''Rocky Mountain Mystery'' is a 1935 American

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 directed by Charles Barton and starring Randolph Scott,

Mrs. Leslie Carter Caroline Louise Dudley (June 10, 1857 – November 13, 1937) was an American silent film and stage actress who found fame on Broadway through collaborations with impresario David Belasco. She was a strikingly beautiful and vivacious performer ...

, and Ann Sheridan. Based on an unpublished novel ''Golden Dreams'' by

Zane Grey Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the American frontie ...

, the film is about a mining engineer who teams up with a crusty deputy sheriff to solve a series of mystery killings at an old radium mine where the owner's family waits for his death for their inheritance. The film was re-released under the title The Fighting Westerner.

Plot

Mining engineer Larry Sutton arrives at the Ballard radium mine to take over as chief engineer from his missing brother-in-law Jack Parson, who is a suspect in the murder of ranch caretaker Adolph Borg. Sutton teams up with deputy sheriff Tex Murdock who is investigating the murder. Staying at the ranch with the ailing owner, Jim Ballard, are his niece Flora and nephew Fritz who have been notified of their uncle's failing health, and now wait to inherit his legacy. Also staying at the ranch is a mysterious Chinese servant named Ling Yat, the housekeeper Mrs. Borg, her son John, and the beautiful and spirited Rita Ballard, another niece, who quickly earns Sutton's trust and romantic interest. Shortly after Sutton arrives, Fritz is murdered by a mysterious cloaked figure in the same manner that Adolph was killed—crushed beneath the massive weight of a stamp mill, a huge apparatus used to pulverize rock to unearth valuable ore. Sutton and Tex find that the ranch guests all have alibis. Soon the mysterious cloaked figure strikes again, shooting young John, attacking Sutton, and slashing Flora's throat. While the investigation continues, Jim takes a turn for the worse, prompting Sutton to contact Jim's ex-wife, who hasn't been to the ranch in thirty years. When Mrs. Ballard arrives at the ranch, Mrs. Borg tries to prevent her from seeing her ailing ex-husband. Sutton helps her upstairs where they discover that "Jim" is actually Adolph Borg. He and his wife had killed the real Jim Ballard sometime earlier during a takeover attempt by the Borg family. Adolph tricks Sutton and escapes, taking Rita as a hostage. Sutton follows them to the mine where he fights with Adolph and John. Adolph falls to his death and Sutton rescues Rita. Mrs. Borg, John, and Ling Yat are sentenced to twenty years in prison, and Tex is made sheriff. Larry and Rita get married and buy a ranch in Hawaii.

Cast

* Randolph Scott as Larry Sutton *

as Mrs. Borg * Ann Sheridan as Rita Ballard *

Chic Sale Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...

as Tex Murdock *

Kathleen Burke Kathleen B. Burke (September 5, 1913 – April 9, 1980) was an American movie actress of the 1930s and former model. Early years Born in Hammond, Indiana, in 1913, Burke was a graduate of Hammond High School. She moved with her parents t ...

as Flora Ballard *

George F. Marion George Francis Marion Sr. (July 16, 1860 – November 30, 1945) was an American film and stage actor and director, known for ''Anna Christie'', both (1923) and (1930), and ''Death from a Distance'' (1935). Marion acted in 35 films between 19 ...

as Jim Ballard *

Florence Roberts Florence Roberts (March 16, 1861/1864 – June 6, 1940(photo included) was an American actress of the stage and in motion pictures. Stock company actress Born in New York City, she began acting onstage there. Her career began at the Brooklyn ...

as Mrs. Ballard * Howard Wilson as Fritz Ballard *

Willie Fung Willie Fung (3 March 1896 – 16 April 1945) was a Chinese-American film actor who played supporting roles in 125 American films between 1922 and 1944. Like many Chinese actors working in Hollywood during the era, he often played Japanese charac ...

as Ling Yat * James Eagles as John Borg

Production

''Rocky Mountain Mystery'' was filmed on location at the Doble mine and at the stamping mill on Gold Mountain at Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, California. The film's sets were designed by the art director

David S. Garber David S. Garber (1898–1984) was an American art director.Kinnard & Crnkovich p.22 He designed the sets for more than sixty film productions between 1926 and 1957, a large number of them western film, westerns. Selected filmography * ''Fighting ...

. Based on an unpublished novel ''Golden Dreams'' by

, the film's original working title was ''The Vanishing Pioneer''. The film was later re-released under the title ''The Fighting Westerner''.

Reception

In his review for ''DVD Talk'', Carl Davis noted the film's uniqueness in its "modern bent for being a western". Set shortly after World War I, the story incorporates automobiles, telephones, and even a modern radium mine that "set the film apart and add depth to this typical, by-the-numbers mystery". Davis concludes, "''The Fighting Westerner'' really is a mystery, and a 'fair play' one at that. Enough clues are given so that if the audience pays attention, they can figure out the answer well before the final reel".

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rocky Mountain Mystery 1935 films 1935 Western (genre) films 1930s mystery films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films American mystery films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels Paramount Pictures films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Charles Barton 1930s American films