
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