"Stage to Chino" was one of the last George O'Brien RKO oaters before he left for WWII service. This time O'Brien plays Dan Clark who is a postal inspector working under cover investigating a gold shipping scam where miners are being cheated when their gold dust is being "weighed" before converting it to cash.
A stagecoach carrying Caroline McKay (Virginia Vale) , the owner of the McKay stage line, salesman Boggs (Hobart Cavanaugh) and Pedro (Martin Garralaga) a miner, is stopped by a gang led by Pete Branagan (Harry Cording) and Dolan (Tom London). They "rough up" the driver Bill Hoagland (Glenn Strange) who is really in cahoots with the gang. Dan Clark (O'Brien) just happens along at the right time to foil the attempted robbery.
Clark suspects town boss Dude Elliot (Roy Barcroft) as being behind the scam. He has set up his own stage line to compete with the McKay line. Caroline's uncle Charlie Lait is helping her manage the line but is in league with Elliot to get Caroline to sell the stage line at a low cost. Dan hires on with the McKay line as a driver. He is competing with the Elliot line on a daily run between Chino and Precott Arizona. But, the mail always gets through with Dan driving. The two stage lines are competing for the government mail contract by the way.
When Elliot tries to get his burly driver Slim (William Haade) to fight Dan, Slim senses a double cross and sides with Dan following a major saloon brawl. Dan tricks mining agent Wheeler (Ethan Laidlaw) into revealing the leaded weights used to convert miners gold into cash, Elliot blames him for the trouble. The sheriff (Bob Burns, again) arrests Wheeler but Elliot has him murdered before he can talk.
Dan gets the miners to send their gold to the mint by mail and Elliot contributes his own gold as well but..............................................................
An above average singing group, The Pals of the Golden West provide the musical talent with four jumpy numbers featuring a female singer whose name I was unable to learn. My favorite "B" western bad guy Roy Barcroft turns up in this one all "duded" up for his role. He would go on to a lengthy career, particularly at Republic Pictures through the 40s and 50s.
Virginia Vale plays the heroine for the third picture in arrow, and O'Brien again walks off with her at the end. Previous sidekick Slim Whitaker is no where to be seen here. Hobart Cavanaugh and William Haade provide the sidekick humor. Also in the cast is Billy Benedict as Happy..
A stagecoach carrying Caroline McKay (Virginia Vale) , the owner of the McKay stage line, salesman Boggs (Hobart Cavanaugh) and Pedro (Martin Garralaga) a miner, is stopped by a gang led by Pete Branagan (Harry Cording) and Dolan (Tom London). They "rough up" the driver Bill Hoagland (Glenn Strange) who is really in cahoots with the gang. Dan Clark (O'Brien) just happens along at the right time to foil the attempted robbery.
Clark suspects town boss Dude Elliot (Roy Barcroft) as being behind the scam. He has set up his own stage line to compete with the McKay line. Caroline's uncle Charlie Lait is helping her manage the line but is in league with Elliot to get Caroline to sell the stage line at a low cost. Dan hires on with the McKay line as a driver. He is competing with the Elliot line on a daily run between Chino and Precott Arizona. But, the mail always gets through with Dan driving. The two stage lines are competing for the government mail contract by the way.
When Elliot tries to get his burly driver Slim (William Haade) to fight Dan, Slim senses a double cross and sides with Dan following a major saloon brawl. Dan tricks mining agent Wheeler (Ethan Laidlaw) into revealing the leaded weights used to convert miners gold into cash, Elliot blames him for the trouble. The sheriff (Bob Burns, again) arrests Wheeler but Elliot has him murdered before he can talk.
Dan gets the miners to send their gold to the mint by mail and Elliot contributes his own gold as well but..............................................................
An above average singing group, The Pals of the Golden West provide the musical talent with four jumpy numbers featuring a female singer whose name I was unable to learn. My favorite "B" western bad guy Roy Barcroft turns up in this one all "duded" up for his role. He would go on to a lengthy career, particularly at Republic Pictures through the 40s and 50s.
Virginia Vale plays the heroine for the third picture in arrow, and O'Brien again walks off with her at the end. Previous sidekick Slim Whitaker is no where to be seen here. Hobart Cavanaugh and William Haade provide the sidekick humor. Also in the cast is Billy Benedict as Happy..