Bullets for Bandits

Last updated

Bullets for Bandits
BulletsForBandits.Poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Wallace W. Fox
Written by Robert Lee Johnson
Produced by Leon Barsha
Starring
Cinematography George Meehan
Edited by Mel Thorsen
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • February 12, 1942 (1942-02-12) [1]
Running time
55 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bullets for Bandits is a 1942 American Western film directed by Wallace W. Fox, starring Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, and Frank Mitchell. It is the tenth in Columbia Pictures' series of 12 "Wild Bill Hickok" films, followed by The Devil's Trail . [2]

Contents

Plot

Queen Katey is the owner of a large ranch. There is the beginning of a movement among the local homesteaders to drive Katey out, so that her land can be divided. Queen has a long-lost son, Prince, who she sends one of her ranch hands, Cannonball, to find. Cannonball arrives at the office of the Badlands County sheriff, Tex Martin. Cannonball explains to Tex that Prince has the letters "KT" on his forearm, where they had been branded when he was a youth by a man named Clem Jeter. Tex thinks he's seen that brand, and directs Cannonball to the saloon.

While Cannonball is still on his way, Wild Bill Hickok is at the bar in the saloon. He observes a man who he could be the double for, playing cards. As he watches, he sees his double cheating, eventually taking all of another gambler's money. The double is Prince Katey. When Hickok confronts Prince and demands he return the other gambler's money, Prince draws on Hickok, but Hickok is faster and guns down Prince.

Right after the gunfight, Cannonball enters the saloon and mistakes Hickok for Prince. He hustles Hickok out of the saloon, afraid that he might be charged with murder. As the two men ride off, Tex arrives at the bar and checks the body of the dead man. In so doing he discerns that Prince had been shot twice, once by Hickok, and another shot which entered his back. Tex realizes that it was the shot in the back which actually killed Prince.

As they ride off, Cannonball lets Hickok know that he thinks he is Prince, and that Prince's mother needs his help in holding off a land grab by Jeter. Jeter is instigating the homesteaders in an attempt to run Queen Katey off her land. Understanding Queen's predicament, he agrees to accompany Cannonball to the ranch, playing along with the mistaken identity. They arrive at the ranch, where Queen accepts Hickok as her prodigal son.

As they head to the Katey ranch, Beetle, the man who shot Prince in the back, arrives at Jeter's cabin, where he informs him of the demise of the Katey heir. With what he feels his final roadblock taken care of, Jeter rides off and gets a court order appointing him as Queen's guardian. However, when he arrives at the Katey ranch to serve the order, he is dumbfounded to find Prince (he assumes) alive and well. When Jeter demands that Hickok prove he is Prince, the two men fight, and Jeter is thrown off the ranch. Jeter confronts Beetle, who is adamant that Prince is dead, so this man must be an imposter.

Meanwhile, Tex has set off after Cannonball and Hickok. He comes upon the burnt out ranch of the Brown's, Dakota and her father Bert. They tell him that it was Queen who burned down their house, in an attempt to drive them out of the county. As he is having dinner with the Browns, Jeter arrives and tells Tex that the man who killed Prince is posing as him at the Katey ranch.

At the ranch, Queen realizes that Hickok is not Prince, and tells him that it has been Jeter who has been terrorizing the local homesteaders, including the arson at the Brown ranch, and blaming his actions on Queen. Hickok pledges to help Queen withstand Jeter's plan. When Tex arrives, he asks Hickok to turn himself in, which Hickok agrees to do, just later at the Brown's ranch.

When Tex arrives at the Brown's ranch, someone takes a shot at him, which misses. He takes off after his assailant, but in doing so runs into Hickok. Initially he thinks it was Hickok who fired the shot, but when he sees that Hickok is free of soot, which would have been present if he had been hiding at the Brown's ranch to waylay him, he realizes that it wasn't Hickok. The two take off trying to track down the man who fired at Tex.

The next morning, Hickok arrives back at the Katey ranch. There he finds Jeter and his men waiting for him. Jeter accuses Hickok of murder. Queen pulls a gun and a conflict ensues wherein Cannonball manages to ride off for help. Hickok and Queen manage to gain the ranchhouse, where they manage to hold off Jeter and his gang until Cannonball returns with Tex and Dakota. The bad guys are captured, and Dakota agrees to move in with Queen and look after her and the ranch.

Cast

Reception

The Film Bulletin gave the picture a lukewarm review, calling it an "average Bill Elliott western". They complimented Elliot's performance, as well as that of Edythe Elliott, but panned the performances of Tex Ritter and Dorothy Short. They also enjoyed the work of Frank Mitchell, and felt the film had good action sequences, but opined that the romance in the picture fell flat. [3] The Portland Press Herald gave it a favorable review, calling it a "blast of thrills and songs". [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Bill Hickok</span> American folk hero and lawman (1837–1876)

James Butler Hickok, better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement in many famous gunfights. He earned a great deal of notoriety in his own time, much of it bolstered by the many outlandish and often fabricated tales he told about himself. Some contemporaneous reports of his exploits are known to be fictitious, but they remain the basis of much of his fame and reputation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunfighter</span> Gun wielders in the American Old West

Gunfighters, also called gunslingers or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslinger" is more or less used to denote someone who is quick on the draw with a handgun, but this can also refer to those armed with rifles and shotguns. The gunfighter is also one of the most popular characters in the Western genre and has appeared in associated films, television shows, video games, and literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack McCall</span> Murderer of Wild Bill Hickok

John McCall ;, also known as "Crooked Nose" or "Broken Nose Jack", was the murderer of Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok. McCall shot Hickok from behind as he played poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, on August 2, 1876. McCall was executed for the murder on March 1, 1877.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead man's hand</span> Poker hand purportedly held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was killed

The makeup of poker's dead man's hand has varied through the years. Currently, it is described as a two-pair poker hand consisting of the black aces and black eights. The pair of aces and eights, along with an unknown hole card, were reportedly held by Old West folk hero, lawman, and gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok when he was murdered while playing a game. No contemporaneous source, however, records the exact cards he held when killed. Author Frank Wilstach's 1926 book, Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers, led to the popular modern held conception of the poker hand's contents.

<i>Calamity Jane</i> (film) 1953 film

Calamity Jane is a 1953 American Technicolor Western musical film starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, and directed by David Butler. The musical numbers were staged and directed by Jack Donohue, who a year later would direct the Day musical Lucky Me (1954). The film is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between her and Wild Bill Hickok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuttal & Mann's</span> Saloon and death-place of "Wild Bill" Hickok

Nuttal & Mann's was a saloon located in Deadwood, southern Dakota Territory, North America. It was noted for being the death-place of James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. It was later renamed the "No. 10 Saloon". The current No. 10 Saloon is not at the same location as the original Nuttal & Mann's.

The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938) is a Columbia Pictures movie serial. It was the fourth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and the studio's first Western serial. The serial was the first to be produced by Columbia personnel; Columbia's previous three serials had been produced by the independent Weiss Brothers company, using Columbia's facilities.

Kitty Leroy was a dancer, gambler, saloon owner, prostitute, madam, and trick shooter of the American Old West.

<i>Wild Bill</i> (1995 film) 1995 Western film by Walter Hill

Wild Bill is a 1995 American biographical Western film about the last days of legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok. The film was written and directed by Walter Hill, and based on the 1978 stage play Fathers and Sons by Thomas Babe and the 1986 novel Deadwood by Pete Dexter. It stars Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, and Diane Lane, and was released by United Artists on December 1, 1995. It was a box-office bomb, grossing $2.1 million on a budget of $30 million, and received mixed reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Bill Elliott</span> American actor (1904–1965)

Wild Bill Elliott was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evelyn Young</span> American actress (1915–83)

Evelyn Ebersis Young was an American film actress. In 1940, at the height of her career, she appeared in 9 feature films. She was the leading female actress in The Wildcat of Tucson and Prairie Schooners, playing alongside Wild Bill Elliott and Dub Taylor in a Wild Bill Hickok series.

<i>Go West, Young Lady</i> 1941 film by Frank R. Strayer

Go West, Young Lady is a 1941 American comedy western film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Glenn Ford and Ann Miller. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

"Deadwood" is the first episode of the first season of the HBO original series of the same name. The episode was written by David Milch and directed by Walter Hill. It first aired on March 21, 2004.

<i>Home in Wyomin</i> 1942 film by William Morgan

Home in Wyomin' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Based on a story by Stuart Palmer, the film is about a singing cowboy who helps out a former employer in trouble with his failing rodeo while romancing a woman reporter. In Home in Wyomin', Autry sang his hit songs "Be Honest with Me", "Back in the Saddle Again", and "Tweedle O'Twill", as well as Irving Berlin's "Any Bonds Today", becoming the first major star to sing the official song of the U.S. Defense Bond campaign during the war.

<i>Prairie Schooners</i> 1940 film by Sam Nelson

Prairie Schooners is a 1940 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson, and stars Wild Bill Elliott, Evelyn Young, and Dub Taylor. It is the first in Columbia Pictures' series of 12 "Wild Bill Hickok" films, followed by Beyond the Sacramento.

<i>King of Dodge City</i> 1941 film by Lambert Hillyer

King of Dodge City is a 1941 American western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Gerald Geraghty. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Judith Linden, Dub Taylor, Guy Usher and Rick Anderson. The film was released on August 14, 1941, by Columbia Pictures. It is the seventh in Columbia Pictures' series of 12 "Wild Bill Hickok" films, followed by Roaring Frontiers.

<i>Prairie Gunsmoke</i> 1942 film by Lambert Hillyer

Prairie Gunsmoke is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Frank Mitchell, Virginia Carroll, Hal Price and Tris Coffin. The film was released on July 16, 1942, by Columbia Pictures. It is the twelfth and final film in Columbia Pictures' "Wild Bill Hickok" series.

<i>The Lone Star Vigilantes</i> 1942 film by Wallace Fox

The Lone Star Vigilantes is a 1942 American Western film directed by Wallace Fox and written by Luci Ward. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Frank Mitchell, Virginia Carpenter, Luana Walters and Budd Buster. The film was released on January 1, 1942, by Columbia Pictures. It is the ninth in Columbia Pictures' series of 12 "Wild Bill Hickok" films, followed by Bullets for Bandits.

<i>Roaring Frontiers</i> 1941 film

Roaring Frontiers is a 1941 American western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Tex Ritter, Wild Bill Elliott and Ruth Ford. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is the eighth in Columbia Pictures' series of 12 "Wild Bill Hickok" films, followed by The Lone Star Vigilantes.

References

  1. ↑ "Bullets for Bandits". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ Blottner, Gene (2011). "Wild Bill Hickok". Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926–1955: The Harry Cohn Years. McFarland. ISBN   9780786486724.
  3. ↑ "Bullets for Bandits' Average Bill Elliott Western". Film Bulletin . August 12, 1942. p. 12. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Western Thriller Portland Feature". Portland Press Herald . May 23, 1942. p. 12. Retrieved July 15, 2023– via Newspapers.com.

Bullets for Bandits at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.