Man with the Steel Whip
Directed byFranklin Adreon
Written byRonald Davidson
Produced byFranklin Adreon
StarringDick Simmons
Barbara Bestar
Dale Van Sickel
Mauritz Hugo
Lane Bradford
CinematographyBud Thackery
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • July 19, 1954 (1954-07-19) (U.S.)[1]
Running time
12 chapters (167 minutes)[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$172,794 (negative cost: $174,718)[1]

Man with the Steel Whip is a 1954 Republic Western serial film. It uses considerable stock footage from the previous Republic serials "Zorro's Black Whip", "The Painted Stallion" and "Daredevils of the West."

Plot

Saloon owner Barnett wants the land on the local Indian reservation for its gold deposits. In order to remove the people living on the reservation, he forms a gang to attack the local ranchers and frame the Indians. Rancher Jerry Randall opposes him using the legendary masked identity of El Latigo, a friend to the Indians.

Cast

Stunts

Production

Man with the Steel Whip was budgeted at $172,794 although the final negative cost was $174,718 (a $1,924, or 1.1%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1954.[1]

It was filmed between March 2 and 22 of 1954 under the working title Man with a Whip.[1] The serial's production number was 1938.[1]

Man with the Steel Whip used stock footage from all of the previous Zorro serials produced by Republic Pictures. As a result, the costume and body shape of the hero El Latigo change between scenes, even becoming female in scenes taken from Zorro's Black Whip (1944).[2][3]

The serial contains many mistakes; for example, Nancy occasionally refers to the character Jerry Randall as Dick (Richard Simmons' real name).[2]

The film's special effects were handled by the Lydecker brothers.

Release

Man with the Steel Whip's official release date was July 19, 1954, although that was the date on which the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1]

The film's release was followed by a rerelease of The Phantom Rider, retitled as Ghost Riders of the West, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Panther Girl of the Kongo, followed in 1955.[1]

Chapter titles

  1. The Spirit Rider (20:00)
  2. Savage Fury (13:20)
  3. Mask of El Latiago (13:20)
  4. The Murder Cave (13:20)
  5. The Stone Guillotine (13:20)
  6. Flame and Battle (13:20)
  7. Double Ambush (13:20)
  8. The Blazing Barrier (13:20)
  9. The Silent Informer (13:20)
  10. Window of Death (13:20) (recap chapter)
  11. The Fatal Masquerade (13:20)
  12. Redskin Raiders (13:20)

[1][4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 138–139. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
  2. 1 2 Harmon, Jim; Donald F. Glut (1973). "12. The Westerns "Who Was That Masked Man!"". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. Routledge. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
  3. Stedman, Raymond William (1971). "5. Shazam and Good-by". Serials: Suspense and Drama By Installment. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-8061-0927-5.
  4. Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 256. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
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