Border Devils

Last updated

Border Devils
Directed by William Nigh
Written by Harry L. Fraser
Produced by Louis Weiss
George M. Merrick
Starring Harry Carey
Kathleen Collins
Gabby Hayes
CinematographyWilliam H. Dietz
Edited by Holbrook Todd
Distributed byState Rights
Release date
April 4, 1932
Running time
63 or 65 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Border Devils is a 1932 pre-Code American Western black and white sound film directed by William Nigh and starring Harry Carey, Kathleen Collins, and Gabby Hayes. [1] The film is Collins's last role and her only sound film. [2]

Contents

Plot

A man, Jim Gray, is wrongfully put in jail; he escapes to prove his innocence and reveal the real criminal. In the process, Gray discovers a second criminal who has been working behind the scenes with the more obvious villain. [3]

Cast

Production

Script

The film was written by Harry P. Crist ( credited for "script and continuity' under this pen name is the American director Harry Fraser [4] ). The story was based upon the novel Dead Man's Shoes, [5] by Murray Leinster. [4]

Shooting

According to a contemporary issue of TheFilm Daily, certain scenes were filmed in Palm Springs, California. [1]

Cast

The film features Gabby Hayes in one of his earliest credited roles, a sidekick figure that would become his signature character. [6]

Release

Border Devils was theatrically released in the United States on April 4, 1932. [1] The film was released on DVD in August 2011 by Alpha Video. [7]

Themes

This film has been noted for the unexpected presence in a Western, of Yellow Peril themes, embodied in the character of the villain, a mysterious 'oriental' criminal figure known as the General. [4] [8] [6]

Commentators generally underline the weight of the original novel, a typical Leinster tale, in this adaptation: "the massive conspiracy that figures in his sci-fi, the shifting identity of the hero, and the generally peripatetic nature of the tale as our cowboy commandos shuttle hither and yon like horsing lot attendant." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George "Gabby" Hayes</span> American actor (1885–1969)

George Francis "Gabby" Hayes was an American actor. He began as something of a leading man and a character player, but he was best known for his numerous appearances in B-Western film series as the bewhiskered, cantankerous, but ever-loyal and brave comic sidekick of the cowboy stars Roy Rogers and John Wayne.

<i>The Lawless Frontier</i> 1934 film

The Lawless Frontier is a 1934 American Monogram Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Sheila Terry, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Earl Dwire. It was the tenth of the Lone Star westerns. The picture was made on a budget of $11,000, shot in less than a week at Red Rock Canyon north of Los Angeles, and released by Monogram on Nov. 22, 1934. The film remains an unusual showcase for Earl Dwire in the lead villain's role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetsu Komai</span> Japanese-American actor (1894–1970)

Tetsu Komai, also known as Tetsuo Komai, was a Japanese-born American actor, known for his minor roles in Hollywood films.

Robert North Bradbury was an American film actor, director, and screenwriter. He directed 125 movies between 1918 and 1941, and is best known for directing early "Poverty Row"-produced Westerns starring John Wayne in the 1930s, and being the father of noted "cowboy actor" and film noir tough guy Bob Steele.

<i>The Border Patrol</i> (film) 1928 film

The Border Patrol is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by James P. Hogan, released through Pathe Exchange and starring Harry Carey. The film is preserved at Filmmuseum Amsterdam.

<i>Border Cafe</i> (film) 1937 film by Lew Landers

Border Cafe is a 1937 American Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Harry Carey.

<i>Wall Street Cowboy</i> 1939 film

Wall Street Cowboy is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.

<i>The House of Mystery</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by William Nigh

The House of Mystery is a 1934 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by William Nigh. The film was an adaptation of the play The Ape by Adam Hull Shirk.

<i>The Night Rider</i> (film) 1932 film

The Night Rider is a 1932 American Pre-Code Western film directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and William Nigh.

<i>She Wanted a Millionaire</i> 1932 film

She Wanted a Millionaire is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film starring Joan Bennett and Spencer Tracy. The film, produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, was directed by John G. Blystone and also features Una Merkel. It is the only film that Bennett and Tracy made together in which she was billed over Tracy. They also played the top-billed romantic leads in Me and My Gal (1932), Father of the Bride (1950), and Father's Little Dividend (1951).

<i>The Headline Woman</i> 1935 film by William Nigh

The Headline Woman is a 1935 American crime film directed by William Nigh and starring Heather Angel and Ford Sterling. Produced by Mascot Pictures it was distributed by the newly-formrd Republic Pictures. The film was also known by the alternative title of The Woman in the Case in the United Kingdom.

<i>Hopalong Rides Again</i> 1937 film by Lesley Selander

Hopalong Rides Again is a 1937 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Nora Lane, Harry Worth, Lois Wilde and Billy King. The film was released on September 3, 1937, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Bar 20 Justice</i> 1938 film by Lesley Selander

Bar 20 Justice is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Arnold Belgard and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Gwen Gaze, William Duncan and Pat J. O'Brien. The film was released on June 28, 1938, by Paramount Pictures. This was the 16th entry in the "Hopalong Cassidy" western series.

<i>Mojave Firebrand</i> 1944 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Mojave Firebrand is a 1944 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, George "Gabby" Hayes, Anne Jeffreys, LeRoy Mason, Jack Ingram and Harry McKim. The film was released on March 19, 1944, by Republic Pictures.

<i>The Texas Bad Man</i> 1932 film

The Texas Bad Man is a 1932 American Western film directed by Edward Laemmle, written by Jack Cunningham and Richard Schayer, and starring Tom Mix, Lucille Powers, Willard Robertson, Fred Kohler, Joseph W. Girard and Tetsu Komai. It was released on June 30, 1932, by Universal Pictures.

<i>The Devils Saddle</i> 1927 film

The Devil's Saddle is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Marion Jackson. The film stars Ken Maynard, Kathleen Collins, Francis Ford, Will Walling, Earl Metcalfe and Paul Hurst. It is based on the story "The Devil's Saddle" by Kenneth Perkins published in Argosy, October 30-December 4, 1926. The film was released on July 10, 1927, by First National Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Collins (actress)</span> American actress

Kathleen Collins was an American film actress of the silent era. Her final film, however, Border Devils, is a sound film.

<i>Texas Pioneers</i> 1932 film

Texas Pioneers is a 1932 American Western film written and directed by Harry L. Fraser. The film stars Bill Cody, Andy Shuford, LeRoy Mason, Sheila Bromley, John Elliott and Harry Allen. The film was released on June 18, 1932, by Monogram Pictures.

<i>The Fighting Champ</i> 1932 film

The Fighting Champ is a 1932 American Western film directed by John P. McCarthy and written by Wellyn Totman. The film stars Bob Steele, Arletta Duncan, Kit Guard, George Chesebro, George "Gabby" Hayes and Charles King. The film was released on December 15, 1932, by Monogram Pictures.

<i>Texas Buddies</i> 1932 film

Texas Buddies is a 1932 American Western film written and directed by Robert North Bradbury. The film stars Bob Steele, Nancy Drexel, Francis McDonald, Harry Semels, George "Gabby" Hayes and William Dyer. The film was released on October 19, 1932, by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Border Devils
  2. Nigh, William (April 4, 1932), Border Devils (Western), Supreme Feature Films Company, retrieved March 20, 2023
  3. Erickson, Hal. "Border Devils (1932)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "» A Western Movie Review by Dan Stumpf: BORDER DEVILS (1932)" . Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  5. Stallings, Billee J.; Evans, Jo-an J. (August 12, 2011). Murray Leinster: The Life and Works. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-8715-8.
  6. 1 2 "Border Devils (1932)". The Constant Bleeder. November 22, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  7. "Border Devils (1932) On DVD". www.lovingtheclassics.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  8. "Border Devils (1932) starring Harry Carey, Kathleen Collins, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Niles Welch, Olive Carey, Albert J. Smith, Tetsu Komai directed by William Nigh Movie Review". www.themoviescene.co.uk. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  9. "» A Western Movie Review by Dan Stumpf: BORDER DEVILS (1932)" . Retrieved March 29, 2023.