The Rawhide Terror

The Rawhide Terror is a 1934 American Western horror film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and Jack Nelson.

The Rawhide Terror
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bruce M. Mitchell Jack Nelson
Screenplay by	Jack Nelson
Story by	Victor Adamson
Produced by	Victor Adamson
Starring	Art Mix Edmund Cobb William Desmond William Barrymore Frances Morris
Cinematography	A.J. Fitzpatrick Bert Longenecker
Edited by	Frances Burroughs
Production company	Victor Adamson Productions
Distributed by	Superior Talking Pictures (United States) Equity British Films (United Kingdom)
Release dates	2 December 1934 (1934-12-02) (United States) 22 October 1936 (1936-10-22) (London)
Running time	47 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot summary

A gang of renegades, disguised as Native Americans, launches a savage attack on a family, murdering the parents of two young brothers in cold blood. The horrific event leaves the boys orphaned, traumatized, and separated, each forced to fend for themselves in a harsh and unforgiving world. The tragedy marks the beginning of a dark journey for both brothers, their lives shaped by the pain and loss they endured.

Ten years later, the once-quiet town of Red Dog is thrown into turmoil as a series of brutal murders begins to unfold. A shadowy and enigmatic figure, known only as the Rawhide Terror, emerges as the perpetrator of these killings. The Rawhide Terror targets the former renegades, who have since abandoned their violent pasts and assimilated into the town as seemingly respectable citizens. Despite their attempts to leave their crimes behind, the Rawhide Terror is determined to exact vengeance, methodically hunting them down one by one. The townspeople, gripped by fear and confusion, scramble to uncover the identity of the killer and put an end to the bloodshed.

As the murders continue, the two brothers, now grown men, unknowingly find their paths beginning to converge. Each brother, driven by his own quest for answers and justice, begins to unravel the mysteries of their shared past. Along the way, they uncover long-buried secrets about the murder of their parents, the identities of the renegades, and the true motivations behind the Rawhide Terror's relentless vendetta.

The tension builds as the brothers' separate journeys bring them closer to the truth—and to each other. In a dramatic and shocking climax, the identity of the Rawhide Terror is revealed, and the brothers must confront the devastating reality of their intertwined fates. The final confrontation forces the town of Red Dog to reckon with its dark history, as the sins of the past come crashing into the present, leaving no one untouched by the fallout.

Cast

• Art Mix as Al, a Blake ranch hand
• Edmund Cobb as Sheriff
• William Desmond as Tom Blake, Betty's older brother
• William Barrymore as Brent
• Frances Morris as Betty Blake
• George Holt as Renegade leader
• Bill Patton as Renegade
• Herman Hack as Deputy Hack
• Tommy Bupp as Jimmy Brent
• Fred Parker as Pappy / Banker

Production

The Rawhide Terror was the final screen collaboration between Victor Adamson and George Kesterson (under his stage name Art Mix), the latter of whom Adamson's company was named after.^[2] Originally envisioned as a movie serial titled The Pueblo Terror,^[3] it was later cut from its original 52 minute length and converted into a 46–47 minute feature film when funding for the film fell through.^[4] In spite of this, the film has been incorrectly listed under its original 52 minute runtime.^[5][6][7][8]

Release

Home media

The film was released on DVD by Image Entertainment as a part of its "Creepy Cowboys: Four Weird Westerns" film pack on April 25, 2006. It was later released by Alpha Video on January 31, 2011.^[9]

Reception

The Rawhide Terror has received no attention from mainstream critics. Reviews that exist on the film have been mostly negative, with many calling the film "sloppy" and "crudely made".^[10] Author Michael R. Pitts criticized the film, calling it "a failed experiment in the mixing of two fairly distinct genres", and criticized the film's poor cinematography, and lack of plot continuity.^[2] Hans J. Wollstein from Allmovie called it "convincingly eerie, in no small measure due to a potent performance by the mystery killer".^[11] Max Sparber from Wildest West.com awarded the film 1/5 stars, writing, "A Poverty Row Western about a weird, revenging figure with a rawhide strap across his face, made by filmmakers who seemed to understand the pleasures of pulp fiction without having any idea how to put it on the screen."^[12]