy Cooper
Jack Ingram
Wheeler Oakman
Joel Friedkin
Grace Lenard
Eddie Laughton
Forrest Taylor
Robert Kortman
Steve Clark
Budd Buster
Edmund Cobb
Blackie Whiteford
Crew
Lionel Banks
Daniel Gano Chittenden
Arthur Fields
Jack Fier
Jack Goodrich
Fred Hall
George Meehan
Ray Nazarro
Jack W. Pascoe
Sid Robin
Carson J. Robison
Aaron Stell
Bert Van Cleve
Luci Ward
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Roundup for Victory. According to materials contained in NARS in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles Board of Review of the Office of Censorship disapproved this picture for export because it depicts a "unified gang effort to delay war production...and an unfavorable portrayal of American war workers."
