Riders of Death Valley

The story

The Saturday matinee crowd got two cowboy stars for the price of one in this lavishly budgeted western serial starring former singing cowboy Dick Foran and Buck Jones. The latter contributed deadpan humor to the proceedings, making Jones perhaps the highest paid B-western comedy relief in history. The two heroes defend the Death Valley borax miners from an outlaw gang headed by Wolf Reade. An extraordinarily strong cast -- for a serial, at least -- supported the stars, headed by Charles Bickford as Reade, Leo Carillo, Lon Chaney, Jr., and silent screen star Monte Blue. Leading lady Jeanne Kelly later changed her name to Jean Brooks and starred in the atmospheric RKO thriller The Seventh Victim (1943). Universal claimed to have spent $1 million on this serial and made sure to get their money's worth by endlessly recycling the action footage in serials and B-westerns for years to come.

Cast

D Dick ForanJim Benton L Leo CarrilloPancho Lopez B Buck JonesTombstone C Charles BickfordWolf Reade G Guinn 'Big Boy' WilliamsBorax Bill L Lon Chaney Jr.Henchman Butch N Noah Beery Jr.Smokey J Jean BrooksMary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly) J James BlaineJoseph Kirby M Monte BlueRance Davis G Glenn StrangeTex, a Benton Rider R Roy BarcroftHenchman Dirk

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J Jack RockwellHenchman Trigger E Ethan LaidlawHenchman Rusty R Richard AlexanderHenchman Pete Grump F Frank AustinChuckawalla Charlie Morgan [Ch. 1] C Charles ThomasRimrock [Ch. 4] W William HallDan Gordon [Chs. 1, 8-10] J James GuilfoyleJudge Knox [Chs. 2, 13-14] E Ernie AdamsCactus Pete, Prospector [Ch.14] T Ted AdamsHank F Frank BrownleeSlim B Bob BurnsMiner in Saloon R Rod CameronRider J Jack Rube CliffordLafe Hogan E Edmund CobbSalty A Art DillardMiner J Jim FarleyGraham C Chick HannanMiner J Jerome HarteRichards A Al HaskellBarfly J Jimmie LucasSaloon Waiter F Frank McCarrollLyncher I Ivor McFaddenBragg L Leo J. McMahonBarfly J Jay MichaelCashier A Art MilesGreen B Bud OsborneStagecoach Driver W William PaganMarshal T Tex PalmerWagon Driver E Ed PaysonBuck Hansen G Gil PerkinsFighter J Jack PerrinStage Guard A Alonzo PriceMr. Wilson R Ruth RickabyKate D Don RowanBlake D Dick RushSaloon Waiter S SilverTombstone's Horse S SmokeJim's Horse R Richard TravisJoe Miller S Slim WhitakerStable Owner K Ken NolanCashier