Two fisted John Wayne was not the type to appear in haunted house movies, but this is fun stuff, and for a change of pace. HAUNTED GOLD was one of several films Wayne made for Warner Brothers, and where he got a lot of exposure early in his career.
Wayne plays all around good guy John Mason who has a half interest in an abandoned mine. The other half belongs to a pretty young lady named Janet (played by Sheila Terry). The problem for Janet is there are some no-account bad guys, lead by Joe Ryan (Harry Woods), who want the mine all for themselves.
All trails lead to a ghost town and a mysterious house, replete with secret passages and messages from THE PHANTOM. All this makes for one campy, creepy western, replete with a haunted gold mine.
Very atmospheric direction from Mack V. Wright, who worked both as a director and assistant director on many B films, later in television, as assistant director for SEA HUNT.
One character to watch in amazement is Duke, billed as the Miracle Horse, Wayne's extremely talented companion who gets him out of some tight jams. Best scene finds Mason (Wayne) dangling over a cliff, and it's Duke who actually saves his life. More than likely, this was filmed at Warner Brothers sprawling western ranch in Calabassas, a beautiful location with wide open spaces.
Some notable supporting actors, such as Blue Washington, playing Clarence, Wayne's frightened sidekick, and with some funny lines. Blue got his nickname from director Frank Capra, who was a lifelong friend. Blue was originally a boxer and baseball player in the then Negro Leagues (around 1915 to 1920), before turning to acting. To supplement his income he was an officer with the LAPD. Also look for Martha Mattox as the ominous housekeeper, best known for playing the maid in the original CAT AND THE CANARY (1927).
Super trivia note; catch the original black Maltese Falcon, used in the 1931 film version, sitting atop a piano Sheila Terry is playing! This film was also a remake of the 1928 Ken Maynard western, PHANTOM CITY.
Not to miss the jazzy closing music score, and the spooky cartoon bat at the beginning of the film. A one of a kind adventure.
Many thanks to TCM for running this early John Wayne classic. Remastered on dvd via Warner Brothers, and with the original color lobby card on the front cover. Released 2007.
Wayne plays all around good guy John Mason who has a half interest in an abandoned mine. The other half belongs to a pretty young lady named Janet (played by Sheila Terry). The problem for Janet is there are some no-account bad guys, lead by Joe Ryan (Harry Woods), who want the mine all for themselves.
All trails lead to a ghost town and a mysterious house, replete with secret passages and messages from THE PHANTOM. All this makes for one campy, creepy western, replete with a haunted gold mine.
Very atmospheric direction from Mack V. Wright, who worked both as a director and assistant director on many B films, later in television, as assistant director for SEA HUNT.
One character to watch in amazement is Duke, billed as the Miracle Horse, Wayne's extremely talented companion who gets him out of some tight jams. Best scene finds Mason (Wayne) dangling over a cliff, and it's Duke who actually saves his life. More than likely, this was filmed at Warner Brothers sprawling western ranch in Calabassas, a beautiful location with wide open spaces.
Some notable supporting actors, such as Blue Washington, playing Clarence, Wayne's frightened sidekick, and with some funny lines. Blue got his nickname from director Frank Capra, who was a lifelong friend. Blue was originally a boxer and baseball player in the then Negro Leagues (around 1915 to 1920), before turning to acting. To supplement his income he was an officer with the LAPD. Also look for Martha Mattox as the ominous housekeeper, best known for playing the maid in the original CAT AND THE CANARY (1927).
Super trivia note; catch the original black Maltese Falcon, used in the 1931 film version, sitting atop a piano Sheila Terry is playing! This film was also a remake of the 1928 Ken Maynard western, PHANTOM CITY.
Not to miss the jazzy closing music score, and the spooky cartoon bat at the beginning of the film. A one of a kind adventure.
Many thanks to TCM for running this early John Wayne classic. Remastered on dvd via Warner Brothers, and with the original color lobby card on the front cover. Released 2007.