''Stage to Chino'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by

Edward Killy Edward Arthur Killy (January 26, 1903 – July 2, 1981) was an American director, assistant director and production manager in films and television. He was one of the few individuals to be nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best ...

from a screenplay by Morton Grant and Arthur V. Jones, based on a story by Norton S. Parker. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on July 26, 1940, who also produced the film. It stars George O'Brien, Virginia Vale, and the vocal group, Pals of the Golden West.

Plot

In the Old West the attempted robbery of a stagecoach, heading to the town of Chino, Arizona, carrying passengers and the U.S. Mail, is thwarted by cowhand Dan Clark. One of the passengers is stage line owner, Caroline McKay, whose uncle Charlie Lait manages the line. One of the passengers, J. Horatio Boggs, a salesman, recognizes Clark as a government agent. Meanwhile, it is revealed the stage robbery was a set up between the driver, Bill Hoagland, and Dude Elliot, a rich landowner who runs a saloon and desires to takeover the McKay stage line mail contract. Dan suspects Elliot and accepts an offer to be the McKay's new stage driver; however, Lait, in cahoots with Elliot (unbeknownst to Caroline), wants to sell out. Clark and Caroline are attracted to each other. It is revealed Clark is actually a U.S. Postal Inspector and he is instructed to investigate Elliot further. Clark discovers Elliot is short weighing gold miners who come to his bar to convert their gold into cash. Elliot blames his worker, Wheeler, for the fraud. Clark orders the McKay line to make the gold shipments to the government mint for proper processing. Elliot plots to sabotage the stage to prevent the McKay line from receiving a government contract in Prescott. Elliot deposits over $6,000 of his own gold with the McKay stage. Elliot eventually kills Wheeler. Elliot's gang cause a fire at the McKay offices in order to destroy the stagecoach and rob the gold held in the safe. Knowing Lait is involved with Elliot, Clark makes Lait lead him to Elliot's hideout. Clark subdues a couple of henchmen and they intercept Caroline and Boggs who are driving the McKay stagecoach to Prescott. With Clark aboard, they chase the stage, driven by Hoagland, which Elliot dispatched to Prescott to report the "stolen" gold to the government and win the contract. However, the McKay stage begins to fall apart due to damage from the fire, and Clark is forced to jump onto Hoagland's stage. Clark subdues Hoagland and arrives in Prescott where Elliot is about to be awarded the mail contract. Clark charges Elliot with Wheeler's murder and the rest of his gang is arrested. Boggs, aware that Clark and Caroline are embarking on a romance, gives Clark a baby rattle he says is the "best West of the Mississippi."

Cast

* George O'Brien as Dan Clark * Virginia Vale as Caroline McKay * Hobart Cavanaugh as J. Horatio Boggs * Roy Barcroft as Dude Elliot * William Haade as Slim * Carl Stockdale as Charlie Lait *

Glenn Strange George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 – September 20, 1973) was an American actor who mostly appeared in Western films and was billed as Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing Frankenstein's monster in three Universal films d ...

as Bill Hoagland * Harry Cording as Pete Brannigan *

Martin Garralaga Martín Garralaga (10 November 1894 – 12 June 1981) was a Spanish actor who worked in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was married to opera singer and actress Rosa Rey. Biography Garralaga first came to the United States wh ...

as Pedro *

Ethan Laidlaw Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, between 1923 and 1962. Laidlaw was bor ...

as Wheeler *

Tom London Tom London (born Leonard T. Clapman; August 24, 1889 – December 5, 1963) was an American actor who played frequently in B-Westerns. According to ''The Guinness Book of Movie Records'', London is credited with appearing in the most films in ...

as Dolan * Pals of the Golden West as Musicians

References

External links

* {{Edward Killy American Western (genre) films 1940 Western (genre) films 1940 films RKO Pictures films Films directed by Edward Killy Films produced by Bert Gilroy American black-and-white films Films scored by Paul Sawtell 1940s American films 1940s English-language films