Fighting Shadows

Last updated

Fighting Shadows
Fighting Shadows.jpg
Directed by David Selman
Written by Ford Beebe
Produced by Harry Decker
Starring Tim McCoy
Robert Allen
Geneva Mitchell
Ward Bond
Cinematography George Meehan
Edited by Al Clark
Production
company
Release date
  • April 18, 1935 (1935-04-18)(US) [1]
Running time
58 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fighting Shadows is a 1935 American Western film directed by David Selman from a screenplay by Ford Beebe, which stars Tim McCoy, Robert Allen, Geneva Mitchell, and Ward Bond. It was McCoy's sixth film in a series of pictures for Columbia Pictures.

Contents

Plot

Tim O'Hara is a Canadian Mountie who has been sent into the Indian Territory to investigate claims of a gang of bandits who are terrorizing the local trappers. Being from the area, he looks up an old friend, Hank Bascom, who tells him that a local merchant, Stalkey, has been acting as a middleman for the bandits. When he goes to talk with Stalkey, O'Hara finds his old nemesis, Brad Harrison, already at the store trying to get Stalkey to talk. O'Hara had been in love with Harrison's sister, Martha, but had left the area when he and Harrison had gotten into a heated argument after Harrison had falsely accused O'Hara of stealing from him.

Now, O'Hara tells Harrison to stay out of his way, and as he is beginning to arrest Stalkey, O'Hara is shot at by Randall, a member of the bandit gang. O'Hara pursues Randall, but the bandit escapes. Later, Randall's body is discovered, and Harrison accuses O'Hara of murdering him. To gain the trust of Stalkey, Harrison tells him to go to his cabin to hide out. O'Hara asks Harrison for his help in tracking the gang down, but he refuses. Leaving Harrison, O'Hara goes back to Stalkey's store, where he discovers a cache of stolen furs. Harrison arrives shortly after, and the two men get into a fight, resulting in O'Hara being knocked unconscious. Harrison takes the furs and hides them. Then goes to Stalkey and tells him that O'Hara found them and took them.

Another Mountie, Bob Rutledge, arrives to relieve O'Hara of his duties. After O'Hara refuses to arrest Harrison, who evidence is now pointing to as the gang's leader, Rutledge has O'Hara locked up. When Rutledge goes after Harrison, he is knocked out by Stalkey, but Harrison intervenes and takes the Mountie back to town, rather than letting Stalkey have him killed.

Back in town, Hascom has helped O'Hara to escape, and when Harrison arrives the two men fight. The fight is stopped, however, when Stalkey and the rest of his gang show up and demand that O'Hara turn over the stolen furs. It is revealed that Harrison was not a member of the gang, instead he was trying to get into Stalkey's good graces in order to uncover their identities. O'Hara and Harrison team up, and with several others apprehend the gang.

Cast

(Cast list as per AFI database) [1]

Production

The film was originally titled Guns of the Law, but the title was changed in February 1935. [2] The Legion of Decency gave the picture a Class A rating, meaning that the picture was suitable for the entire family. [3] It was the sixth picture in a series of films which McCoy was making for Columbia Pictures. [4] The picture wrapped production the final week of March 1935. [5]

Reception

The Film Daily gave the film a positive review, "Corking Western provides lots of sock action in suspenseful yarn." The felt the film was excellently acted, directed, produced and filmed. [6] Motion Picture Daily also gave the film a good review. While they felt the plot was a bit worn, they felt it was suspenseful, holding the audience's attention. They especially complimented the cinematography of George Meehan. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. S. Van Dyke</span> American film director (1889–1943)

Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II was an American film director who made several successful early sound films, including Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932, The Thin Man in 1934, San Francisco in 1936, and six popular musicals with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. He received two Academy Award nominations for Best Director for The Thin Man and San Francisco, and directed four actors to Oscar nominations: William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Norma Shearer, and Robert Morley. Known as a reliable craftsman who made his films on schedule and under budget, he earned the name "One Take Woody" for his quick and efficient style of filming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yakima Canutt</span> American rodeo rider, actor and stuntman (1895–1986)

Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen in performing them.

<i>Big Jake</i> 1971 film

Big Jake is a 1971 American Technicolor Western film starring John Wayne, Richard Boone and Maureen O'Hara. The picture was the final film for George Sherman in a directing career of more than 30 years, and Maureen O'Hara's last film with John Wayne and her last before her twenty-year retirement. The supporting cast features Patrick Wayne, Christopher Mitchum, Glenn Corbett, Jim Davis, John Agar, Harry Carey Jr. and Hank Worden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Regas</span> American actor (1897–1974)

Petros 'Pedro' Regas, a veteran stage actor, Regas was spotted on the Broadway stage by Mary Pickford who persuaded him to go to Hollywood and be in pictures, which he did in 1920 and continued to play in films for 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern (genre)</span> Multimedia genre set primarily in Northern Canada and Alaska

The Northern or Northwestern is a genre in various arts that tell stories set primarily in the late 19th or early 20th century in the north of North America, primarily in western Canada but also in Alaska. It is similar to the Western genre, but many elements are different, as appropriate to its setting. It is common for the central character to be a Mountie instead of a cowboy or sheriff. Other common characters include fur trappers and traders, lumberjacks, prospectors, First Nations people, settlers, and townsfolk.

<i>Invisible Stripes</i> 1939 film by Lloyd Bacon

Invisible Stripes is a 1939 Warner Bros. crime film starring George Raft as a gangster unable to go straight after returning home from prison. The movie was directed by Lloyd Bacon and also features William Holden, Jane Bryan and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay by Warren Duff was based on the novel of the same title by Warden Lewis E. Lawes, a fervent crusader for prison reform, as adapted by Jonathan Finn.

<i>The Thundering Herd</i> (1925 film) 1925 film

The Thundering Herd is a 1925 American silent Western film, now lost. It is directed by William K. Howard and starring Jack Holt, Lois Wilson, Noah Beery, Sr. and Raymond Hatton. Based on Zane Grey's 1925 novel of the same name and written by Lucien Hubbard, the film is about a trader who uncovers a scheme to blame the Indians for a buffalo-herd massacre. It was one of a series of critically and commercially successful Zane Grey westerns produced by Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zukor for Paramount Pictures.

<i>The Shadow of the Eagle</i> 1932 film

The Shadow of the Eagle is a 1932 American Pre-Code Mascot 12 episode film serial, directed by Ford Beebe and B. Reeves Eason and produced by Nat Levine. The film stars John Wayne in his first serial role. He would go on to star in two other serials for Mascot, The Hurricane Express (1932) and The Three Musketeers (1933). The Shadow of the Eagle is now in the public domain.

David Ross Lederman was an American film director noted for his Western/action/adventure films of the 1930s and 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Cavanagh</span> English actor

William Grigs Atkinson, known professionally as Paul Cavanagh, was an English film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1928 and 1959.

<i>Tell It to the Marines</i> (1926 film) 1926 film by George W. Hill

Tell It to the Marines is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by George W. Hill and starring Lon Chaney, William Haines, and Eleanor Boardman. The film follows a Marine recruit and the sergeant who trains him. It was the biggest box office success of Chaney's career and the second biggest moneymaker of 1926/1927.

<i>Renfrew of the Royal Mounted</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by Albert Herman

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted is a 1937 American film produced and directed by Albert Herman and starring James Newill, Carol Hughes, and William Royle. Released by Grand National Pictures, it is the first of eight films based on Renfrew of the Royal Mounted, a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine. The film was shot on location at Big Bear Lake, California.

<i>The Wild North</i> 1952 film by Andrew Marton

The Wild North is a 1952 American Western film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Stewart Granger, Wendell Corey and Cyd Charisse. It was the first Ansco Color film shot.

<i>Arizona Gunfighter</i> 1937 film by Sam Newfield

Arizona Gunfighter is a 1937 American western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Bob Steele, Jean Carmen and Ted Adams. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.

Charles Clifford Coleman, Jr. was an American film director, who usually worked as an assistant director.

<i>Heart of the North</i> 1938 film by Lewis Seiler

Heart of the North is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Lee Katz and Vincent Sherman. The film stars Dick Foran, Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, Allen Jenkins, Patric Knowles, and Janet Chapman. The film was released by Warner Bros. on December 10, 1938. It is based on the novel with the same name, written by William Byron Mowery.

Champagne for Breakfast is a 1935 American comedy-drama film, directed by Melville Brown. It stars Mary Carlisle, Hardie Albright, and Joan Marsh, and was released on June 18, 1935.

The Western Whirlwind is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Harrison Jacobs. The film stars Jack Hoxie, Margaret Quimby, Claude Payton, Billy Engle, Edith Murgatroyd and Jack Pratt. The film was released on February 20, 1927, by Universal Pictures.

<i>The Code of the Mounted</i> 1935 film directed by Sam Newfield

The Code of the Mounted is a 1935 American drama film directed by Sam Newfield from a screenplay by Milton Raison. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Robert Warwick, and Jim Thorpe.

<i>The Silent Code</i> 1935 American film

The Silent Code is a 1935 American Western film written by George Morgan and directed by Stuart Paton. It was the third of a scheduled six films in the "Morton of the Mounties" series, although this would be the last one made. The first two, Courage of the North and Timber Terrors starred John Preston in the title role. This film saw Kane Richmond take over the lead, co-starring with Blanche Mehaffey.

References

  1. 1 2 "Fighting Shadows: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  2. "Columbia Shifts Titles". Motion Picture Daily . February 28, 1935. p. 4. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  3. "Classification of Pictures". Harrison's Reports . May 11, 1935. p. 76. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  4. "Screen Notes". Times Union . April 1, 1935. p. 6. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Screen Notes". Times Union . April 3, 1935. p. 17. Retrieved August 5, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Tim McCoy in "Fighting Shadows"". The Film Daily . May 17, 1935. p. 10. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  7. ""Fighting Shadows"". Motion Picture Daily . May 27, 1935. p. 6. Retrieved August 5, 2023.