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.
as Jim Benton
as Pancho Lopez
as Tombstone
as Wolf Reade
as Borax Bill
as Henchman Butch
as Smokey
as Mary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly)
as Joseph Kirby
as Rance Davis
as Tex, a Benton Rider
as Henchman Dirk
as Henchman Trigger
as Henchman Rusty
as Henchman Pete Grump
as Chuckawalla Charlie Morgan [Ch. 1]
as Rimrock [Ch. 4]
as Dan Gordon [Chs. 1, 8-10]
as Judge Knox [Chs. 2, 13-14]
as Cactus Pete, Prospector [Ch.14]
as Hank
as Slim
as Miner in Saloon
as Rider
as Lafe Hogan
as Salty
as Miner
as Graham
as Miner
as Richards
as Barfly
as Saloon Waiter
as Lyncher
as Bragg
as Barfly
as Cashier
as Green
as Stagecoach Driver
as Marshal
as Wagon Driver
as Buck Hansen
as Fighter
as Stage Guard
as Mr. Wilson
as Kate
as Blake
as Saloon Waiter
as Tombstone's Horse
as Jim's Horse
as Joe Miller
as Stable Owner
as Cashier
