Frontier Marshal (1939)

Frontier Marshal (1939)

„Frontier Marshal“ is a 1939 Black & White western film directed by Allan Dwan. The screenplay by Sam Hellman is based on the 1931 novel „Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal“ by Stuart N. Lake.

In the 1880s Western mining town of Tombstone, Ben Carter, owner of The Palace of Pleasure saloon, complains that his chief competitor, The Belle Union, has brought in Chicago saloon girls to take away his business. He gets one of his men, Indian Charlie, drunk and Charlie shoots up the place. The Town Marshal refuses to stop Charlie’s rampage. An ex-Army scout, Wyatt Earp, steps forward and beats Charlie to the draw. Earp is offered the job of marshal, but he initially refuses. Curly Bill and Carter’s gang take Earp out on the mesa, and beat him for being a „volunteer marshal.“

As the new marshal, Earp begins to clean up Tombstone. He catches dance hall girl, Jerry, cheating at poker. Gunslinger Doc Halliday arrives to defend Jerry’s „honor,“ goading Earp to draw. But Halliday has a coughing attack. Earp stops another gambler, Dan Blackmore, from shooting him. Earp and Halliday become friends.

Halliday’s old fiancée, Sarah Allen, finds him in Tombstone. Halliday, a former physician, orders her to leave, telling her he’s not the man she knew 2 years ago in Illinois.

Later, Eddie Foy, celebrated song and dance man, arrives in town to perform at The Belle Union. He is kidnapped by Buck Newton and forced to play at The Place of Pleasure instead. Earp and Halliday rescue Foy. Halliday kills Newton.

Earp finds a picture of Sarah in Halliday’s wallet. Earp goes to Sarah, telling her that Halliday does care about her and will die if she leaves.

Earp rides shotgun on the next gold shipment. Jerry helps Carter and his gang hold up the stage, but is foiled as Earp is joined on the stage by Halliday, who was leaving Tombstone to get away from Sarah.

Carter is killed and Halliday is wounded. Earp orders The Place of Pleasure closed, resulting in a gunfight. Earp escapes unhurt, but a young Mexican boy, Pablo, is accidentally shot. The town doctor is gone, so Halliday, with Sarah’s assistance, is forced to operate and saves the boy’s life.

Leaving the bar, Halliday is ambushed and killed by Curly Bill and his men. Earp meets the gang at the O. K. Corral, killing all but Curly Bill, who escapes into town. When Curly Bill tries to shoot Earp in the back, Jerry kills him with Halliday’s gun. Sarah decides to stay in the cleaned-up Tombstone, while Jerry chooses to leave. Before departing, however, Jerry stops at Halliday’s tombstone.

Cast:

• Randolph Scott – Wyatt Earp
• Nancy Kelly – Sarah Allen
• Cesar Romero – Doc Halliday
• Binnie Barnes – Jerry
• John Carradine – Ben Carter
• Edward Norris – Dan Blackmore
• Eddie Foy Jr. – Eddie Foy
• Ward Bond – Town Marshal
• Lon Chaney Jr. – Pringle
• Chris-Pin Martin – Pete
• Joe Sawyer – Curley Bill
• Dell Henderson – Dave Hall
• Harry Hayden – Mayor Henderson
• Ventura Ybarra – Pablo
• Charles Stevens – Indian Charlie

„Frontier Marshal“ ist ein Schwarz-Weiß-Western von 1939 unter der Regie von Allan Dwan. Das Drehbuch von Sam Hellman basiert auf dem 1931 erschienenen Roman „Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal“ von Stuart N. Lake.

In der Bergbaustadt Tombstone in den 1880er Jahren beschwert sich Ben Carter, Besitzer des Saloons Palace of Pleasure, darüber, dass sein Hauptkonkurrent The Belle Union Saloon-Girls aus Chicago einstellt, um ihm das Geschäft wegzunehmen. Er macht einen seiner Männer, Indian Charlie, betrunken und Charlie schießt auf den Laden. Der Town Marshal weigert sich, Charlies Amoklauf zu stoppen. Ein ehemaliger Armee-Scout, Wyatt Earp, meldet sich und besiegt Charlie mit einem Unentschieden. Earp wird der Posten des Marshals angeboten, doch er lehnt zunächst ab. Curly Bill und Carters Bande nehmen Earp auf dem Tafelberg fest und verprügeln ihn, weil er ein „freiwilliger Marshal“ ist.