Man with the Steel Whip
| Man with the Steel Whip | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Franklin Adreon |
| Written by | Ronald Davidson |
| Produced by | Franklin Adreon |
| Starring | Dick Simmons Barbara Bestar Dale Van Sickel Mauritz Hugo Lane Bradford |
| Cinematography | Bud Thackery |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 12 chapters (167 minutes)[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $172,794 (negative cost: $174,718)[1] |
Man with the Steel Whip is a 1954 Republic Western serial film. It uses considerable stock footage from the previous Republic serials "Zorro's Black Whip", "The Painted Stallion" and "Daredevils of the West."
Plot
[edit]Saloon owner Barnett wants the land on the local Indian reservation for its gold deposits. In order to remove the people living on the reservation, he forms a gang to attack the local ranchers and frame the Indians. Rancher Jerry Randall opposes him using the legendary masked identity of El Latigo, a friend to the Indians.
Cast
[edit]- Richard Simmons as Jerry Randall, a rancher, and the secret identity of El Latigo, legendary masked hero
- Barbara Bestar as Nancy Cooper, school teacher
- Mauritz Hugo as Barnett, saloon owner and villain attempting a land grab
- Dale Van Sickel as Crane, a henchman
- Lane Bradford as Tosco
- Pat Hogan as the Indian Chief
- Roy Barcroft as the Sheriff
Stunts
[edit]- Tom Steele as Jerry Randall/Henchman Tom/Henchman Gage (doubling Dick Simmons)
- Babe De Freest as El Latigo (doubling Dick Simmons via stock footage)
- Guy Teague as Price
- Chuck Hayward as Barn Henchman
- Robert "Buzz" Henry as Orco
- Walt La Rue as a townsman
- Eddie Parker (via stock footage)
- Bill Yrigoyen (via stock footage)
- Joe Yrigoyen (via stock footage)
Production
[edit]Man with the Steel Whip was budgeted at $172,794 although the final negative cost was $174,718 (a $1,924, or 1.1%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1954.[1]
It was filmed between March 2 and 22 of 1954 under the working title Man with a Whip.[1] The serial's production number was 1938.[1]
Man with the Steel Whip used stock footage from all of the previous Zorro serials produced by Republic Pictures. As a result, the costume and body shape of the hero El Latigo change between scenes, even becoming female in scenes taken from Zorro's Black Whip (1944).[2][3]
The serial contains many mistakes; for example, Nancy occasionally refers to the character Jerry Randall as Dick (Richard Simmons' real name).[2]
The film's special effects were handled by the Lydecker brothers.
Release
[edit]Man with the Steel Whip's official release date was July 19, 1954, although that was the date on which the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1]
The film's release was followed by a rerelease of The Phantom Rider, retitled as Ghost Riders of the West, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Panther Girl of the Kongo, followed in 1955.[1]
Chapter titles
[edit]- The Spirit Rider (20:00)
- Savage Fury (13:20)
- Mask of El Latiago (13:20)
- The Murder Cave (13:20)
- The Stone Guillotine (13:20)
- Flame and Battle (13:20)
- Double Ambush (13:20)
- The Blazing Barrier (13:20)
- The Silent Informer (13:20)
- Window of Death (13:20) (recap chapter)
- The Fatal Masquerade (13:20)
- Redskin Raiders (13:20)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 138–139. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
- ^ a b Harmon, Jim; Donald F. Glut (1973). "12. The Westerns "Who Was That Masked Man!"". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. Routledge. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
- ^ Stedman, Raymond William (1971). "5. Shazam and Good-by". Serials: Suspense and Drama By Installment. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-8061-0927-5.
- ^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 256. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
