The Painted Stallion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Painted Stallion |
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| Directed by | Alan James Ray Taylor William Witney |
| Produced by | J. Laurence Wickland |
| Written by | Morgan Cox Ronald Davidson Hal G. Evarts Winston Miller Barry Shipman |
| Starring | Ray "Crash" Corrigan Hoot Gibson LeRoy Mason Duncan Renaldo Sammy McKim Hal Taliaferro Jack Perrin Julia Thayer |
| Music by | Raoul Kraushaar |
| Cinematography | Edgar Lyons William Nobles |
| Editing by | Edward Todd Helene Turner |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 5, 1937 (U.S. serial) February 11, 1938 (U.S. feature) |
| Running time | 12 chapters (212 minutes (serial) 67 minutes (feature) 6 26½-minute episodes (TV) |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $102,157 (negative cost: $109,164) |
The Painted Stallion is an exciting Western film serial from 1937. It was made by Republic Pictures, a studio famous for its Western movies. This serial was the sixth one Republic Pictures ever made. Western serials were a big part of what Republic Pictures did back then.
This film was also the first time William Witney directed a movie. He became a very important director for Republic Pictures later on. He started as an editor on other serials. He got his chance to direct when another director couldn't work.
Contents
The Story of The Painted Stallion
The story follows a wagon train traveling from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe. This journey causes problems for a character named Alfredo Dupray. He is a Spanish official whose power will end when a new Mexican Governor arrives.
Dupray plans to stop a special trade agreement. This agreement is being handled by Clark Stuart on the wagon train. If Dupray can stop it, he hopes to cause trouble between Mexico and the United States.
But Dupray's plans keep failing! A mysterious Rider on a special Painted Stallion keeps appearing. This Rider warns people with whistling arrows. With the Rider's help, Clark Stuart works to defeat Dupray. He also gets help from famous historical figures like Kit Carson, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett.
In the end, the United States Cavalry arrives, and the trade agreement is signed. Clark Stuart and the mysterious Rider then ride off together.
Meet the Characters
Main Characters
- Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Clark Stuart: A government official trying to make a trade agreement with Mexico.
- Hoot Gibson as Walter Jamison: The leader of the Wagon train.
- LeRoy Mason as Alfredo Dupray: A Spanish leader who wants to keep his power.
- Julia Thayer as 'The Rider': A mysterious woman on a painted horse. People think she is an Indian spirit riding a ghost horse.
- Duncan Renaldo as 'Zamorro': One of Dupray's helpers.
- Sammy McKim as Young Christopher 'Kit' Carson: A young adventurer traveling with the wagon train.
- Hal Taliaferro as Jim Bowie: Another famous person traveling with the wagon train.
- Jack Perrin as Davy Crockett: A well-known frontiersman with the wagon train.
- Ed "Oscar" Platt and Lou Fulton as 'Oscar and Elmer': A funny duo traveling with the wagon train.
Other Characters
- Yakima Canutt as 'Tom': One of Dupray's helpers.
- Matson Williams as 'Macklin': One of Dupray's helpers, secretly on the wagon train.
- Duke Taylor as 'Bill': One of Dupray's helpers.
- Loren Riebe as 'Pedro': One of Dupray's helpers.
- George DeNormand as 'Oldham': Another one of Dupray's helpers, secretly on the wagon train.
- Gordon De Main as 'Governor'.
- Charles King as 'Bull Smith': One of Dupray's helpers.
- Vinegar Roan as 'Pete': One of Dupray's helpers.
How The Film Was Made
This serial was filmed between February 10 and March 3, 1937. It was given a production number of 421. The movie was planned to cost $102,157 to make. However, it went a little over budget, costing $109,164 in total. This made "The Painted Stallion" the cheapest Republic serial made in 1937. Some parts of the film were shot in the Coachella Valley, California.
Stunts and Action
- Yakima Canutt performed stunts for Clark Stuart and Alfredo Dupray. He doubled for Ray "Crash" Corrigan and LeRoy Mason.
- Babe DeFreest performed stunts for The Rider, doubling for Julia Thayer.
- Duke Taylor also performed stunts.
Special Effects
- The amazing special effects were created by the Lydecker brothers.
Where You Could See It
In Movie Theaters
The Painted Stallion officially came out on June 5, 1937. This was the date when the sixth part of the serial was sent to movie theaters.
A shorter movie version, which was 67 minutes long, was made by editing the serial footage together. This feature film was released on February 11, 1938. It was one of fourteen feature films Republic Pictures made from their serials.
On Television
In the early 1950s, The Painted Stallion was one of fourteen Republic serials turned into a TV series. It was shown in six episodes, each about 26 and a half minutes long.
At Home
On December 27, 2005, a Region 0 DVD of the serial was released by Alpha Video. This meant people could watch it at home.
Chapter Titles
The serial was divided into 12 exciting chapters:
- Trail to Empire (27 min 35s)
- Rider of the Stallion (17 min 6s)
- The Death Leap (18 min 05s)
- Avalanche (17 min 14s)
- Volley of Death (16 min 42s)
- Thundering Wheels (17 min 45s)
- Trail Treachery (16 min 9s)
- The Whistling Arrow (16 min 25s)
- The Fatal Message (16 min 24s)
- Ambush (15 min 59s)
- Tunnel of Terror (16 min 17s)
- Human Targets (16 min 48s)
Exciting Cliffhangers
Each chapter of the serial ended with a thrilling cliffhanger, leaving viewers wondering what would happen next!
- Trail to Empire: Clark is shot off his horse and falls under the hooves of attacking Indians.
- Rider of the Stallion: Clark is knocked out while crossing a river in a wagon, which then starts to sink.
- The Death Leap: Clark and the Rider are escaping on horseback. They are chased over a cliff and fall into a lake.
- Avalanche: An explosion causes a landslide that traps Clark.
- Volley of Death: Clark hides in a cupboard, but he has been seen. A firing squad then opens fire.
- Thundering Wheels: Clark is in a burning wagon full of gunpowder as it falls over a cliff.
- Trail Treachery: Clark tries to stop a runaway stagecoach. He falls under the horses' hooves.
- The Whistling Arrow: Clark falls into a hidden trapdoor.
- The Fatal Message: Clark and Kit are caught inside a burning building.
- Ambush: Clark tries to jump over a ravine. He slips from his saddle and falls.
- Tunnel of Terror: Dupray's helpers cause a landslide to fall on Jamison and the others.
