''Back Trail'' is a 1948 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

Christy Cabanne William Christy Cabanne (April 16, 1888 – October 15, 1950) was an American film director, screenwriter, and silent film actor. Biography Born in 1888, Cabanne (pronounced CAB-a-nay) started his career on stage as an actor and director. He a ...

. It stars

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western (genre), Western films. Early lif ...

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howev ...

, and Mildred Coles, and was released on July 18, 1948.

Plot

Bob Frazer is a businessman in Brentwood. When he was younger and lived back east he was framed for embezzling funds from his clients by his partner, Frank Gilmore. After getting out of jail, he headed west for a fresh start. However, his partner, who was actually the one who embezzled the funds, followed him west, and is using the threat of exposing his past to blackmail him. In exchange for keeping his secret, particularly from his daughter Helen and her fiancée Terry Dugan, Frazer provides Gilmore with the times and routes of payroll stages, which Gilmore's gang then robs. Johnnie Mack is hired to investigate the series of robberies, and when arrives in town he meets up with his old friend, Casoose. He suspects that Frazer is somehow involved, but Frazer vehemently denies it. Mack sets up a fake gold shipment, and only tells Frazer about it. When the false shipment is robbed by Gilmore's gang, Mack captures one of the gang, Pacos. Mack is now convinced of Frazer's involvement. After Frazer breaks Pacos out of jail, following Gilmore's orders, he is confronted by Mack. He asks Mack for 24 hours to clean up the mess he created. However, Mack realizes that Frazer intends to kill Gilmore, and stops him before he can commit murder. When Frazer breaks down and confesses his past to Mack, he is overheard by Helen and Terry, who tell him that they don't care about his past. Mack, Frazer, and the local sheriff come up with a plan to trap Gilmore. The sheriff arrests Frazer and locks him jail. When Gilmore arrives to shoot Frazer, Frazer tells him that he has written down everything they have done together and locked it in his safe, and it was to be given to the sheriff in the event of his death. Gilmore leaves and attempts to break into the safe, where he is confronted by Mack and Casoose. However, they are surprised by Gilmore's gang, allowing Gilmore to escape. After subduing the gang, Mack and Casoose chase after Gilmore, eventually catch him and arrest him. Helen and Terry get married and leave on their honeymoon.

Cast list

as Johnny Mack *

as Casoose * Mildred Coles as Helen Frazer *

Marshall Reed Marshall Jewel Reed (May 28, 1917 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1943 and 1978. He was born in Englewood, Colorado. Early years Reed's parents were Walter George Reed and Ruth Dustin. By a ...

as Lacey * James W. Horne as Terry Dugan *

Snub Pollard Harold Fraser (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962), known professionally as Snub Pollard, was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s. Career Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 No ...

as Goofy * Ted Adams as Bob Frazer *

Pierce Lyden Pierce W. Lyden (January 8, 1908 – October 10, 1998) was an American actor best known for his work in television and film Westerns. Early life Lyden was born in a sod house on a ranch near Hildreth, Nebraska on January 8, 1908. The son of a hor ...

as Frank Gilmore * George Holmes as Rocky *

Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for ''The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the title of associate editor. While a young reporter for ''The Washingto ...

as Turk

Production

Filming on the picture took place between May 13 and May 19, 1947, with production on the film had finished by the end of May 1947. In mid-June it was announced that the film would be released on July 18. The

Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was a Catholic group founded in 1934 by Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content in motion pictu ...

gave the picture an A-1 rating.

References

External links

* * * {{Christy Cabanne Films directed by Christy Cabanne Monogram Pictures films 1948 Western (genre) films 1948 films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films 1940s American films