Roubada a Tempo

"Desert Gold" was another in the series of well produced 60 minute (or less) Zane Grey adaptations that Paramount turned out in the 1930s. Although there are considered "B" films, they had bigger budgets, better production values and a vast store of stock footage to set them above the average "B" western.

The story starts out with Maya (Buster Crabbe) being made chief of the local Indian tribe. It seems that there is a hidden gold mine on Indian grounds and villain Chet Kasedon (Monte Blue) is after it. Kasedon has sent for mining engineer Randolph Gale (Tom Keene) to help him find the mine.

Aboard the stagecoach with Gale are the comely young Judith Belding (Marsha Hunt) who, as it turns out is engaged to marry Kasedon. Travelling with Gale is his assistant, now get this, Fordyce Mortimer (Robert Cummings in an early role) and Judith's father Doc Belding, the town doctor.

At first Gale is unaware of Kasedon's misdeeds but when he finds him whipping Maya to make him talk, he promptly switches sides and pursues Judith on the side.

It's fun to watch these old films and see up and coming players in early roles. Cummings though a little over the top is nonetheless hilarious as the comic relief. Marsha Hunt was never prettier as the heroine. Keene does a creditable job as the hero. Its interesting to note that when RKO revived the Zane Grey series in the mid 40s, Keene, who had by then re-invented himself as Richard Powers, played the villain in a couple of installments.

Watch for Leif (billed as "Glenn") Erikson as Kasedon's brother and Si Jenks in a hilarious bit as the stagecoach driver. Veteran heavy Walter Miller also appears as (what else?) one of the bag guys.

Pleasant little film with great outdoor photography.

One of the zane grey westerns. Kasedon and gale are trying to locate the hidden gold mine, which is rightfully owned by the first americans. Buster crabbe is chief moya, who has been protecting the mine for many years. For the first fifteen minutes, we're watching tenderfoot mortimer deal with his tooth-ache. That's robert cummings, in one of his earliest credited roles. Monte blue, a western regular as kasedon. The usual galloping horses, gun shoot-outs. Some comedy, as mortimer shows just what a rookie he is in the desert. It's okay. Clearly a low budget B film for paramount. Seems to have been filmed mostly at the iverson ranch. With some great, stock footage shown in the opening credits. Lots of film backdrops used in here! It's pretty good. Directed by james hogan.

This is not bad at all for a low-budget Western, with a decent story and an interesting combination of names in the cast. The plot of "Desert Gold" is based on a story by Zane Grey, and the movie version is not unworthy of Grey's skilled story-telling.

The story follows the search for a mine owned by an Indian tribe, which several different parties would like to get their hands on. Although some of it is predictable, there are some interesting conflicts and battles of wits along the way.

Tom Keene, as a mining engineer, has one of his better roles, in that it gives him opportunities to work with a wider variety of material than he had in many of his B-movies. It is quite interesting to see Robert Cummings in one of his early roles, as Keene's youthful assistant, who is new to the West. As written, Cummings' character is pretty goofy, but it's a good role for him, and he makes the character work well. Buster Crabbe has a smaller but worthwhile role as an educated Indian, and Marsha Hunt also is pretty good in a smaller role.

This is one of the better movies of its era and genre, and there should be enough here to make it worth watching for those who enjoy the Westerns of the era.

Chet Kasedon is after the Indians hidden gold mine but Chief Moya will not reveal it's location. He has also hired mining engineers Gale and Mortimer to locate the mine. When Gale sees Kasedon's cruelty to Moya, he switches sides.

Desert Gold is a thoroughly enjoyable western which is heavy on humour, mainly from the sidekick who has a toothache all the time and has problems of differentiating a dangerous snake from a harmless one. Buster Crabbe plays a Native American and he does well- he looks imposing with his stature and tan. Marsha Hunt is cute but the leading man is a little forceful in his intentions on her, not exactly respecting that she's engaged - ok, her fiancée is the villain. Still, the hero's approach is annoying. He is quite bossy towards her, snapping out orders and force feeding her. However, it moves briskly and has some decent action and an involving plot. The finale is quite exciting.

Western fans, especially John Wayne fans, remember in Chisum when newly arrived storekeeper Andrew Prine after seeing Forrest Tucker's business methods changes his mind and goes to work for Wayne. The premise for the whole plot of the Zane Grey story Desert Gold is just about the same.

Tom Keene and tenderfoot sidekick Robert Cummings come out west and take one look at Monte Blue's methods and decide not to work for him. Coming west on the same stage is Marsha Hunt who is to marry Blue. Of course she starts to have some second thoughts as well.

Keene and Cummings are mining engineers and what Blue is after is a secret mine that the local Indians have access to. What they witness is Indian chief Buster Crabbe tied to a post and being whipped by Blue to divulge the location of his mine. I don't think I have to mention any more.

In that series of Zane Grey stories that Paramount filmed in the Thirties this one is one of the best. It's got plenty of western gunplay to satisfy any fan of the genre. And it is one of the first roles of substance for Robert Cummings.

Television fans remember Cummings for his Love That Bob show from the Fifties, a TV Land classic. Some of the comic timing is plainly evident in his sidekick role. And that's unique too. Sidekicks are usually the salty oldtimers. But Cummings has some very funny moments as the fish out of water tenderfoot in the old west. He shoots at a gopher snake and misses because he mistakes him for a rattlesnake. After getting a lecture by Keane about gopher snakes he nearly gets himself killed by a real rattler. Of course Cummings is of little help in that final gun battle with the bad guys. When he thinks he's wounded, that's another funny moment.

Zane Grey aficionados should have little to complain about this one.