

Riders of Death Valley
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The Saturday matinee crowd got two cowboy stars for the price of one in this lavishly budgeted western serial starring former singing cowboy Dick Foran and Buck Jones. The latter contributed deadpan humor to the proceedings, making Jones perhaps the highest paid B-western comedy relief in history. The two heroes defend the Death Valley borax miners from an outlaw gang headed by Wolf Reade. An extraordinarily strong cast -- for a serial, at least -- supported the stars, headed by Charles Bickford as Reade, Leo Carillo, Lon Chaney, Jr., and silent screen star Monte Blue. Leading lady Jeanne Kelly later changed her name to Jean Brooks and starred in the atmospheric RKO thriller The Seventh Victim (1943). Universal claimed to have spent $1 million on this serial and made sure to get their money's worth by endlessly recycling the action footage in serials and B-westerns for years to come.
Cast

Dick Foran
Jim Benton

Leo Carrillo
Pancho Lopez

Buck Jones
Tombstone

Charles Bickford
Wolf Reade

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams
Borax Bill

Lon Chaney Jr.
Henchman Butch

Noah Beery Jr.
Smokey

Jean Brooks
Mary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly)

James Blaine
Joseph Kirby

Monte Blue
Rance Davis

Glenn Strange
Tex, a Benton Rider

Roy Barcroft
Henchman Dirk

Jack Rockwell
Henchman Trigger

Ethan Laidlaw
Henchman Rusty

Richard Alexander
Henchman Pete Grump

Frank Austin
Chuckawalla Charlie Morgan [Ch. 1]

Charles Thomas
Rimrock [Ch. 4]

William Hall
Dan Gordon [Chs. 1, 8-10]

James Guilfoyle
Judge Knox [Chs. 2, 13-14]

Ernie Adams
Cactus Pete, Prospector [Ch.14]

Ted Adams
Hank

Frank Brownlee
Slim

Bob Burns
Miner in Saloon

Rod Cameron
Rider

Jack Rube Clifford
Lafe Hogan

Edmund Cobb
Salty

Art Dillard
Miner

Jim Farley
Graham

Chick Hannan
Miner

Jerome Harte
Richards

Al Haskell
Barfly

Jimmie Lucas
Saloon Waiter

Frank McCarroll
Lyncher

Ivor McFadden
Bragg

Leo J. McMahon
Barfly

Jay Michael
Cashier

Art Miles
Green

Bud Osborne
Stagecoach Driver

William Pagan
Marshal

Tex Palmer
Wagon Driver

Ed Payson
Buck Hansen

Gil Perkins
Fighter

Jack Perrin
Stage Guard

Alonzo Price
Mr. Wilson

Ruth Rickaby
Kate

Don Rowan
Blake

Dick Rush
Saloon Waiter

Silver
Tombstone's Horse

Smoke
Jim's Horse

Richard Travis
Joe Miller

Slim Whitaker
Stable Owner
