Riders of Death Valley

Riders of Death Valley (1941)

ActionWestern

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.

Directors: Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe.
Writers: Jack O'Donnell, George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey, Sherman L. Lowe.

Casts

	Dick Foran as Jim Benton
	Leo Carrillo as Pancho Lopez
	Buck Jones as Tombstone
	Charles Bickford as Wolf Reade
	Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as Borax Bill
	Lon Chaney Jr. as Henchman Butch
	Noah Beery Jr. as Smokey
	Jean Brooks as Mary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly)
	James Blaine as Joseph Kirby
	Monte Blue as Rance Davis
	Glenn Strange as Tex, a Benton Rider
	Roy Barcroft as Henchman Dirk
	Jack Rockwell as Henchman Trigger
	Ethan Laidlaw as Henchman Rusty
	Richard Alexander as Henchman Pete Grump
	Frank Austin as Chuckawalla Charlie Morgan [Ch. 1]
	Charles Thomas as Rimrock [Ch. 4]
	William Hall as Dan Gordon [Chs. 1, 8-10]
	James Guilfoyle as Judge Knox [Chs. 2, 13-14]
	Ernie Adams as Cactus Pete, Prospector [Ch.14]
	Ted Adams as Hank
	Frank Brownlee as Slim
	Bob Burns as Miner in Saloon
	Rod Cameron as Rider
	Jack Rube Clifford as Lafe Hogan
	Edmund Cobb as Salty
	Art Dillard as Miner
	Jim Farley as Graham
	Chick Hannan as Miner
	Jerome Harte as Richards
	Al Haskell as Barfly
	Jimmie Lucas as Saloon Waiter
	Frank McCarroll as Lyncher
	Ivor McFadden as Bragg
	Leo J. McMahon as Barfly
	Jay Michael as Cashier
	Art Miles as Green
	Bud Osborne as Stagecoach Driver
	William Pagan as Marshal
	Tex Palmer as Wagon Driver
	Ed Payson as Buck Hansen
	Gil Perkins as Fighter
	Jack Perrin as Stage Guard
	Alonzo Price as Mr. Wilson
	Ruth Rickaby as Kate
	Don Rowan as Blake
	Dick Rush as Saloon Waiter
	Silver as Tombstone's Horse
	Smoke as Jim's Horse
	Richard Travis as Joe Miller
	Slim Whitaker as Stable Owner
	Ken Nolan as Cashier

Crew