RED RIDER, THE [DVD] [1934]

VCI is pleased to present this classic cliffhanger from Universal Pictures, for the first time available on DVD, produced from the original studio 35mm film elements! “Red” Davison(Buck Jones), the sheriff of Sun Dog, sacrifices his job and his good name to save his best friend, “Silent” Slade from the hangman’s noose, following a framed-up court decision which sentences Slade to hang for the murder of “Scotty McKee (J.P. McGowan). Davidson allows Slade to escape from jail and follows him to aid him in proving his innocence. Written by Les Adams This serial is based on the story “The Redhead from Sun Dog” by W. C. Tuttle. It is a remake of the 1931 John Wayne movie The Range Feud.Chap #1 – Red Davidson, Sheriff Sun Dog County, and Silent Slade, cowpuncher, are friends of long standing. Red is slated be the next State Senator, but does not want to accept the nomination, although several leading politicians insist. His pal Slade is in love with Loan McKee, but her father resents his attention. Slade meets Red in a saloon and related his troubles. Red tells him to ride out to the McKee ranch and try to make the old man see his side of the story. When Slade reaches the ranch, he finds McKee has been murdered. As he leaves the house, Joan and her bodyguard, Banty Harrison rid up. Banty accuses Slade of the murder and tells Joan to call the Sheriff. The evidence all points to Slade. Red finds a cigarette butt and a small piece of paper bearing the post mark of Gomez Springs and the last initial “n” for a man’s name. This he pockets and takes Slade to Jail.

Chap #2 -The posse returns to town, and a strong rumor is out that Red allowed Slade to escape. The prosecuting attorney questions Red, and he confesses aiding Slade in his getaway. Turning in his badge, Red leaves Marlin City that night. Several months later, Red arrives in a small town near the Mexican border. He sees his horse, Silver, tied to the hitching rack of a saloon. He enters and finds the horse belongs to Joe Portuguese, who won it in a card game from a stranger. Red plays cards with Joe and wins the horse. Red meets the sheriff who tell him where he might find a job. On the way by the ranch, Red comes upon the body of a man who has been shot. He reaches the ranch and informs the owner, Mr. Maxwell of the dead man. Red saves Marie, Maxwell’s daughter, from the unwelcome attentions of Jim Breen, who has come to see Maxwell. Red discovers the man with Breen is his pal Slade but is warned not to say anything. The two men ride away and Red follows. On the road his captured by Joe Portuguese and his gang, who accuse him of being a horse thief. Joe raises hi gun to kill Red.

Chap #3- Red escapes the gun of Joe Portuguese by a trick and rides away on his horse Silver. The gang chase him and are about to recapture him, when the Sheriff rides up with Maxwell and his men, who are returning with the body of Dell Harper, Maxwell’s foreman. Maxwell hires Red to work on the ranch. Red becomes friendly with Johnny Snow, one of the hired hands, and tells him of his suspicions of Breen being the man who killed McKee. Johnny tells Red he will aid him in proving Breen guilty. Red drives Marie to the station to meet Joan McKee, her schoolmate. He warns her not to say anything and tells her he is trying to free Slade of the murder charge. Red and Johnny learn that Maxwell has been tricked into a smuggling deal with Breen. Breen suspects that Maxwell has the stones, which his foreman carried the night he was murdered. As they leave the jouse, Red and Johnny follow them to a cantina. They see four men bring Maxwell out of the place and tie him on a horse. Red knocks out one of the men and rescues Maxwell, leaving the guard disguised as Maxwell.

Chap #4The shots go wild. Seeing Marie in trouble, Red and Johnny rush into the house and overcome the two henchmen. They bring in Maxwell and while the two girls are trying to bring him to, the two men are forced to confess that they were sent by Breen to kill Red. After they confess to Red, he allows them to go free. Breen frames a fake rustling act to run some of Maxwell’s cattle off his ranch. When Red follows the rustlers, they intend to capture him and make him tell where the diamonds are, thinking he took them off Harper when he found the body. Maxwell admits to Red that he was tricked into the smuggling of the diamonds by Breen and put a mortgage on his ranch to swing the deal. Red suspects the mortgage is in Breen’s hands. The chase leads Red into a narrow passageway between two hills and a rope falls over his head. He is jerked from the saddle and falls to the ground. Joe Portuguese and his gang run out from their hiding places and tie him up.

Chap #5- Johnny, Slim and several other Maxwell punchers, summoned by Silver, who raced for them with his saddle empty, divert the attention of Joe and his men from Red. Red escapes by throwing Silver over a steep bank, where they both roll to the bottom. Red and Johnny go to the Breen ranch where they overpower the guard and the cook, but the latter escapes and unties the guard. They both rush to inform Breen that Red is at the ranch. Slade arrives at the ranch and talks with Red. They are surprised by the arrival of Breen and the gang. Slade wants to join Red in fighting Breen, but Red won’t see it that way. When the gang dash in, they find Slade holding Red at the point of a gun. Slade demands the thousand dollars that Breen offered to pay for Red’s capture. As they advance to take Red, the floor suddenly opens and Red falls through and escapes amidst a terrific hail of gunfire from the gang.

Chap #6 – As Red drops through the trap he falls upon Johnny. They discover and opening in the tunnel and escape before Breen and the gang can catch them. Hubert Sohmes, a fence for the diamond smugglers, comes to the Breen ranch to find out why the last shipment of stones had not bee delivered. Breen informs him the diamonds have disappeared. They both start for Maxwell’s ranch to question him. On the way, Breen kills Sohmes and robs him but fails to find the mortgage on Maxwell’s ranch, that Sohmes hold for a loan of $10,000. Red and Johnny discover the body and find the mortgage, which they take to Maxwell. Red also finds another cigarette butt at the scene of the murder, made of the kind of tobacco as the one he found a McKee’s home. This leads him to believe Breen also murdered Sohmes. Marie and Joan go out for a ride and are overtaken by Breen and two of his henchmen. Marie is detained but Joan escapes and gets Red and Johnny to ride to the rescue. Breen has ridden on ahead, fearing trouble. A battle follows and a man rolls towards the edge of a deep canyon. Suddenly the henchman with a mighty effort pushes Red over the edge. Red feeling himself slipping grabs the man and hangs on. Another of the gang raises a gun and is about to crash it down on Red’s head.

Chap #7 -Marie shoots the adversary in the shoulder. He drops his gun and Marie covers him. Johnny is fighting with another of the gang and succeeds in knocking him out. Just then shots are heard, and Joan rides up leading the Maxwell outfit scaring the henchmen away. Red learns that Maxwell ha done into town alone and follows him. Maxwell agrees to return that Sohmes had never recorded the recoded the mortgage. While they are talking, Joe and his gang attack them. Red tricks them into thinking he has been shot and falls from the buggy. As they come into the scene, he overcomes them one by one, and goes after Portuguese who is in the buggy fighting with Maxwell. Maxwell is knocked from the buggy. Red and Portuguese have a terrific battle and in the mad ride the frightened horses head for a wharf which fronts a lake. The runaway team plunge into the water carrying Red, Portuguese and the rig with them.

Chap #8 -Red is rescued from a watery grave by Johnny and Maxwell ranchers. Joe Portuguese escapes and returns to the cantina where he finds Breen reading a sheriff’s poster offering a reward of $5,000 for the capture of a murderer. The description fits Slade. Breen determines to watch Silent and turn him in for the reward. In the meantime, he tells Portuguese he will give him $10,000 for every head of cattle he runs from the Maxwell ranch and brings to his cabin. “Silent” reaches the Maxwell ranch and finds that Red and the boys have left to round-up the cattle. He meets Joan and their old love is renewed. After hearing his story, Marie rides to warn the boys of the raid. She reaches Red and the boys just as Joe and his men dash in and stampede the herd of cattle. In an effort to escape the stampede, Marie falls from her horse into the path of the oncoming herd. Red rides in and saves her. They are seen by Joe and his men and a they try to escape, they are chased. Riding with Marie in his arms, Red is headed for the brink of a deep cut in the hills. As they reach the edge, Silver tries to make a jump but loses his footing.

Chap #9- Red and Marie climb to safety. Joe and his men fire on them and Red returns the fire, disperses their enemies and with Marie, remounts Silver and rides away. Breen goes to the sheriff and informs him that Slade is the man wanted for the murder of Scotty McKee. Red Joins the posse. Slade’s horse tires rapidly and he takes refuge in an old barn. Red offers to sneak in and capture Silent. Red gets into the barn and tells Slade to run for it while he holds the posse off. Silent refuges to put his Partner in a tough spot again. In desperation, Red knocks Slade out and puts his coat and hat on, hides Slade in the hay loft and swings from the loft into Slade’s Horse and dashes madly from the scene while the posse thinking it is Slade, give chase. The posse gain and start shooting. Red suddenly slumps in the saddle and starts to fall from the horse.

Chap #10 -As Red races madly around a corner he throws himself from the horse into a clump of bushes. Silver, following a short way behind, hears Red’s whistle and coms to him. Red swings into the saddle and rides to the barn where Slade is hidden. On the way he meets Joan and they go after Silent together and return with him to the Maxwell ranch. Red tells the sheriff the whole story about the murder and of Silent’s conviction and asks him to leave Slade alone for a week or so, as he, Red, is on the trail of the real murderer. The sheriff agrees and rides away. Red rides madly after him. Silent arrives at Breen’s ranch. At the point of a gun he tried to make Breen confess to McKee’s murder. Red gets to the house just in time to hear Slade threaten Breen and as he’s about to shoot him, Red shoots Silent’s gun from his hand and as Breen reaches for his gun Red shoots it from the table. Red standing with his back to the door hears a command from Portuguese to drop his gun. He lets it slide to the floor.

Chap #11 -Their attention is diverted and Red hits Joe over the head. In the ensuing fight both Joe and Breen are knocked out. Red, Johnny and Slade escape from the cabin through an underground tunnel and return to the Maxwell ranch. Following their escape Breen and Joe quarrel and Joe accuses Breen of murdering Scotty McKee. They make up knowing the must capture Slade and Red. At the rodeo Red rides “Grey Ghost,” an outlaw horse, using his own saddle. During the ride the horse falls and breaks the horn off the saddle, but Red escapes injury. While Red is looking at the broken saddle, he finds the gems hidden beneath the horn. Joe and his gang attack the coach in which Marie is riding with the diamonds, escorted by Red and boys. In the fight, Jose the driver is shot from the box. Red races after the runaway horses – leaps from Silver to the coach landing on the wheel horse, climbs onto the lead team and bulldogs them to save Marie.

Chap #12 – Marie, Red and Johnny start for the Maxwell ranch to place the diamonds in a safe. Joan takes Slade to a log cabin. Here he is to hide until they can prove he did not kill McKee. As Joan starts to leave for the ranch, she hears shots. It is the Portuguese gang firing on Slade. Joan rides for help. Breen reaches the Maxwell ranch and captures Maxwell. He tried to make him open the safe and to tell them where Slade is hidden. This the old man refuses to do. Two of his men grab Maxwell and he passes out. When they bring him to, he refuses to tell them anything. As they are fighting, they see Red and the others coming and hide in the house. Red pulls the diamonds out and is showing them to Marie when they hear a thumping in the closet. They open the door and find the old man. Just then Breen and his men come out. Red starts to raise his hands, still clutching the diamonds, as the bandits step in with levelled guns.

Chap # 13 – Red tosses the diamonds out the window. Breen tells his men to tie Red up and jumps out the window to recover the gems. While making a search he sees the rest of Maxwell’s men coming. He calls to the others and they make their getaway. Red is released by Marie and they free her father. Red, Slade and Johnny start after the bandits and Red remembers he has no gun. He returns to the ranch to get one. Purely by accident Red finds the diamonds on the ground. Breen’s men overtake him and Red and Johnny have left the ranch to turn the stones over to the sheriff. While they are away Joe reaches the Maxwell ranch and carries away Maxwell and the two girls. Joe has left one of his men to kill Red as he enters the house. Red hears the click of the bandit’s gun and throws his hat over the lamp, putting the room in darkness. Three shots are heard, and a body is heard crashing to the floor.

Chap #14 – Red is unharmed. As they are searching for the man the sound of horse’s hoofs are heard and the fellow escapes. During the raid, Joe Portuguese and his mob are taking Marie and Maxwell to Breen’s ranch. Red and Johnny go to the Breen ranch to rescue the three captives. At the Breen ranch Joe questions the prisoners regarding the diamonds and while this is going on, the man Red shot rides up and is taken for an enemy and shot at by sentries. He reaches the house and falls dead as he is about to give Joe information about Red. Red and Johnny see the fire as the sentries shoot Berg and they sneak up and overcome them. They take their blankets and hats and start for the house. They see a light in the barn where the men have taken the wounded man. They enter and overcome the gangsters and tie them up. Slim and Slade arrive at the Breen ranch and looking into the barn they see the two pals disguised as the sentried. Seeing they are about to come out of the barn they lay in wait for them. As Red leaves the barn Slade hits him over the head with the butt of his gun knocking him to the ground.

Chapt #15 – Slade’s unexpected blow knocks Red down but not out, thanks to the heavy padded hat he wears. A trap behind Breen opens and the Wing cuts his bonds, then gives him a pistol. With this Breen gets the drop on Joe and the mob. As daylight breaks, Breen comes from the tunnel he had fallen into, finds a horse and escapes. Red gets on another horse and goes after him. Red takes Breen to the Maxwell ranch where he makes him confess to murdering McKee, thus clearing Silent Slade. Red wires for authority to bring the prisoner back to Marlin City and is informed that his is still sheriff as he forgot to sign his resignation. Red tells Marie he will be back. They prepare for a double wedding, Red and Marie and Slade and Joan.

Format  DVD

Language  English

Audio  PCM MONO

Aspect Ratio  1.33:1

Rating  NR

Runtime  310

Year  1934

Color  B/W

UPC  89859896422