To the Last Man
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Henry Hathaway
Egon Brecher
Fuzzy Knight
Jay Ward
Harlan Knight
Noah Beery
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After General Robert E. Lee accepts terms of the South's surrender at Appomattox in 1865, Mark Hayden, widower and soldier, heads home, planning to move out West with his family. Before he arrives, however, his father-in-law, Grandpa Spelvin, is killed by Jed Colby, who has been feuding with the Spelvins for years. Mark refuses to continue the feud and leaves his son Lynn behind to take care of Granny Spelvin, while he and his other children, Ann and Bill, head out West, where they stake a claim. Fifteen years later, Jed Colby is released from prison and also heads out West with his tomboy daughter Ellen and cohort, Jim Daggs, vowing vengeance against Mark. Colby and Daggs slowly raid Mark's ranch for a year. In the meantime, Ann has married Neil Stanley and Bill has married Molly. When Neil kills Colby's horse thief, Mark refuses to rekindle the feud, but the Colbys steal from Mark's herd again and wound Neil. Lynn Hayden then reappears and falls in love with Ellen Colby. The Colbys again converge on the Haydens, and during the gunfight, Bill is killed. Furious, Mark rides to the Colbys' but Jed shoots him. The Haydens follow the Colbys in a chase into a canyon, where, unknown to even Jed, Daggs has planted dynamite. The explosion causes a landslide, killing all but Daggs and Lynn. Severely injured, Lynn rides back to see Ellen, who hides him in the loft. Daggs shows up to claim Ellen, but after a struggle, Lynn kills him. Finally, Lynn and Ellen marry.
Director
Henry Hathaway
Cast
Egon Brecher
Fuzzy Knight
Jay Ward
Harlan Knight
Noah Beery
Eugenie Besserer
Esther Ralston
Jack Larue
James C. Eagles
Gail Patrick
Barton Maclane
Muriel Kirkland
Buster Crabbe
Randolph Scott
Shirley Jane Temple
John Peter Richmond
Harry Cording
Erville Alderson
James Burke
Cullen Johnston
Rosita Butler
Russell Powell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Copyright records and a review in Variety erroneously list the surname of characters Neil and Ann as "Standing," instead of "Stanley." According to the pressbook, this film was shot on location at Bear Valley and Pine Knot, CA. The film was later released as a Unity Production under the title Law of Vengeance. Modern sources indicate that Henry Hathaway recognized Shirley Temple's talent during the production and recommended that Paramount sign her to a contract, but Paramount released her after the film, and she was contracted to Twentieth Century-Fox thereafter. Also based on the same source is Paramount's 1923 To the Last Man, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Richard Dix, Lois Wilson and Noah Beery (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.5749).
