Wild Horse Rodeo


55m 1937

Brief Synopsis

Stony makes a deal with Nye to get the wild horse Cylone for his rodeo circuit. The horse brings in big crowds as no one is able to ride him and collect Nye's prize money. Finally Stony rides him but takes the horse instead of the money. This leads to trouble when Cyclone is set free and Nye and his men go after him.

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
Dec 6, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by William Colt MacDonald.

Technical Specs

Duration
55m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels

Synopsis

Stony Brooke, one of the Three Mesquiteers, wants to bring Cyclone, a wild horse made famous in paintings reproduced in eastern magazines, to the rodeo for which he works in order to make money to save the ranch that he owns with fellow Mesquiteers Tucson Smith and Lullaby Joslin. Tucson does not want to capture Cyclone, preferring to let his beauty be captured on canvas by local artist Alice Harkley, with whom he is infatuated. Stony persists, however, and the rodeo soon offers a $2000 reward to anyone who can ride the horse. Alice and Stony become attracted to each other, even though they have opposing views about "breaking" Cyclone at the rodeo. Tucson tries to ride the horse, but is thrown, then Stony is successful and wins the prize money. Colonel Nye, the owner of the rodeo, wants to continue using Cyclone and Stony in the show, but Stony rides off. Nye then decides to "borrow" Cyclone himself, but Lullaby prevents the theft, distracting the colonel's men by using the voice he has created for Elmer, his ventriloquist's dummy, as a diversion. During the incident, however, Cyclone runs away. Soon Tucson tells Stony that he plans to marry. Though Stony doesn't know who the intended fiancée is, Lullaby tells him that it is Alice. Not wanting to hurt Tucson, Stony makes up a story to discourage Alice next time he sees her, and she runs away crying. When Tucson sees what has happened, he thinks Stony is a cad and they quarrel, after which Stony rides off towards the border. After Stony leaves, Lullaby tells Tucson the truth and they decide to ride after him and bring him back home. Meanwhile, the colonel has hired an airplane to fly over the territory and locate Cyclone. While some of the colonel's men on the ground fight Stony, Tucson and Lullaby, the plane crashes, after which all of the colonel's men are defeated. Realizing that she must go to New York to show her paintings, Alice leaves the West, after being assured that Cyclone will be able to roam the range freely.

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
Dec 6, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by William Colt MacDonald.

Technical Specs

Duration
55m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

According to an Hollywood Reporter news item, this was the first film that George Sherman directed. This was confirmed by him in a late 1980s interview for Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Theater television program. The Hollywood Reporter news item also noted that the film company was leaving for location shooting at Lone Pine, CA. In the Variety review of the film, the character played by June Martel was likened to Rosa Bonheur, a nineteenth-century French artist who specialized in equestrian subjects. Modern sources include Kermit Maynard and Jack Kirk in the cast. For additional informaton on the series, consult the Series Index and see entry above for The Three Mesquiteers.