"The Haunted Mine" is a film that was thought to be lost but has turned up in WB's Monogram Cowboy Collection Volume 10. It's significant because it was the last of 18 features starring Johnny Mack Brown as Nevada Jack McKenzie and Raymond Hatton as Sandy Hopkins. The series had evolved from Monogram's "Rough Rider" series of 1941-42 starring Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Hatton.
When WWII broke out McCoy went back into the service and Jones perished in a 1942 fire. The studio brought Brown over from Universal to replace Jones and Hatton continued on as Sandy. The films ran from 1943-46. Brown and Hatton continued on but played different characters.
The story in this episode has the Chief Marshal (Frank LaRue) calling in Nevada (Brown) to go to a small mining town to see what has happened to the Chief's friend, a man named Durant. Sandy (Hopkins) has gone on ahead, as usually was the case, to get set up as the town barber. On his way to town, Nevada comes across a body of a man who has had his throat cut. Meade (Terry Frost) finds Nevada riding away and he and his men go after Nevada and bring him to town where he is accused of murder. Town heavy Steve Twining (John Merton) is pressuring Mrs. Durant (Claire Whitner) to sell her mine which she believes to be worthless. In spite of the pleas of her daughter Jenny (Linda Leighton) she agrees to the sale. Twining you see, has some inside knowledge about the mine and it's contents.
Nevada is put on trial and is found guilty of murder. He manages to escape and returns to steal unseen, the deed to the mine from Twining's man Blackie (Marshal Reed). Twining and Blackie blame young Dan McLeod (Riley Hill) for the theft. Twining's men take Dan to their hideout and Blackie works him over. Nevada arrives and tells them that it was he that stole the deed. He tells Blackie to go to his boss and have him come to the mine site that evening. Meanwhile, the red herring of the story, is a mysterious ghost like person has been responsible for the killings of anyone who dared to enter the mine. He uses a barber's razor to commit his crimes.
Nevada is almost murdered by the "ghost" in a secret passage running from the barber shop through a vacant store, but Sandy arrives in the nick of time. As Twining and his men prepare to go to the mine, Blackie goes ahead to lie in ambush for Nevada who is now suspected of being a law man. The "ghost' murders Blackie and Nevada uses his corpse to trick Twining. Twining and his men attack Nevada, Sandy, Dan and Jenny who are defending the mine. The odds are against them as they are outnumbered 3 to 1 but............................................................................
I guess the ultra low budget negated having a sheriff and his posse on board. Brown and Hatton would continue on in the series playing different characters.
When WWII broke out McCoy went back into the service and Jones perished in a 1942 fire. The studio brought Brown over from Universal to replace Jones and Hatton continued on as Sandy. The films ran from 1943-46. Brown and Hatton continued on but played different characters.
The story in this episode has the Chief Marshal (Frank LaRue) calling in Nevada (Brown) to go to a small mining town to see what has happened to the Chief's friend, a man named Durant. Sandy (Hopkins) has gone on ahead, as usually was the case, to get set up as the town barber. On his way to town, Nevada comes across a body of a man who has had his throat cut. Meade (Terry Frost) finds Nevada riding away and he and his men go after Nevada and bring him to town where he is accused of murder. Town heavy Steve Twining (John Merton) is pressuring Mrs. Durant (Claire Whitner) to sell her mine which she believes to be worthless. In spite of the pleas of her daughter Jenny (Linda Leighton) she agrees to the sale. Twining you see, has some inside knowledge about the mine and it's contents.
Nevada is put on trial and is found guilty of murder. He manages to escape and returns to steal unseen, the deed to the mine from Twining's man Blackie (Marshal Reed). Twining and Blackie blame young Dan McLeod (Riley Hill) for the theft. Twining's men take Dan to their hideout and Blackie works him over. Nevada arrives and tells them that it was he that stole the deed. He tells Blackie to go to his boss and have him come to the mine site that evening. Meanwhile, the red herring of the story, is a mysterious ghost like person has been responsible for the killings of anyone who dared to enter the mine. He uses a barber's razor to commit his crimes.
Nevada is almost murdered by the "ghost" in a secret passage running from the barber shop through a vacant store, but Sandy arrives in the nick of time. As Twining and his men prepare to go to the mine, Blackie goes ahead to lie in ambush for Nevada who is now suspected of being a law man. The "ghost' murders Blackie and Nevada uses his corpse to trick Twining. Twining and his men attack Nevada, Sandy, Dan and Jenny who are defending the mine. The odds are against them as they are outnumbered 3 to 1 but............................................................................
I guess the ultra low budget negated having a sheriff and his posse on board. Brown and Hatton would continue on in the series playing different characters.
