"The Forty-Niners" turned out to be "Wild Bill" Elliot's final western. His series was one of the last, if not the last, of the "B" series westerns. TV had come to town.
The film begins with Ernie Walker (John Doucette) and Bill Norris (Lane Bradford) ambushing and killing a federal marshal. Mine owner Everett (I. Sanford Jolley) is brought in and charged with the murder. He reveals that he had hired the killers but cannot remember their names. He does recall however, the name of the man who arranged for him to meet the killers - Alf Billings. Marshal Sam Nelson (Elliot) is assigned to track down Billings (Harry Morgan) and learn the identity of the killers.
Nelson runs into Billings in a saloon poker game where he is caught cheating by gambler Harry Lauter. Nelson rescues Billings and the two flee. Over the course of their fireside chat, Billing proposes that the two work together to clean up in poker games. Nelson agrees so that he can keep Billings under surveillance.
As luck would have it, after arriving in the gold miner town of Coldwater, Billings spots Walker who has become the prosperous saloon owner. Billings blackmails Walker into a partnership by writing a letter detailing Walker and Norris' crimes and hiding it. Norris meanwhile has become the town sheriff and has a confrontation with Nelson. Nelson begins to suspect Walker and Norris as the killers.
In an effort to obtain the incriminating letter, Walker conspires with his wife Stella (Virginia Grey) to play up to Billings with whom she had a previous relationship. Billings gets her to admit the plot by promising to "take her away from all this". A letter written by Nelson to his superiors is intercepted by Norris and Nelson's identity is revealed.
Walker and Norris force Billings to try and kill Nelson. Nelson meets Billings at a deserted cabin but Billings is unable to kill Nelson and proposes that the two work together to which Nelson reluctantly agrees. On the way back to town Billings meets Norris, the two fight, Billings is wounded and.............................................
For his final western Elliot didn't disappoint his fans. He had a better than usual supporting cast, a good story and enough action to satisfy his fans.
"Wild Bill" Elliot's western career began in earnest with "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickcok" a 1938 serial followed by a five year career at Columbia and a further period with Republic Pictures where he starred in a number of their "A" features. Elliott's Monogram/Allied Artists series was I thought, a cut above those of most of his contemporaries.."B" plus, if you will.
Still and all, it was sad to see "Wild Bill" riding off into the sunset for one last time.
The film begins with Ernie Walker (John Doucette) and Bill Norris (Lane Bradford) ambushing and killing a federal marshal. Mine owner Everett (I. Sanford Jolley) is brought in and charged with the murder. He reveals that he had hired the killers but cannot remember their names. He does recall however, the name of the man who arranged for him to meet the killers - Alf Billings. Marshal Sam Nelson (Elliot) is assigned to track down Billings (Harry Morgan) and learn the identity of the killers.
Nelson runs into Billings in a saloon poker game where he is caught cheating by gambler Harry Lauter. Nelson rescues Billings and the two flee. Over the course of their fireside chat, Billing proposes that the two work together to clean up in poker games. Nelson agrees so that he can keep Billings under surveillance.
As luck would have it, after arriving in the gold miner town of Coldwater, Billings spots Walker who has become the prosperous saloon owner. Billings blackmails Walker into a partnership by writing a letter detailing Walker and Norris' crimes and hiding it. Norris meanwhile has become the town sheriff and has a confrontation with Nelson. Nelson begins to suspect Walker and Norris as the killers.
In an effort to obtain the incriminating letter, Walker conspires with his wife Stella (Virginia Grey) to play up to Billings with whom she had a previous relationship. Billings gets her to admit the plot by promising to "take her away from all this". A letter written by Nelson to his superiors is intercepted by Norris and Nelson's identity is revealed.
Walker and Norris force Billings to try and kill Nelson. Nelson meets Billings at a deserted cabin but Billings is unable to kill Nelson and proposes that the two work together to which Nelson reluctantly agrees. On the way back to town Billings meets Norris, the two fight, Billings is wounded and.............................................
For his final western Elliot didn't disappoint his fans. He had a better than usual supporting cast, a good story and enough action to satisfy his fans.
"Wild Bill" Elliot's western career began in earnest with "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickcok" a 1938 serial followed by a five year career at Columbia and a further period with Republic Pictures where he starred in a number of their "A" features. Elliott's Monogram/Allied Artists series was I thought, a cut above those of most of his contemporaries.."B" plus, if you will.
Still and all, it was sad to see "Wild Bill" riding off into the sunset for one last time.