Sagebrush Trail

1933 Western 54 minutes Directed by Armand Schaefer

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About Sagebrush Trail

John Brant breaks out of prison to find the man who left him serving a murder sentence. Joseph Conlon, calling himself Jones, watches the escape and takes Brant into an outlaw gang in an abandoned mine under the name Smith. Brant tips Sally Blake, the grocery clerk, before a safe job, and the sheriff is waiting. He later takes a miners' payroll off a stage before the gang can. The leader sets a false trail and an ambush. Conlon, who learns Brant once took a fall for him, warns him. The two fight clear on a stage. Conlon is shot and the coach goes off a cliff. When the posse arrives he confesses, and Brant is clear.

Cast & crew

More about Sagebrush Trail

Armand Schaefer directed. Lindsley Parsons and Will Beale wrote it. Paul Malvern and Trem Carr produced it for Lone Star. Monogram released it on 15 December 1933. Archie Stout photographed it. Carl Pierson edited it. It runs 54 minutes. In Britain it was called An Innocent Man. It was the second Lone Star film Monogram released.

Themes

  • A prison break to find the real killer
  • Two names inside an outlaw mine
  • A confession at the cliff
  • John Brant
  • Joseph Conlon
  • Sally Blake
  • payroll
  • Bronson Canyon
  • John Wayne

Making

Schaefer shot the mine hideout and the chases at Bronson Canyon. Canutt did the riding double for Wayne and also led the gang on screen.

Look

Archie Stout photographed the Bronson Canyon hideout, the grocery, and the stage robbery.

Preservation

Prints survive, including the British version later issued in color.

Notes

  • John Wayne plays John Brant. Lane Chandler plays Joseph Conlon. Nancy Shubert plays Sally Blake. Yakima Canutt plays the gang leader and doubles Wayne in stunts.
  • Bob Burns plays Sheriff Parker. Wally Wales plays the deputy. William Dyer plays Blind Pete, where Brant is taken after he is shot in the grocery job.
  • The spoiled grocery robbery is set in July. The stage payroll follows in August.
  • In Britain the film was titled An Innocent Man. A colorized copy of that version later went out on home video.

Scenes

  • Brant leaves a note for Sally Blake, and the sheriff is in the store that night.
  • He takes the miners' payroll before the gang reaches the stage.
  • Conlon's coach goes off the cliff, and he confesses when the posse gets there.

Also available

  • Internet Archive (SagebrushTrail)