Desperadoes of the West

1950 film

August 2, 1950 (1950-08-02) (U.S.)^[1]

Running time

12 chapters / 167 minutes^[1]CountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$153,081 (negative cost: $150,246)^[1]

Desperadoes of the West (1950) is a 12-chapter Republic film serial.

Plot

Cast

Richard Powers as Ward Gordon
Judy Clark as Sally Arnold
Roy Barcroft as Hacker, a henchman
I. Stanford Jolley as J. B. "Dude" Dawson
Lee Phelps as Rusty Steele
Lee Roberts as Larson, a henchman
Cliff Clark as Colonel Arnold
Guy Teague as Jack

Production

Desperadoes of the West was budgeted at $153,081 although the final negative cost was $150,246 (a $2,835, or 1.9%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1950.^[1]

It was filmed between May 31 and June 22, 1950 under the working titles Bandit King of Oklahoma and Desperado Kings of the West.^[1] The serial's studio production number was 1708.^[1]

Stunts

Tom Steele as Ward Gordon (doubling Richard Powers)
Dale Van Sickel as Hacker/Ward Gordon (doubling Roy Barcroft & Richard Powers)
John Daheim

Special effects

Special effects by the Lydecker brothers.

Release

Theatrical

Desperadoes of the West's official release date is 2 August 1950, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.^[1]

Chapter titles

Tower of Jeopardy (20min)
Perilous Barrier (13min 20s)
Flaming Cargo (13min 20s)
Trail of Terror (13min 20s)
Plunder Cave (13min 20s)
Six-Gun Hijacker (13min 20s)
The Powder Keg (13min 20s)
Desperate Venture (13min 20s)
Stagecoach to Eternity (13min 20s)
Hidden Desperado (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
Open Warfare (13min 20s)
Desperate Gamble (13min 20s)

_Source:^[1]^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 120–121. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 251. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.