Search - The Devil Horse on DVD

El Diablo and the Wild Boy

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 08/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The only connection between ALPHA's serial version of THE DEVIL HORSE and the silent film of 8 years earlier is Yakima Canutt-- he starred in the original and directs the 2nd unit on this one. These westerns are quite different plotwise (the 1926 movie was scripted by Stan Laurel!).

OUR STORY:
A gang, led by a respectable rancher, raids a remote cabin, killing all but one member of the family-- a child who escapes to grow up both feral and unable to speak, among a number of wild horses. Some years later, a Ranger is murdered and his brother seeks the killers. Beset by the outlaws, a vigilante group and a wild horse called El Diablo, the man turns for aid to the "Wild Boy."

CAST--
Harry Carey - Bob Norton
Noah Beery - Canfield
Frankie Darro - The Wild Boy
Greta Granstedt - Linda Weston
Barrie O'Daniels - Lee Weston
Edward Peil Sr. - The Sheriff
Jack Mower - Mark Adams
Al Bridge - Curley Bates
Jack Byron - Jake

CHAPTERS--
1)- Untamed
2)- The Chasm of Death
3)- The Doom Riders
4)- Vigilante Law
5)- The Silent Call
6)- The Heart of the Mystery
7)- The Battle of the Strong
8)- The Missing Witness
9)- The Showdown
10) The Death Trap
11) Wild Loyalty
12) The Double Decoy


Western serial fans will definitely enjoy THE PAINTED STALLION, with Ray Corrigan, Hoot Gibson and Duncan Renaldo.


DEVIL HORSE TRIVIA--

The film career of Western superstar Harry Carey (Bob Norton) began in 1909. He worked with great directors like Griffith, Hawks and Ford. When Carey died in 1947 he was buried in a cowboy outfit.

Noah Beery (Canfield) was Wallace's older brother. He specialized in playing villains.

Frankie Darro (Wild Boy) was the son of circus aerialists. He never grew taller than 5' 3" so Darro was forced to do all his own stunts (there was no one his size to double for him). After his acting career ended, Darro became a stuntman himself.

Al Bridge (Curley Bates) often played the bad guy in Hopalong Cassidy programmers.

El Diablo was portrayed by Apache; the horse was also western 'B' film star Bob Baker's mount.

Yakima Canutt got no screen credit as both "Slim" and a henchman. Also in uncredited parts: Lane Chandler and Robert Walker."