Product Details

• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vci/Ffi
• VHS Release Date: March 1, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000054OVN
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,285 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Desert Gold (1936)", April 13, 2006

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Gold [VHS] (VHS Tape)

VCI Entertainment and Paramount Pictures present "Desert Gold" (1936) (Dolby
digitally remastered)...relive those thrilling days from the early '30s and '40s
when Buster Crabbe took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting
adventures....some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee
Screen...just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye
with excitement...don't miss any of the Buster Crabbe features loaded with action that will leave
you wanting more of his B-Western adventures

Under director James Hogan, producer Harold Hurley, original story by Zane Grey, screenplay and adaptation by Stuart Anthony & Robert Yost...the cast include Buster Crabbe (Maya),Tom Keene (Randolph Gale),Marsha Hunt (Judith Belding), Monte Blue (Chetley Kasedon), Robert Cummings (Fordyce Mortimer), Raymond Hatton (Doc Belding), Frank Mayo (Bert Lash), Walter Miller (Hank Cade), Leif Erickson (Glenn Kasedon (as Glenn Erickson),
Si Jenks (Stage Driver Bert), Art Mix (Henchman). . . . . our story is from the wonderful author of the old west Zane Grey, with an outstanding cast of players...will Monte Blue find the hidden gold mine that is being guarded by Buster Crabbe the faithful Indian Chief who guards the treasure...can Tom Keene and Robert Cummings keep the mine out of the hands of Blue...what part does our heroine Marsha Hunt play in this mysterious venture that will take all of us on a whirlwind ride into adventure and excitement. . . . . . .B-Western footnote, one of my favorite character actors was actor Robert Cummings was known for his comedy and eternally youthful looks (which he attributed to a strict vitamin and health-food diet), became a popular leading man in light comedies and achieved several of his own television series "The Bob Cummings Show", Bob Collins (1955-1959) aka Love That Bob (USA: rerun title)...(1961) TV Series .... Bob Carson aka (The New Bob Cummings Show)..."My Living Doll" (1964) another TV Series as Dr. Robert McDonald (1964-1965)...all were in the top shows to watch during the '50s and '60s. . . . . . ..second B-Western footnote, one of my favorite character actors was Johnny Mack's sidekick Raymond Hatton (1887-1971) as Marshall Sandy Hopkins who appeared from 1943 and made 45 films for Monogram Pictures...Hatton who first appeared on film in "Tragic Love" (1909-Silent/unconfirmed), "Oliver Twist" (1917), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), "The Squaw Man" (1931), "Law and Order" (1932)...during the '30s & '40s he played the comical sidekick for Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Livingston...went on to join Buck Jones and Tim McCoy in the "Rough Riders" series...Hatton worked right up to his last film "In Cold Blood" (1967). . . . .. . . ..check out this and more in a new book "Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks" by David Rothel, available from Amazon and Empire Publishing. . . pick up your copy today..........another great B-Western for Buster Crabbe under the Paramount Pictures banner, proves to be one of his most exciting performances.

Special footnote, actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Buster Crabbe (aka: Clarence Linden Crabbe II)
Birth Date: 2/17/1907 - Oakland California
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona
2. Robert Cummings (aka: Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings)
Birth Date: 6/10/1908 - Joplin, Missouri
Died: 12/02/1990 - Woodland Hills, California
3. Raymond William Hatton
Birth Date: 7/07/1887 - Red Oak, Iowa
Died: 10/21/1971 - Palmdale, California (heart attack)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features with Bob Steele:

BUSTER CRABBE WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Vol. 1 - Western Cyclone/Sheriff of Sage Valley (1942-43) (VCI #7213) (DVD)
2. Vol. 2 - Fugitive of the Plains/Fuzzy Settles Down (1943-44) (VCI #7299) (DVD)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above Buster Crabbe titles
if they are not available as of yet...you can order
and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Desert Gold" (1936), the
digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more
high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and
B-Westerns...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there
are plenty of copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top
notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just
the way we like 'em

Total Time: 58 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #1510 ~ (3/01/2001)