''Freighters of Destiny'' is a 1931 American
pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film produced and directed by film editor
Fred Allen
John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
, from a screenplay by
Adele Buffington
Adele Buffington (born Adele Burgdorfer, and sometimes billed as Jess Bowers) was an American screenwriter of the silent and sound film eras of Hollywood.
Early life
Adele was born in St. Louis to Adolph Burgdorfer and Mary Elizabeth Frederick, ...
. Allen had started in the film industry as an editor in the early 1920s during the silent era. In the early 1930s, he was given the opportunity to direct. ''Freighters'' was his first film at the helm.
The film stars
Tom Keene, a well known actor of
B-films.
[Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p. 47]
Plot
John Macy runs a wagon train caravan which supplies a remote settlement. His son, Steve, helps him in running the caravan, as well as dating one of the local girls in the town, Ruth. Randolph Carter is a local banker who covets the commerce created by the wagon train. Carter hires gunmen to attack the caravan, who in a raid, kill Macy, and take possession of the wagons and their supplies. Steve, who was not with the caravan at the time of the attack, takes over running the caravan. Due to the losses inflicted by the gunmen, Steve is forced to go to the local bank for a loan, in order to keep the operation running. However, Carter is the banker and refuses to provide him with the necessary funds. Two of Steve's friends, Rough and Ready, go to the bank in an attempt to convince Carter to change his mind. When the opportunity arises, the two friends help themselves to the needed funds from the bank's safe.
Steve takes the money, not knowing how it was obtained. When Carter accuses Steve of stealing the money, he is forced to flee. When he and his two friends take refuge in a cabin in the mountains, they uncover the true gunmen who have been plaguing the caravan, who are plotting to attack the next caravan, as well as disclosing where they have hidden the wagons they have stolen previously. As Rough and Ready head out to recover the stolen wagons, Steve heads into the town to expose Carter. However, Carter has already convinced the town leaders that Steve is not to be trusted, and that he should be given the contract to run the caravan.
Steve, hiding from the townspeople, now that Carter has turned them against him, manages to convince Ruth of his innocence. He escapes from the town and joins Rough and Ready, who are bringing the stolen caravan and the much needed supplies into town. The caravan is once again attacked by Carter's henchmen, but this time they are ready, and defeat the gunmen. The caravan arrives in town, at which point Steve exposes Carter as the mastermind behind the attacks. Steve remains in control of the caravan, and wins the hand of Ruth.
Cast
*
Tom Keene as Steve Macey
*
Barbara Kent
Barbara Kent ( Barbara Cloutman) December 16, 1907 – October 13, 2011) was a Canadian film actress, prominent from the silent film era to the early talkies of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, Barbara Kent won the Miss Hollywood Beauty Pageant.
...
as Ruth
* Mitchell Harris as Randolph Carter
*
Frederick Burton as John Macey
*
Frank Rice as Rough
*
Billy Franey
William Gerald Franey (June 23, 1889 – December 6, 1940) was an American film actor.
Born in Chicago in 1889, Franey appeared in more than 400 films between 1914 and 1941, mostly playing comedic roles. He was an actor of disheveled appea ...
as Ready
*
William Welsh as Mercer
*
Fred Burns
Frederick D. Burns (born September 6, 1889, in Nevada, Missouri; died December 22, 1971, in Cincinnati, Ohio) was an important figure in Midwest amateur tennis in the early part of the 20th century.
Burns was a journalist by profession from 1911 ...
as Sheriff
*
Charles Whittaker as Toller
*
George 'Gabby' Hayes
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
as Jim
References
{{reflist
External links
''Freighters of Destiny''at
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
1931 Western (genre) films
1931 films
American Western (genre) films
American black-and-white films
Films scored by Arthur Lange
Films directed by Fred Allen (film editor)
1930s American films