The Painted Trail (1938)

Plot summary
Tom Gray is sent to bring in a gang smuggling goods across the border.
Posing as the wanted outlaw the Pecos Kid, he joins Prescott's gang.
But his true identity becomes known when the real Pecos Kid shows up.
Written by Maurice VanAuken

Full Cast
Tom Keene ... Tom Gray posing as the Pecos Kid
Eleanor Stewart ... Alice Banning
LeRoy Mason ... Duke Prescott
Walter Long ... Gang Leader Driscoll, aka The Pecos Kid
Frank Campeau ... U. S. Marshal G. Masters
James Eagles ... Henchman Sammy (as Jimmy Eagles)
Harry Harvey ... U. S. Marshal Reed
Glenn Strange ... Sheriff Ed (as Glen Strange)
Ed Cassidy ... U. S. Marshal Jackson
Ernie Adams ... Henchman 'Nosey'
Victor Adamson ... Cowhand Guarding Herd (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey ... Buggy-Driving Mailman (uncredited)
Chuck Baldra ... Archive Footage (uncredited) (archive footage)
Buzz Barton ... Roulette Player (uncredited)
Richard Cramer ... Bartender Dick (uncredited)
Earl Dwire ... Archive Footage (uncredited) (archive footage)
Wylie Grant ... Deputy Wylie (uncredited)
George 'Gabby' Hayes ... Galloping Romeo footage (uncredited) (archive footage)
Tom London ... Old Timer Towers (uncredited)
Jim Mason ... Henchman (uncredited)
Bud Osborne ... Henchman Spud (uncredited)
Tex Palmer ... Croupier (uncredited)
Frank Wayne ... Masters' Aide (uncredited)
John Wayne ... Archive Footage (uncredited) (archive footage)

Writing Credits
Robert Emmett Tansey story and screenplay (as Robert Emmett)

Cinematography
Bert Longenecker

Stunts
Foxy Callahan .... stunts (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt .... stunts (archive footage) (uncredited)
Wally West .... stunts (uncredited)

Tom Keene, formerly George Duryea and latterly Richard Powers,
made his final starring appearance in this Monogram western.

User Review

Quote

OK 30's B-Western

An average B-Western, "The Painted Trail" has a stock plot and routine characters,
but contains a reasonable amount of action, and the acting is not too bad.
It stars Tom Keene as a US Marshall who tries to infiltrate
a gang of smugglers and cattle rustlers, in an attempt to gather evidence
about their activities.
This idea wasn't even new in the 30's, and the story that follows
is almost completely predictable after the first couple of scenes.
Keene is likable enough (even if his acting is nothing special)
to help make you want to see whether or not he can pull it off.
There's not all that much here, but it's watchable
for those who like Westerns of the era

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Thanks to Elly and her continuing research into Duke's early movies,
we have now included this western into our filmography