When the Daltons Rode / 1940 Part 1


Doolin Dalton – Desperado / Eagles

Into the Sunset …

I was just a kid – or not even born – when many of the Greatest Westerns Stars who ever lived had already rode off into the sunset – or died. So I missed a hell of lot of good Westerns from the 30’s, 40’s and even the 50’s. Still haven’t seen most of them. This blog is pretty well a research project for me on a lot of them – trying to discover Western Movie history – and their Stars.

So … I found this pic from When the Daltons Rode (1940) on the net the other day. I looked at the riders … but didn’t recognize any of them?

Can you?

I’ll give you ten plugged nickels and my spurs if you get 2 right.
And they were all well known Actors of their day and beyond.

????

OK … from Left to Right …
Stuart Erwin, Andy Devine, Broderick Crawford, and Brian Donlevy.

Stuart Erwin / (1903–1967)
as Ben Dalton

Andy Devine / (1905–1977)
as Ozark Jones

Andy as Jingles from Wild BIll Hickok TV Series (1951 – 1958)

“If there’s anything I don’t like, it’s driving a stagecoach through Apache country.”
Stagecoach / 1936 

Broderick Crawford / (1911–1986)
as Bob Dalton

Crawford from Johnny Concho

“I’ve made upwards of a million bucks in the cops-and-robbers business.”

Brian Donlevy / (1901-1972)
as Grat Dalton

Oh Yeah … Randolph Scott was the Star of the movie.
as Tod Jackson

No Trailer available – but some clips exist on YouTube.

On this poster though, Crawford’s image is bigger?

Yet on the screen we see Randolph at the top …

and Broderick 5th on the Bill ???
*shrug*

Director George Marshall (1891 –1975)

A rather odd movie: (Spoiler Alert) LoL – We all know the Daltons don’t ride off
into the sunset, but much of the movie is played out as a comedy? – interspersed with other nonsense – such as romance. (LoL)
Even Yakima Canutt reprises his famous Stagecoach stunt.
But in the end a fun yarn to watch …
and historically accurate (as we know it) in it’s wrap up.

Andy … just dandy!

Crawford with Kay Francis

Next:
When the Daltons Rode / 1940 Part 2

Dentistry … Western style …

“Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.”
– John Wayne

I figure I’d rather face down the Clantons, the Daltons, and the Waltons … unarmed … than sit in dentist chair for even five seconds.

But I just spent 11 hours over 2 days in the dentist office … and I feel like I’ve been in several fistfights with John Wayne.

I had teeth pulled, drilled, capped, crowned, implanted, and deep gum cleaning (surgery) … and a couple of other things. My mouth is full of stitches. Cost me over 7000 bucks … so far … and I still have to go back. A couple of actual fistfights with Wayne woulda been cheaper. (But it would have cost me over $20,000 north of the Rio.)

Take care of your teeth folks … or some day you will pay … BIG.

The Clanton Gang … didn’t take care of their teeth
The Dalton Gang … didn’t take care of their teeth …
The Walton Gang … DID take care of their teeth … but would you want to look like this?