Daredevils of the West
Encyclopedia
Daredevils of the West is a Republic
Movie serial.
Daredevils of the West is a lightning-fast-paced Western cliffhanger serial released by Republic Pictures in 1943 starring Allan Lane and Kay Aldridge. The plot involves a gang of land-grabbers who try to prevent safe passage of the Foster Stage Company through frontier territory, however, the story of the serial is merely a framework for the setup of numerous elaborate stunt action sequences, cliff-hanging perils and fiery deathtraps which the hero and heroine must fight to survive. As was the case with other Republic serials released during wartime such as King of the Mounties and The Masked Marvel, a rapid, even frantic pace is evident throughout, which has made the serial a favorite among fans.
Both Native American actors who played the Lone Ranger's companion Tonto, Chief Thunder Cloud (of the 1930s Lone Ranger movie serials) and Jay Silverheels (of 1950s Lone Ranger television program) appear in the sequence in which Kay Aldridge and Eddie Acuff are held hostage by Indians.
The serial was long considered to be a partially lost film
; for years, copies of only chapters 2, 4, 5, and 12 circulated on 16mm among film collectors. The entire serial, however, was never fully "lost," it was simply never re-released to theaters, or released on video because 5 reels of sound from the archival material apparently went missing not long after the serial's original exhibition. The absence of these reels may be the reason why Republic Pictures had no objection to subsequently selling off an incomplete print of the serial to Cowboy actor William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd for use as stock footage.
All 12 chapters were screened, for the first time in 65 years, in May 2008 by the Serial Squadron at SerialFest 2008 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The film was subsequently shown at the Lone Pine film festival in October of 2009 and at the Memphis film festival in June 2010.
Daredevils of the West, with restored audio and dubbed missing-dialogue sequences, was released on DVD by the Serial Squadron, an organization which restores classic film serials, in February 2011.
was $167,003 (a $26,453, or 18.8%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1943.
It was filmed between 9 January and 13 February 1943. The serial's production number was 1199.
Kay Aldridge and Allan Lane were billed as "their Majesties, the King and Queen of Serials".
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Source:
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
Movie serial.
Daredevils of the West is a lightning-fast-paced Western cliffhanger serial released by Republic Pictures in 1943 starring Allan Lane and Kay Aldridge. The plot involves a gang of land-grabbers who try to prevent safe passage of the Foster Stage Company through frontier territory, however, the story of the serial is merely a framework for the setup of numerous elaborate stunt action sequences, cliff-hanging perils and fiery deathtraps which the hero and heroine must fight to survive. As was the case with other Republic serials released during wartime such as King of the Mounties and The Masked Marvel, a rapid, even frantic pace is evident throughout, which has made the serial a favorite among fans.
Both Native American actors who played the Lone Ranger's companion Tonto, Chief Thunder Cloud (of the 1930s Lone Ranger movie serials) and Jay Silverheels (of 1950s Lone Ranger television program) appear in the sequence in which Kay Aldridge and Eddie Acuff are held hostage by Indians.
The serial was long considered to be a partially lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
; for years, copies of only chapters 2, 4, 5, and 12 circulated on 16mm among film collectors. The entire serial, however, was never fully "lost," it was simply never re-released to theaters, or released on video because 5 reels of sound from the archival material apparently went missing not long after the serial's original exhibition. The absence of these reels may be the reason why Republic Pictures had no objection to subsequently selling off an incomplete print of the serial to Cowboy actor William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd for use as stock footage.
All 12 chapters were screened, for the first time in 65 years, in May 2008 by the Serial Squadron at SerialFest 2008 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The film was subsequently shown at the Lone Pine film festival in October of 2009 and at the Memphis film festival in June 2010.
Daredevils of the West, with restored audio and dubbed missing-dialogue sequences, was released on DVD by the Serial Squadron, an organization which restores classic film serials, in February 2011.
Cast
- Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
as Duke Cameron - Kay AldridgeKay AldridgeKay Aldridge was an American model and actress. She is best known for playing feisty and frequently-imperiled heroines in black and white serials during the 1940s.-Life and work:...
as June Foster - Eddie AcuffEddie AcuffEddie Acuff was an American actor. His best-known recurring role is that of Mr. Beasley, the postman, in the Blondie movie series that starred Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake....
as Red Kelly - William HaadeWilliam HaadeWilliam Haade was an American film actor. He appeared in over 250 films between 1937 and 1957.He was born in New York, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* The Invisible Menace...
as Barton Ward - Robert FrazerRobert FrazerrightRobert W. Frazer born Robert William Browne on 29 June 1891 in Worcester, Massachusetts, US, was an American actor who appeared in some 224 shorts and films from the 1910s until his death on 17 August 1944 in Los Angeles, California, US, due to leukemia...
as Martin Dexter - Ted AdamsTed Adams (actor)Ted Adams was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly two hundred films between 1926 and 1952.He was born in New York City, New York, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
as Silas Higby - George J. LewisGeorge J. LewisGeorge J. Lewis was a Mexican-born actor who appeared in many films and eventually TV series from the 1920s through the 1960s, usually specializing in westerns...
as Turner - Charles F. MillerCharles F. MillerMiller made his film debut in Little Women as a minister and starred in many films thereafter.One of his first biggest roles was starring alongside Keye Luke in Phantom of Chinatown.He was also one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild....
as Foster
Production
Daredevils of the West was budgeted at $140,550 although the final negative costNegative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...
was $167,003 (a $26,453, or 18.8%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1943.
It was filmed between 9 January and 13 February 1943. The serial's production number was 1199.
Kay Aldridge and Allan Lane were billed as "their Majesties, the King and Queen of Serials".
Stunts
- Tom SteeleTom Steele (stuntman)Tom Steele was a stunt man and actor, best remembered for appearing in serials, especially those produced by Republic Pictures, in both capacities.-Early life:...
as Duke Cameron (doubling Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
) - Babe DeFreest as June Foster (doubling Kay AldridgeKay AldridgeKay Aldridge was an American model and actress. She is best known for playing feisty and frequently-imperiled heroines in black and white serials during the 1940s.-Life and work:...
) - Pierce LydenPierce LydenPierce Lyden was an American actor best known for his work in television and film Westerns.-Early life:Pierce Lyden was born in a sod house on a ranch near Hildreth in rural Franklin County, Nebraska, on January 8, 1908. Son of a horse buyer for the U.S...
- Eddie ParkerEddie ParkerEddie Parker was a stuntman and actor who appeared in many classic films, mostly westerns and horror films...
- Allen Pomeroy
- Ken TerrellKen TerrellKen Terrell was an American western and action film actor and stuntman best known for playing Joe Marcella in the 1956 film The Indestructible Man. He died March 8, 1966 from arteriosclerosis-Partial filmography:...
- Bill Yrigoyen
- Joe Yrigoyen
Special Effects
All the special effects in Daredevils of the West were produced by the Lydecker brothersLydecker brothers
-Partial filmography:*Darkest Africa *Women in War - Oscar nominated*Adventures of Captain Marvel *Flying Tigers - Oscar nominated*Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe...
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Theatrical
Daredevils of the West's official release date was 1 May 1943, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.Chapter titles
- Valley of Death (24min 44s)
- Flaming Prison (15min 33s)
- The Killer Strikes (15min 35s)
- Tunnel of Terror (15min 32s)
- Fiery Tomb (15min 32s)
- Redskin Raiders (15min 33s)
- Perilous Pursuit (15min 36s)
- Dance of Doom (15min 31s)
- Terror Trail (15min 32s)
- Suicide Showdown (15min 32s)
- Cavern of Cremation (15min 34s)
- Frontier Justice (15min 32s)
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External links
- B-Westerns: Allan Lane (small section on Dardevils of the West)