Between cranking out Hopalong Cassidy movies at Paramount, Harry Sherman got this Zane Grey novel adapted into a film. Utilizing the same sets that Hoppy did, Pop Sherman turned of all people into a cowboy hero, Douglass Dumbrille.
This definitely rounds out the career resume of this character actor, to be cast as the cowboy hero, he who has played so many memorable villains in film history. Two years earlier Dumbrille played his most memorable serious villain as the lawyer Mr. Cedar in Mr. Deeds Goes To Town and three years after this film, Dumbrille would be his most memorable comic villain as the Marx Brothers foil in The Big Store.
Here Dumbrille is cast as Pecos Bill a notorious bandit who was forced into that life because he was framed for a murder. He had to abandon his ranch and small daughter 20 years ago to his foreman who took over the property.
After a stage holdup Dumbrille gets nostalgic for the old place and he and his sidekick Sidney Toler decide to visit the old homestead incognito and maybe gain for the daughter her rightful inheritance.
The girl has grown up into Charlotte Field and she's got both the new owner's son Weldon Heyburn and foreman Russell Hayden after her. The new owner is played by Stanley Andrews and there's Monte Blue in the cast as well who figures in things quite prominently.
There's a bit more plot if somewhat contrived than is normal for a B western of the time in The Mysterious Rider. But with the exception of Douglass Dumbrille, the rest of these character actor fit comfortably in the roles they are normally cast.
And as for Douglass Dumbrille, I could almost get used to him as a good guy.
This definitely rounds out the career resume of this character actor, to be cast as the cowboy hero, he who has played so many memorable villains in film history. Two years earlier Dumbrille played his most memorable serious villain as the lawyer Mr. Cedar in Mr. Deeds Goes To Town and three years after this film, Dumbrille would be his most memorable comic villain as the Marx Brothers foil in The Big Store.
Here Dumbrille is cast as Pecos Bill a notorious bandit who was forced into that life because he was framed for a murder. He had to abandon his ranch and small daughter 20 years ago to his foreman who took over the property.
After a stage holdup Dumbrille gets nostalgic for the old place and he and his sidekick Sidney Toler decide to visit the old homestead incognito and maybe gain for the daughter her rightful inheritance.
The girl has grown up into Charlotte Field and she's got both the new owner's son Weldon Heyburn and foreman Russell Hayden after her. The new owner is played by Stanley Andrews and there's Monte Blue in the cast as well who figures in things quite prominently.
There's a bit more plot if somewhat contrived than is normal for a B western of the time in The Mysterious Rider. But with the exception of Douglass Dumbrille, the rest of these character actor fit comfortably in the roles they are normally cast.
And as for Douglass Dumbrille, I could almost get used to him as a good guy.