''Thundering Hoofs'' is a 1942 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

Lesley Selander Lesley Selander (May 26, 1900 – December 5, 1979) was an American film director of Westerns and adventure movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and dozens of TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to 1968. Before that, Selander was ...

and starring

Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures. In a career spanning mo ...

. It was the first of many films Holt made with Selander.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p. 175.

Plot

In the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

, Bill Underwood falls out with his father, Dave Underwood, and chooses the life of a cowhand rather than take charge of his father's stage line. En route to the town of Durango, Bill and his pals, Smokey Ryan and Whopper Hatch, prevent a holdup of the Kellogg Stage Line, which Dave has been trying to purchase. Dave's lawyer, Steve Farley, has been double crossing Dave in the negotiations for the stage line by misrepresenting the offer. Bill discovers Farley has been corrupting the stage drivers working for Mr. Kellogg and his daughter, Nancy. Bill assumes the surname "Dawson" and hires out as a driver for the Kelloggs. Farley attempts to plant stolen mail with Bill, but Bill and his pals thwart the plan. Farley discovers Bill's true identity and tells Nancy that Bill is an Underwood spy. Nancy fires Bill and intends to drive the stage herself to save the mail contract. Knowing that Farley and his men intend to holdup the stage, Bill and his pals intervene and deliver the mail to its proper destination. Dave arrives in Durango and implicates Farley.

Cast

as Bill Underwood * Ray Whitley as 'Smokey' Ryan *

Lee 'Lasses' White Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...

as 'Whopper' Hatch * Luana Walters as Nancy Kellogg *

Archie Twitchell Archie Raymond Twitchell (November 28, 1906 – January 31, 1957) was a pilot for over three decades between the 1920s and the 1950s. He also had a second profession as a movie actor. He was a captain in the US Army Air Force. He was killed ...

as Steve Farley *

Gordon De Main Gordon De Main (born Floyd Wood; September 28, 1886 – March 5, 1954)''Who Was Who on Screen'', p. 119 c.1977 by Evelyn Mack Truitt *note his publication claims his date of birth as 1897-March 5, 1967/ref> was an American film actor. He ...

as Dave Underwood *Charles R. Phipps as Mr. Kellogg (credited as Charles Phipps) *

Monte Montague Monte Montague (April 23, 1891 – April 6, 1959) was the stage name for Walter H. Montague, an American film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1920 and 1954. He was born in Somerset, Kentucky, and died in Burbank, Californi ...

as Slick, a Henchman *

Joseph E. Bernard Joseph E. Bernard (June 1, 1880 – October 18, 1958) was an American character actor of the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Bernard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to James Alfred Bernard and Katherine Bernard (née Tuite). He had a younger bro ...

as Hank, the Stage Driver (credited as Joe Bernard) *Frank Fanning as Postal Inspector * Fred Scott as Dave Armstrong * Frank Ellis as Carver, a Henchman : uncredited *Ken Card as Banjo Player *

Spade Cooley Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American convicted murderer and former Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. In 1961 he was arrested and convicted for the Ap ...

as Fiddler *Phil Dunham as Clem, a Telegrapher *

Lloyd Ingraham Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director. Biography Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...

as Telegrapher #2 *

Bob Kortman Robert F. Kortman (December 24, 1887 – March 13, 1967) was an American film actor mostly associated with westerns, though he also appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy comedies. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1914 and 1952. ...

as Henchman * Richard Martin as Man at Dance * Frank O'Connor as Reluctant Stage Driver *

Francis Sayles Francis Sayles (November 22, 1891 – March 19, 1944) was an American character actor at the beginning of the sound film era. In the short dozen years of his career he appeared in over 100 films, most of them features. While he was normally ...

as Clerk

References

External links

* * * * American Western (genre) films 1942 Western (genre) films Films produced by Bert Gilroy Films directed by Lesley Selander RKO Pictures films American black-and-white films Films scored by Paul Sawtell 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-Western-film-stub