Trail of the Vigilantes *** (1940, Franchot Tone, Warren William, Broderick Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 9252

Director Allan Dwan’s 1940 Trail of the Vigilantes stars unlikely 30s and 40s Hollywood heartthrob Franchot Tone, in his only appearance in a Western, as Kansas, the frontier newsman going undercover to hunt down a pack of bandits.

With an excellent cast and good director, this is remarkable as a Western with a sense of humour, and even a sense of self-irony, no less. Some say this was the result of a real-life Singin’ in the Rain-type scenario about saving a botched movie by turning a dramatic disaster into a spoof. Allegedly Dwan had the script rewritten as a parody with the co-operation of cast members, and Universal Pictures were unhappy with the end result.

Trail of the Vigilantes ends up as good clean vintage Western entertainment.

It also stars Warren William, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, Mischa Auer, Porter Hall, Peggy Moran and Samuel S Hinds.

Also in the cast are Charles Trowbridge, Paul Fix, Harry Cording, Max Wagner, Hank Bell, George Chandler, Edmund Cobb, Ralph Dunn, Heinie Conklin, Jim Farley, Earle Hodgins, Lloyd Ingraham, Lew Kelly, Joe King, Edmund MacDonald, George MacQuarrie, Robett McKenzie, Victor Potel, Ray Teal, Fred Walburn, Duke York, Ted Adams and Frank Brownlee.

Trail of the Vigilantes is directed by Allan Dwan, runs 75 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Harold Shumate (screenplay), is shot in black and white by Milton R Krasner and Joseph A Valentine, is produced by Allan Dwan (uncredited), is scored by musical director Hans J Salter (uncredited), Ralph Freed (composer: stock music), Charles Previn composer: stock music) and Frank Skinner composer: stock music), and is designed by Jack Otterson.

 © Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9252

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